Earlier this week, the Ottawa Senators hockey team traded left winger Mike Hoffman to the San Jose Sharks, amid controversy involving the player’s fiance. According to news reports, Hoffman’s fiancé, Monika Caryk, has been cyberbullying the wife of Senators’ star defenseman, Erik Karlsson. In fact, Melinda Karlsson recently filed an…
Articles Posted in Criminal Law
Can a Disorderly Conduct Charge be Dropped?
Disorderly conduct charges are some of the most common criminal charges in MA, and nationwide. You can get charged with disorderly conduct for anything from shouting in public late at night to getting into a bar fight. Not surprisingly, alcohol is a common factor. Fortunately, disorderly conduct charges are usually…
Was Prince’s 2016 Death an Accident or a Crime?
No criminal charges will be filed in Prince’s fentanyl overdose, which resulted in the star’s 2016 death. On Thursday, authorities announced that there was no evidence linking a specific person or persons to his fatal dose of the powerful drug. Even so, Michael Schulenberg, the Minnesota doctor who treated Prince…
MA Supreme Court Rules that Stun Guns Cannot be Banned
This week, Massachusetts’ top court ruled that the state’s stun gun and taser ban is unconstitutional. According to the ruling, stun guns cannot be fully banned because they are classified as “arms,” and therefore, protected by the Second Amendment. However, they can be regulated. In its ruling, the Supreme Court…
Surprising Facts About Crime in the U.S. (and Boston)
If you base your knowledge of crime on what is presented by the media, and the Trump administration, it would be easy to assume that U.S. crime is at an all-time high. However, quite the opposite is true. Here are some surprising facts about current crime rates, nationwide. Drop in…
Vermont’s Strict New Gun Laws Are Making History
In the wake of multiple mass shootings, many involving schools, the debate about increased gun control is going strong. Vermont may have had one of the most shocking responses, as it moved from one of the most lenient states on gun control to one of the strictest. Last week, VT…
Do I Have to Testify if Called As a Witness, and What Are My Rights?
Just as defendants in a criminal case have certain rights, so do witnesses. The information you are obligated to provide when asked is dependent on the nature of the case, and who is doing the asking. For example, if an attorney or detective calls you hoping that you’ll speak about…
Can You Shoot a Home Intruder in MA?
Due to the recent surge in mass shootings and the resulting gun debate, the term “stand your ground” has frequently been in the news. In stand your ground states, such as Florida and Texas, an individual can use force, without retreating, to protect himself against a threat. In these states,…
Is Failing to Report Child Abuse a Criminal Offense?
Child abuse is a crime, there is no question about that. But what about the failure to report child abuse? If you suspect that a child has been abused, do you have to speak up? Is failing to do so a crime? It depends. Mandated Reporters Certain people are required…
Is It Possible To Get My Bail Lowered?
Bail is a type of payment—or the pledge to make a payment—in exchange for being released from custody. The defendant is temporarily released, but agrees to return to court when ordered to do so. As long as the defendant shows up at court as agreed, bail money is returned once…