Attorney Sam’s Take: How To Avoid Arrest During A Boston Long Weekend

It’s another long weekend for many of us Bostonians starting today. That’s the good news. This means that law enforcement will be particularly aware of what is going on in the Commonwealth. That’s good and bad news, depending on your perspective. However, regardless on how you feel about it, you had best be wary of it or you will end your weekend in a courtroom hoping that your lawyer will be able to find the right words to allow you to return home by nightfall.

The police hyper-awareness on holiday weekends is routed in reality. Often, people forget the realities of their normal lives amid a long weekend of fun and frolic. For example, frolicking often involves alcohol or drugs. Drinking alcohol, and now smoking a small amount of pot, and staying put is not, in and of itself a problem. Sometimes, though, people decide not to stay put.

They may decide to go for a drive. Bingo! Operating Under The Influence…or worse. Perhaps they get a bit rambunctious and get into an altercation with someone they meet. Bongo! Assault and Battery. Maybe they are feeling generous and are taking some of their favorite drug with them to share with a buddy. Bango! Possession with intent to Distribute.

You would be surprised at how many of these cases suddenly hit the courts right after a long weekend.

I remember when I was a prosecutor in Brooklyn. One year, I was on call for 24 hours to investigate serious calls, such as homicides and sex crimes over Christmas. Being a naïve Jewish boy from Boston, I figured all would be peaceful as loving families gathered together simply to unwrap presents and remind each other how much they loved each other.

Unfortunately, the warnings from more experienced prosecutors ended up being more correct than my hopeful predictions. It turned out that homicides increased on such holidays.

Why? Well, suffice it to say that just because people are related does not mean that all is harmonious in their relationship. Over the holidays, tempers can flare. They can flare very violently. In short, a moment’s bad perhaps substance-induced decision can often end or otherwise ruin a life…or lives.

As a result, law enforcement knows to be especially careful when dealing with reports of domestic violence over the holidays.

Finally, there are those who fall into neither category mentioned above. There are people out there who are generally used to living alone, but feel their loneliness even more over holidays. They become bitter. They become angry. They become desperate and sometimes violent.

The results can be deadly…to either themselves or others.

So, how does this effect you?

Simple. In the words of the old show “Hill Street Blues”, “Let’s be careful out there!” Be aware that not only do you want to live to see the weekend’s end, but also want to be free while doing so.

If things did not go quite the way you intended over the long weekend, and find yourself at risk of prosecution, get an experienced attorney. If you want that attorney to be me, please feel free to call me at (617) 206-1942.

In the meantime, have a great, safe and law-abiding weekend!

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