A Massachusetts Uniform Citation with the box checked for a criminal application means you are being accused of a criminal offense.

An officer can decide to issue a citation for a misdemeanor criminal charge at his discretion instead of arresting you, in cases like drug possession or negligent operation of a motor vehicle. A criminal citation can be sent through the mail, or handed to you in person by a police officer.

For a misdemeanor offense not in the presence of a police officer, such as a hit and run accident or a shoplifting case, this is how it works. You are not arrested but it is a criminal accusation just the same.

So make no mistake, a Massachusetts Uniform Citation with the checkmark criminal indicates you are facing a criminal charge, whether it is an assault, leaving the scene of an accident, operation on a suspended license, reckless driving, shoplifting, property damage, minor in possession of alcohol, or OUI or almost any misdemeanor criminal offense.

Hiring someone for prostitution (or “sex for a fee” as it says in the Massachusetts statutes) is a risky proposition with aggressive law enforcement focus.

Police departments actively work with prosecutors to set up stings by running online ads. While Craigslist bans such activity and Backpage is shutdown, there are many other sites where solicitation by escorts is still widespread. And if potential customers can find them, so can police, to post fake solicitations for stings, and even entrapment. Attleboro police recently did just that on skipthegames.com and megapersonals.com.

Many of the Massachusetts District Attorney’s offices and Attorney General Maura Healy herself are also aggressively targeting and arresting anyone alleged to be hiring prostitution. While the goal of the crackdown is attempting to end human trafficking, consensual non-coerced sex work is absolutely under fire. And anyone running such an operation is should be deeply concerned about the risk of very serious charges.

And now in 2018, some state DAs are directing their prosecutors to not easily dismiss any of these cases and to fight for convictions.

This is an extremely embarrassing charge to face. I have represented many men accused of soliciting prostitution and other sensitive charges for which you wouldn’t want your family or coworkers to find out.

I can help.

If you are trying to figure out how to deal with a prostitution arrest, give us a call for a confidential consultation. We will discuss how we will aggressively defend your rights, work to avoid the most serious penalties, and most importantly, fight to prevent the stigma and embarrassment that would result from a criminal conviction on your record. [Read more…]

One of the most common questions we get from people who’ve been arrested or charged with a crime is Am I Going to Go to Jail?

That is a completely understandable concern. Most people have no idea how the criminal justice system works, and what a typical penalty is if you are convicted of a crime.

My first job when I speak to someone is to calm them down because almost everyone is worried about something that will never happen. I recently had a text conversation where I was happy to get this response:

You honestly helped relieve my stress I’ve never had something like this before and was freaking out about the jail time.