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Repeal of Mandatory Minimums For Drug Charges

June 20, 2017 1 Comment

Massachusetts legislators are again considering the repeal of mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses.  [Read more…]

Filed Under: drug charges Tagged With: drug charges, reform

Medical Marijuana at Home: Will the Kids Really Be All Right?

June 13, 2013 1 Comment

medical marijuana and risks to kids

While many Massachusetts residents are pleased that medical marijuana has been legalized, no one really knows how safe it is to have young children present when it’s being used. [Read more…]

Filed Under: drug charges Tagged With: drug charges, marijuana

Future MA Dispensaries, Beware of I.R.S.

June 5, 2013 Leave a Comment

The IRS is going after legal medical marijuana businesses.

The myriad challenges awaiting MA’s frontier entrepreneurs aiming to open up medical marijuana dispensaries in light of the recent passing of the final regulations have been documented at length. There’s the perpetually looming threat of a federal raid, which can leave lawful business owners facing criminal charges and financial calamity. The uncertainty of local zoning restrictions puts into doubt exactly what kind of physical limitations the dispensaries will have to deal with, and whether they can realistically operate under such parameters.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: drug charges Tagged With: drug charges, marijuana

Crime Lab Chemist Pleads Innocent Guilty to Drug Charges, More

May 9, 2013 Leave a Comment

Police send evidence to crime labs for testing and analysis. This evidence is then used to build a case or gain a conviction against a defendant. The integrity of these labs is crucial in that the evidence that travels through them must be handled with respect to constitutional protections, due process, and scientific standards or risk jeopardizing the entire case. So, when one lab chemist is accused of putting her hands in the cookie jar, so to speak, numerous cases can be affected. [Read more…]

Filed Under: drug charges Tagged With: crime lab, drug charges

Massachusetts Continues to Pursue Numerous Drug Busts

April 16, 2013 Leave a Comment

Since early 2013, Massachusetts law enforcement officers have busted a number of local residents, as well as others caught while traveling through the state. Those accused of violating the state’s controlled substances laws fit a wide variety of descriptions.

But it is clear that despite marijuana decriminalization, the war on drugs is still alive and well in Massachusetts. [Read more…]

Filed Under: criminal charges Tagged With: drug charges, marijuana, police

Massachusetts Courts Affirm that Smell of Marijuana is Not Grounds for Search

April 12, 2013 1 Comment

marijuana smoke

Two years ago, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court held that police may not search a vehicle based merely on the presence of the smell of marijuana. The holding in Massachusetts v. Cruz concerned a police officer who approached the car of driver Benjamin Cruz when he noticed Cruz smoking a small cigar. Once the officer smelled a “faint odor” of marijuana, Cruz was ordered out of the car, with an ensuing search revealing 4 grams of crack cocaine and resulting in an arrest for Cruz. The court held that the officer did not have a reasonable basis to order Cruz out of the car.

Years later, several decisions appear to suggest that the court has not backed down from the principles underlying the Cruz decision. [Read more…]

Filed Under: criminal charges, drug charges Tagged With: court, drug charges, marijuana, police

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Criminal Procedures

  • Do I Need a Lawyer for an Arraignment in Massachusetts?
  • How to Avoid a Criminal Record – Pretrial Probation vs Pretrial Diversion
  • What To Do While You Are Waiting For a Clerk Magistrate’s Hearing Date
  • I Know I Am Guilty. Should I Just Plead Guilty in Court?
  • How Much Does a Criminal Lawyer Cost in Massachusetts?

OUI Charges

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