Boston Criminal Lawyer Blog
Massachusetts politics can be a dangerous business. We have talked many times how it can run, and ruin, the criminal justice system. Sometimes, however, it can provide the system with new business.
Take the case of Antonio Arevalo (hereinafter, the “Battered”) for example. He has been a critic of Lawrence Mayor William Lantigua. A very vocal cri.
This angered some folks…one man in particular. David Figueroa (hereinafter, the “Defendant”) works as a bouncer for La Guira, a nightclub which is popular with the mayor. Apparently, he did not care for the Battered’s attitude.
According to the Battered, he was confronted and beaten by the 6-foot-9 Defendant who called him “a snitch” and the “man who took the mayor to court.” .
Well, it is actually not only according to the Battered. The event was actually caught on videotape which has now hit the internet.
Anyway, The result was apparently a broken arm (in two places) for the Battered and a the need for a Massachusetts Assault and Battery Attorney for the Defendant
The Defendant was arraigned yesterday on charges including MA armed (flashlight) assault and battery and intimidating a witness.
Yes, those would be Massachusetts felonies.
Attorney Sam’s Take On Political Assault and Battery
When I first read his story, and saw the video, I wondered if I had tripped over some wire and fallen into the legendary stories of Massachusetts Assaults past when violence in politics seemed to be the norm.
Of course, there were no video cameras then, so the cases were probably harder for the Commonwealth to prove. In this case, the prosecution clearly has a head start…it is captured on video tape.
“So, Sam…finally a case for which you figure there is no possible defense?”
Well, of course not. There are still questions that are not clearly answered. First of all, who is that other person in the video? That person does not appear to be joining in with the attack…is it just a spectator? Could it be someone pulling the strings of a rather large puppet? Perhaps it is someone whose role in this is so dark and dangerous that the Defendant can make a deal testifying against him or her.
In that vein, what was, if any, the mayor’s role in this? Is the mayor someone against whom the Defendant can testify to make a deal?
By the way, there does not seem to be any sound on the video, so what was said, and what effects it had on what appears to be an assault and battery , is up for grabs.
Assuming this was simply a fan of the mayor’s who was trying to do the mayor a favor, that favor seems to have backfired. There will now be many questions as to what the mayor knew and “guilt by association” is alive and well in the Commonwealth.
In fact, if I were the imaginative sort, I would wonder if the whole thing wasn’t a set up by other enemies of the mayor…particularly given that the Defendant chose under a working video camera to perform the deed.
What appears at first to be an open and shut assault case may well be worth following. Given its political connections, I would suggest that anything can happen.
After all, at least in Boston’s federal court…the prosecution of politicians seems to be in vogue these days.
If you are facing criminal charges and would like to consult me, please free to call me at 617-492-3000 to arrange a free initial consultation..
To view the article upon which this blog is based, please go to http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2011/05/lantigua_critic.html
