As the Trump administration continues its efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, many legal battles have been playing out in Massachusetts courts. Recently, a federal court in Boston began hearing arguments over the enforcement activities of U.S. Immigration...
Criminal Defense
Felony accusations and possible effect on immigration status
If you are interested in immigrating to the United States, you are not alone. Thousands have made the physical trek to the United States and some have become fully naturalized citizens. There are a few factors that could stand in a person's way of becoming a U.S....
A criminal defense can be useful when accused of a crime
It may go without saying, but when accused of a crime, one would be wise to look into building a criminal defense. So what is a criminal defense? Building a criminal defense against criminal accusations could look like building a defense to charge, seeking a plea deal...
Investigations lead to drug, weapons charges in Massachusetts
Law enforcement agencies often coordinate major efforts in operations targeting hot-button issues. When they make arrests and file charges as a result of these operations, they may bask in the headlines for a news cycle before moving on, but the challenges for those...
What constitutes burglary?
The crime of burglary has been around for a long time. So long, in fact, that the definition of the crime has evolved. We'll take a closer look this week at what constitutes burglary in 2018 with the understanding that the information is general in nature only and not...
Police accuse five of multiple break-ins in Quincy and elsewhere
When Quincy residents are arrested on criminal charges, it can be difficult to know where to turn. Those individuals facing criminal charges often feel like they have no say in what is happening. They may not even understand their rights in terms of criminal...
Defendant wins bail despite record of deportation, re-entry
In the heat of the national debate over immigration and immigrant rights, it can be all too easy to gloss over the details of any particular case. In immigration law, however, every case is unique, and individuals' stories deserve to be heard - both the bad and the...
Quincy-area man charged with elder abuse after police chase
Justice is supposed to be blind to those details that play off of our emotions when someone is facing criminal charges. Unfortunately, Quincy residents know that this isn't always the case. Sometimes the eye-popping aspects of criminal allegations overshadow the...
Massachusetts judge: immigrant has right to criminal defense
A fundamental principle of our country's justice system is that an individual accused of a crime has the right to defend him or herself in court. However, certain Massachusetts residents facing criminal charges have actually been prevented from appearing at their...
The “armed career criminal” charge in Massachusetts law
We used a term in passing in one of our recent Quincy legal issues blog posts that we should pause to define in some detail. The term was "armed career criminal" and has a specific meaning under Massachusetts law, along with specific potential consequences for anyone...