Boston Criminal Lawyer Blog

Conrad Murray, the personal physician of Michael Jackson, pleaded not guilty to a single felony charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of the famous performer. Bail was set at $75,000—three times more than the amount faced by most people who are charged with involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors had wanted bail set at $300,000. Michael Jackson’s parents, Katherine and Joe, and his brothers Randy, Tito Jackie, and Jermaine, and his sister La Toya were at Murray's arraignment.

Upon Murray's release after posting bail, the 56-year-old cardiologist will not be allowed to leave the country.

Murray was Jackson’s personal physician when he died. According to officials, the performer died after Murray gave him propofol and two other sedatives to treat his chronic insomnia.

The criminal complaint against Murray accuses him of unlawfully killing Michael Joseph Jackson, albeit with out malice, and of acting “without due caution and circumspection.”

The coroner had ruled the singer’s death a homicide caused by acute intoxication by propofol and other sedatives. The autopsy report released today says that Jackson was administered a powerful anesthetic at a dose equal to what would be given during a major operation and that medical standards were not met.

Murray maintains he did not do anything that should have killed Jackson. His criminal defense attorney is vowing that he and his client will “fight like hell.” If convicted, Murray faces a maximum four years in prison.

Michael Jackson died at age 50 on June 25, 2009.

High profile criminal cases, especially one involving a beloved victim, can prove challenging for the defendant, who may have the court of public opinion against him/her.

Michael Jackson's doctor pleads not guilty, Yahoo/AP, February 8, 2010

Conrad Murray: Michael Jackson case and celebrities' doctors, The Christian Science Monitor, February 5, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Propofol, Drugs.com

Michael Jackson Autopsy Report, The Smoking Gun

Continue reading "Michael Jackson’s Doctor Pleads Not Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter in Singer’s Death " »

A Middlesex Superior Court Grand Jury indicted Roger Lau and Thomas Heinz, both 26, on child rape charges yesterday. They are accused of raping the same girl.

Prosecutors say that both men assaulted a girl from the under-14 Medford girls soccer league that they were coaching. The alleged Massachusetts sexual assault crimes began taking place in 2003 and the last incident is said to have occurred during the summer of 2004.

The alleged victim, who was then 13 to 14 years of age, told police that she and Lau were sexually involved with each other for over a year. She claims that Heinz sexually assaulted her twice.

Lau was indicted on four counts of child rape by force and Heinz was indicted on one count of child rape by force. Both men have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The two men were arrested last December. They are on pre-trial release and have been ordered not to have contact with children under age 16 unless these interactions are supervised. They also cannot coach or officiate any activities involving kids younger than 16.

Massachusetts Rape Charges
Allegations of rape are very serious—especially if the alleged victim is younger than 16. The state of Massachusetts does not consider an adult having sex with someone younger than 16 to ever be a consensual act and criminal charges can be filed against the adult. Punishments may be even more serious when violence or abuse is involved.

You have the right to an experienced Boston sex crimes lawyer who can defend you against all charges and protect your rights. Even if you are not guilty of committing any crime, your life can be irrevocably altered when you are accuse of rape.

Former Medford soccer coaches indicted on rape charges, Boston.com, February 5, 2010

Roger Lau, Thomas Heinz Accused Of Teen Soccer Child Rape, Huffington Post, December 22, 2009

Related Web Resource:
Massachusetts Law About Sex

Continue reading "Middlesex Superior Court Grand Jury Indicts Two Former Medford Soccer Coaches on Child Rape Charges " »

Gang violence in the Boston area. The battles are played out in the streets by gang members, law enforcement and innocent bystanders as well as the Commonwealth’s courtrooms with lawyers and judges.

The homicide victim this time was a Revere Police Officer Daniel T (hereinafter, the “Deceased”). The killing took place in 2007. Now, in 2010, Robert I., 22, (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) has been found guilty of second-degree murder by a Suffolk Superior Court jury.

But the controversy has not ended there. People are questioning the city’s police department as a result of how the shooting had occurred.

The Commonwealth contends that the Defendant was a member of the “Bloods” street gang. It also contends that the Defendant shot the Deceased above his right eye believing he was a gang rival.

Continue reading "Massachusetts Gang Violence Results In Murder Conviction In Shooting Of Police Officer" »

Kyle B., 28, (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) is in trouble again. Criminal Justice trouble. Massachusetts Murder trouble.

The Defendant was arrested in Brockton Saturday and charged with the murder of a man outside of a local restaurant on January 5th. A second witness of the shooting was shot in the leg and has survived. The Defendant stands accused of the shooting of both gentlemen as well as unlawful possession of a firearm.

Law enforcement has wasted no time in calling the double shooting “egregious” and “heinous.” Ignoring the usual need for lip-service on behalf of the presumption of innocence, Plymouth District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz has publically declared that ““The shooter in this case is a very dangerous person. I’m glad he’s off the street”, he continued. “Brockton is safer without him on the street.”

Of course, the Defendant is not a complete stranger to charges of homicide. He was charged with the 1999 grisly death of a 14-year-old girl who had been eight months pregnant, presumably with his child. In fact, in a recorded statement to police, the Defendant described himself as a witness who had watched a friend lure her to a shallow grave , stabbed her and bludgeoned her with a rock a brick before burying her alive. The Defendant then led police to that grave. The Commonwealth charged him with being part of the conspiracy to kill the young woman. However, at trial, some five years later, he was found to be “not guilty” by a jury.

After the 2004 jury trial, Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley’s office described itself as being “baffled and pained” by Bryant’s acquittal.

I guess both District Attorneys are sleeping better tonight.

Continue reading "Acquitted Of Murder In Boston, Shooting Suspect Needs Another Defense Attorney " »

The criminal trial of Carolyn Riley, who is charged with the overdose murder of her 4-year-old daughter Rebecca, is underway in Plymouth Superior Court. While the prosecutor is depicting Carolyn as someone who refused to get her daughter medical help after overdosing her with clonidine in an attempt to get Social Security disability pay, her defense attorney argues that Carolyn is a concerned mother who gave her daughter medicine, as prescribed by a doctor, to treat her bipolar disorder.

Rebecca was found dead in her home on December 2006. Carolyn and her husband Michael were charged with first degree murder. Earlier this month, Carolyn’s criminal defense lawyer filed a motion to dismiss the charges saying there is new medical evidence supporting the couple’s claim that their daughter died from pneumonia and not from a prescription drug overdose. A judge denied the motion. Michael’s Massachusetts homicide trial will begin after Carolyn’s trial ends.

Among the witnesses that have testified against Carolyn so far is a social worker who says that she thought Rebecca was overmedicated. Also, the principal of the Elden Johnson Early Childhood Center says she saw Carolyn and Michael laughing outside the school just one day after Rebecca’s death. Yesterday, Kelly Williams, the Rileys’ former housemate, testified that Michael would demand that Carolyn overmedicate their three kids to keep them quiet. Williams says that as the 4-year-old’s condition deteriorated, she and her boyfriend James McGonnell kept telling Carolyn and Michael to take Rebecca to the doctor but that they kept putting off the visit.

Carolyn’s defense lawyers say she is a loving mother who did what she could to raise her three kids, all of whom suffered from hyperactivity and bipolar disorders.

The grief of a parent who loses a child cannot be quantified. To be accused of murdering a son/daughter is a severe blow.

Housemate details Riley child’s final night, Boston.com, January 23, 2010

Social worker warned that Rebecca Riley, 4, was overmedicated, The Boston Globe, January 21, 2010

Riley murder trial begins in Brockton court, The Daily News Tribune, January 20, 2010

Not a hard choice to have separate Riley trials, Wicked Local, January 17, 2010

Judge denies motion to dismiss murder charges against Rileys, Wicked Local, January 12, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Parents convicted of first-degree murder, General Laws of Massachusetts

Timeline: Rebecca Riley Murder Case, MyFox Boston, December 14, 2009

Continue reading "Carolyn Riley’s Massachusetts Murder Trial Underway in Plymouth Superior Court " »

The game of politics is afoot again in the Boston area! This means that, as the race for the late Senator Kennedy’s seat comes to the wire, it is time for whatever mud can be thrown upon one’s opponent . Often, the accusations involve the criminal justice system. That’s where I come in. Today we look at accusations involving a 2005 rape case and Attorney General Martha Coakley.

In October, 2005, 31 year-old Somerville Police Officer Keith W. (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) was said to have raped his 23-month-old niece with a hot object, most likely a curling iron. The case was presented to a Middlesex grand jury which was overseen by Coakley. That grand jury did not take action against the Defendant. Thereafter, the child’s mother filed applications for criminal complaints in the case and it was then that the grand jury indicted the Defendant.

When the Defendant was before the court, the prosecution recommended that the Defendant not be held on bail, but released on personal recognizance. He remained free until December 2007, when he was found guilty.

Now, political opponents, both old and new, are taking the pulpit to decry Coakley’s handling of the case and making the typical cry of “too soft on crime”.

Continue reading "Boston AG Is Accused Of Mishandling Grand Jury Investigation And Bail Issues In Rape Case" »

Today we discuss yet another tale wherein Massachusetts law enforcement officials are in need of a criminal defense attorney. It involves recent accusations against four such officers and an event arising out of a suspected racially motivated apprehension from this past November.

Well, it is not so much the fact of the apprehension that has raised suspicion, but the method of it. You see, Melvin J. (hereinafter, the “Passenger”) was a guest in a particular motor vehicle that police stopped. While not the driver, police say he acted suspiciously. So, the officers ordered him to get out of the car. He did as ordered…and kept going. He ran away from the scene.

The officers, apparently having lost interest in the driver of the car and whatever traffic violation they thought they had witnessed, chased after him. They say that when they chased him, he violently resisted and tried to grab one officer's gun.

That’s a big “no-no” for law enforcement. It does, however, seem to give a perceived license for officers to do things they otherwise wouldn’t.

Continue reading "Massachusetts Traffic Stop Becomes Fourth Assault And Battery Claim Against One Police Officer" »

For those of you who still hold fast to the fantasy that law enforcement never lies, prepare for a shock. Of course, this case does not feature law enforcement lying to convict a defendant. Instead, it is a Massachusetts law enforcement official lying to federal law enforcement who needs a criminal defense attorney.

Arlindo R., a 37-year-old former Stoughton police detective, (hereinafter, the “Defendant), admitted in federal court yesterday that he lied to FBI agents during an ongoing investigation into corruption in the police department and had promised to help authorities in their probe.

The Defendant pleaded guilty in US District Court in Boston to one count of making false statements last July 13. Agents had asked whether he knew of Stoughton police officers receiving stolen gift cards and other items from an informant secretly cooperating with the FBI. According to the government, the Defendant had been among the recipients.

Continue reading "Massachusetts law enforcement official pleads guilty in federal white collar investigation" »

Last week, we discussed two scenarios whereby you received a compulsory invitation to attend the Boston Municipal Court to answer charges for a variety of potential charges, including assault, drugs and OUI.

Now, however, the matter has been raised to another level. The Commonwealth has decided to indict you. You have just received the year-end news from either your attorney or another summons in the mail.

So, what is an indictment? Well, it is like the criminal complaint that was issued back in district court. In that case, either the police or your neighbor sought the complaint. The prosecutor did not really get involved until the matter was in district court. At some point, a prosecutor reviewed the allegations of the matter and decided that either your criminal past or the allegations themselves were deserving of more serious treatment. “More serious” generally means “more jail/prison time”.

Continue reading "Attorney Sam’s Take: You Have To Go To Massachusetts Court Tomorrow ; You Have Been Indicted (Part Three)" »

Richard and Mayumi Heene received their sentences for their roles in the balloon hoax involving their six-year-old son Falcon. Both of them pleaded guilty last month to criminal charges. Mayumi pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of knowingly filing a false report with emergency services and Richard pleaded guilty to a felony charge of knowingly and falsely attempting to influence a public servant.

The Heenes captured the media spotlight last October after they contacted 911 to report that they thought Falcon may have flown off in a flying saucer-like balloon that Richard had constructed. TV cameras followed rescuers as they chased after the balloon in an attempt to bring him back to safety. The 6-year-old was later found in the family garage. Questions about whether the incident was a hoax came up when Falcon replied during a CNN interview that the escapade was done for a “show.” Mayumi later admitted that the balloon boy story was a hoax.

At his sentencing, Richard apologized for the incident. The judge abided by a plea agreement, sentencing him to 90 days in jail starting January 11, four years probation, and 100 hours of community services during those years. Heene is allowed to serve the last 60 days in a work release program but has to sleep in jail at night.

Mayumi is sentenced to 20 days in jail (not as much time as what prosecutors sought), four years probation, and 120 hours of community service. Mayumi’s sentence begins after her husband’s sentence is over so that one of them can remain with the kids. She can also serve her time on weekends.

Mayumi and Richard are ordered to pay restitution.

‘Balloon boy’ parents plead guilty, MSNBC, November 13, 2009

Balloon Boy Parents Richard Heene, Mayumi Heene Get Jail Time, Probation, ABC, December 23, 2009

'Balloon boy' parents plead guilty, CNN, November 13, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Timeline Of Balloon Boy Events, ABC 7, October 16, 2009

General Laws of Massachusetts

Continue reading "Parents of Balloon Boy Receive Jail Sentences for Media Hoax" »

A jury has found Michael D. Holden, a former Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational-Technical High School teacher, not guilty of two counts of forcible rape of a child. The alleged victim, who is now 20-years-old, had accused Holden of driving her to a parking lot, and, while in his SUV, forcing her to have sex and perform oral sex on him in 2004.

In January 2005, the school fired Holden after 14 years of employment. He also coached the boys volleyball team.

Holden’s criminal defense lawyer had accused the alleged victim of making up the allegations because the former teacher failed her for school work, recommended that the school suspend her, and admonished her several times for not dressing appropriately and being disruptive during class.

Following the announcement of the jury verdict, Holden expressed relief that he was exonerated.

Forcible Rape of a Child
In Massachusetts, a conviction of forcible rape of a child can lead to a lifelong prison sentence. This is considered a serious sexual offense and a violent crime. If you are under investigation for this crime, it is important that you consult with a Boston criminal defense lawyer right away.

Even as a suspect in a Massachusetts rape case, your reputation, career, and personal life can be thrown into turmoil. It is important that you have a legal team that knows how to provide you with the best defense.

Former teacher not guilty in rape case, SouthCoastToday, December 15, 2009

Ex-Teacher Not Guilty Of Child Rape, The Boston Channel, December 15, 2009

Related Web Resource:
Massachusetts Law About Sex, Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries

Continue reading "Former New Bedford Teacher is Not Guilty of Child Rape, Says Massachusetts Jury" »

A former Westboro middle school gym teacher and girls basketball coach is facing up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to one Massachusetts possession of pornography criminal charge. Brian Rossi, 37, was arrested last February after images of kids taking part in sexually explicit activities were discovered in his home during a search. Rossi’s sentencing is scheduled for February.

Arresting officers say Rossi threatened to commit suicide. He was given a psychiatric evaluation at St. Vincent Hospital and then placed under home confinement, where he has been taking medication to treat his depression and anxiety. He is also undergoing therapy.

Rossi’s Massachusetts criminal defense lawyer has asked the judge to let Rossi stay confined at home until he is sentenced so he can continue getting treatment. Rossi has admitted to owning the child pornography videos but there are no allegations or evidence that he ever touched anyone inappropriately. According to his psychological evaluation, the former teacher is not likely to reoffend.

Child Pornography
Child pornography is considered a violent crime and state and federal sentencing guidelines exist for distribution or possession of child pornography. Merely having child pornography in your possession can throw you in prison and require you to to register as a sex offender when you get out of prison. This can negatively affect your professional opportunities and personal and social relationships and alter the course of your life.

Under the General Laws of Massachusetts, Chapter 272: Section 29C, possession of child pornography consists of knowingly buying or having in your possession visual material showing a person under 18 engaged in sexual conduct.

Teacher guilty in child porn, Telegram, December 5, 2009

Ex-Mass. school gym teacher guilty of child porn, Boston Herald, December 5, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Chapter 272: Section 29C. Knowing purchase or possession of visual material of child depicted in sexual conduct; punishment, The General Laws of Massachusetts

What is Child Pornography?, Missing Kids

Continue reading "Ex-Westboro Teacher and Coach Pleads Guilty to Massachusetts Possession of Child Pornography Charge" »

...And once again we are reminded of this year’s movie The Watchmen, where the catchphrase was “Who watches the Watchmen?” The setting is Boston’s northern neighbor, Salem, Massachusetts. The person is Marie M., 38, a former accounting clerk of Lawrence's Probation Department (hereinafter, the “Defendant”). That’s right, the same probation department entrusted to oversee criminal defendants as they try to follow advice and role models to work their way back onto the “straight and narrow”. The Defendant’s current position is beside her defense attorney, facing charges of embezzlement in the amount of more than two million dollars.

According to the Commonwealth, the Defendant had crafted an elaborate white collar scheme that managed to elude detection for nearly three years. During her 19 years with the department, she allegedly managed to employ a host of complex accounting maneuvers to pocket approximately $12,000 a week from 2006 through this summer, when she left work amid troubling questions posed by suspicious auditors.

Last Thursday, the Defendant was in court in Salem Superior Court, facing felony charges. During the hearing, prosecutors marveled what they called an intricate and sophisticated scheme. The Defendant was apparently the only person in the department authorized to change entries in the court's accounting system and she is said to have used this position to manipulate records and bank deposits to cover her tracks. Further, prosecutors allege that auditors who uncovered the alleged fraud had only encountered one of the Defendant’s methods (known as a "negative, non-money error reversal") once or twice over the past 20 years.

Continue reading "Probation Official, Charged with Felony Larceny, Makes Incriminating Statements To Investigators" »

Well, it’s nice to see the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office having a good time. Of course, Demetrius E., 27 of Dorchester (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) might not be laughing, though, should he read their recent press release celebrating his guilty plea in Boston’s Superior Court.

The Defendant pleaded guilty to various drug charges on November 17th. The drug of choice was crack, cocaine. The sentence was five-to-seven years in state prison. The funny part?

He is said to have stored his crack in a Chips Ahoy cookie box.

He had been arrested on Feb. 22, 2005. November 17, 2009, was to be his trial date. Instead, he pleaded guilty.

Continue reading "Boston District Attorney Celebrates Drug Defendant's Guilty Plea" »

Bruce Springsteen wrote a song claiming that “Summer is here and the time is right for racing in the street”. Well, it is not summer and the time certainly isn’t right for street speeding. The lesson, however, is a little late in the learning for 17-year-old Michelle M. of Methuen (hereinafter, the “Defendant”). Accused of drag racing in Lowell by witnesses, the young lady will be facing charges alongside a criminal defense attorney.

According to the police, the Defendant will be charged with leaving the scene of an accident causing personal injury. The injured party was a 12-year-old boy who was struck by a car during what witnesses claim to be a drag race and thrown about 20 feet. Allegedly, because leaving the scene of an accident is a misdemeanor, the Defendant is going to be summoned to court at a later date and was not arrested. She has, however, lost her license.

According to witnesses, the racers had run a red light before one of the cars struck the boy. The boy is listed in fair condition with internal and head injuries at a Boston hospital.

According to the police, the Defendant, having left the lad for dead, fled the scene and went to a Lawrence hair salon, got her hair done and then reported to the police that her car had been vandalized.

Continue reading "Massachusetts Student Faces Both Misdemeanor And Felony Charges Stemming From Hit And Run Case" »

Wanda Eileen Barzee, the woman charged with kidnapping teenager Elizabeth Smart in 2002, has pleaded guilty to federal charges of unlawful transportation of a minor and kidnapping. The 64-year-old says she will plead guilty to state charges of conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping.

At her court hearing on Tuesday, Barzee issued an apology to Smart for the role she played in the teenager’s abduction. As part of Barzee’s plea agreement, she will help prosecutors with their federal and state criminal cases against Brian David Mitchell, who is her husband.

Now that she has pleaded guilty, Barzee is expected to serve 15 years in federal prison. Her formal sentencing has not yet taken place. If Barzee had been convicted, she might have been sentenced to life in prison.

Mitchell and Barzee are accused of kidnapping Smart, then age 14, from her home. Barzee has admitted that she encouraged her husband to abduct the young girl and that they planned the kidnapping together.

In her plea agreement, Barzee says that she helped her husband control, confine, sexually assault, and transport Smart out of state and back. Smart was found with the couple nine months after her abduction.

Barzee, who was been staying at a Utah State Hospital, was recently declared competent to stand trial following years of being forced to take psychotropic drugs while at the mental hospital. Her husband’s competency hearing is scheduled to continue on November 30. His defense attorney says that he is incompetent and cannot defend himself during a criminal trial.

Kidnapper apologizes to Elizabeth Smart, will cooperate, CNN.com, November 18, 2009

Captor of Elizabeth Smart to serve 15 years, Los Angeles Times, November 18, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Read the Plea Agreement (PDF)

Timeline of Smart Case

Continue reading "Woman Charged with Kidnapping Elizabeth Smart Pleads Guilty and Says Sorry" »

Six family members have been arrested in connection with a child sex abuse investigation involving at least six alleged victims. The men who were arrested are Mohler brothers Burrell Edward, 53, David, 52, Jared Leroy, 48, and Roland Neil, 47, their 77-year-old father Burrell Edward Mohler, Sr., and his 72-year-old brother Darrel. Criminal charges against them include deviate sexual assault, rape, and use of a child in sexual performance. More charges are expected.

The Mohlers are accused of sexually abusing six of their relatives when the alleged victims were minors. Now adults, the people who have come forward are accusing the men of rape, forced abortions, mock weddings, and sexual performances.

Darrel Mohler, who has been charged with two counts of rape of a child under 14, says he knew “what was going on in Missouri” and had not been there since the ‘80s. He is accused of raping two relatives, age 6 and 5, during a sleepover. According to prosecutors, after the alleged incident, Burrell Mohler Sr. told the crying girls to be careful that the waterbed didn’t burst and drown them.

Another man, Mark Young, says his son is also a sex abuse victim. Young’s ex-wife married Burrell Edward Mohler Jr. Young says his son was 7 at the time of the alleged child sex abuse.

The alleged assaults are said to have occurred between the mid ‘80’s and at least through the mid 90’s. Police are looking for at least one body.

Burrell Mohler Sr., Jared Mohler, and David Mohler are lay ministers with the Community of Christ Church, which has since suspended their priesthood licenses.

Another man, Mohler family associate Larry Kidd, was arrested but later released. At this time he has not been charged and is working with investigators.

Police arrest sixth member of family accused of child sex abuse, CNN, November 14, 2009

Sixth Man Charged in Mohler Child Sex Case, Fox4kc.com, November 13, 2009

Father, 4 sons in court on sex charges, UPI, November 12, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Massachusetts Laws About Sex

Sex Offenders, Mass.gov

Continue reading "Sixth Family Members Arrested for Child Sex Abuse" »

Citing a lack of evidence, the Suffolk District Attorney's office says it will not file Massachusetts rape charges against a male Boston police officer accused of sexually assaulting a fellow cop. The announcement comes after prosecutors and detectives conducted a probe into the allegations by the female officer, who says that the male cop sexually assaulted her numerous times in August and September.

Boston Police detectives examined phone records, text messages, hotel records, and other documents, as well as interviewed over two dozen people. The female officer’s husband says that he and his wife plan to keep pursuing the case. They say the sexual assaults took place in several jurisdictions, including Boston.

The female officer says that the male cop forced her to have sex on several occasions and she became pregnant. She says that she had sex with him when he demanded it because she was scared of him.

The male cop has always maintained his innocence.

Massachusetts Rape
Rape allegations are very serious accusations against someone and the punishment for committing this type of sexual assault can be very serious. Not everyone accused of rape is guilty of the crime it is important that a suspect obtain the best representation possible to ensure the best defense against these charges.

Prosecutors will not pursue rape case against Boston police officer, Boston.com, November 2, 2009

Boston Cop Denies Raping Fellow Officer, WBZ, October 5, 2009

Text Messages Raise Questions About Cop's Rape Claim, The Boston Channel, October 3, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Police Department: City of Boston

Suffolk District Attorney's Office

Continue reading "Suffolk District Attorney Says Not Enough Evidence to Pursue Massachusetts Rape Case Against Boston Cop Accused of Assaulting Female Police Officer" »

On Monday night, a Boston Police Officer, along with his sidekick, a valet, grabbed an alleged knife-wielding carjacker who had robbed a woman of her pocketbook. The chosen victim was a 61-year old female. Now, the suspect needs a good lawyer if he has any hopes of seeing the light of day anytime soon.

It began at approximately 7:31 pm for the officer. He was approached by a parking valet who reported that a woman was just robbed of her purse and the suspect was running down the street. The officer was then supplied with a description of the suspect and directed to the area where he was last seen.

The officer and parking valet then ran down Congress Street towards Quaker Lane where an individual was observed and identified by the parking valet as the perpetrator. As the officer approached Richard M., 48, of Boston (hereinafter, the “Defendant”). The Defendant was apparently seen to be concealing what appeared to be a purse under his shirt. The officer also observed him to have a large knife in his right hand. The officer ordered the suspect to drop the knife to which he complied. At this time, the suspect was given the Commonwealth Bracelets of Shame while the officer further investigated the matter.

Continue reading "Knife-Wielding Boston Robbery Suspect Is Arrested For Assault With Intent To Murder Charges" »

Authorities are charging 14-year-old Raul Renato Castro as an adult in the murder of Alex Christopher Mercato. The 4-year-old disappeared on Friday afternoon while playing outside his home.

Police found Mercato’s body the next day. It was stuffed inside a clothes dryer in the house next door. Autopsy results indicate that he drowned.

Castro was the only one at his home on Friday. Prosecutors have charged him with special circumstances, including the sexual crime involving sodomy, kidnapping, murder during a child molestation, and murder of a witness to prevent testimony.

Castro’s mother, Elsa, says her son is a good boy who has never been in trouble. If convicted, Castro could end up serving 47-years-to life in prison. California law does not allow a youth offender to face life in prison without parole or the death penalty.

In court, today, an affidavit was released stating that the junior high school student has admitted to luring the 4-year-old into his home, sodomizing him, and drowning him in the bathtub after the victim threatened to tell his mother.

Castro’s arraignment, scheduled for yesterday, was rescheduled for Tuesday.

Getting arrested and charged with a crime is life changing for anyone. The best decision that you can make for your child is to contact an experienced Boston juvenile crimes lawyer right away.

Kids make mistakes. They can also be wrongly accused of crimes they did not commit. When a crime is committed, there may be reasons for the juvenile's actions that must be brought to light in order to ensure a fair trail. There may be evidence that is inadmissible. There may be reasons why certain charges should be thrown out or reduced.

Affidavit: Teen says he killed boy found in dryer, AP/Google, November 4, 2009

Boy, 14, charged as adult in clothes-dryer murder of 4-year-old, CNN, November 3, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Assessing Juveniles Who Commit Murder, Psychiatric Times, May 1, 2005

Juveniles, The International Justice Project

Continue reading "14-Year-Old Charged with Murder of 4-Year-Old Found in Clothes Dryer" »