The Massachusetts Appeals Court ruled today that a defendant who was accused of dealing drugs within 100 feet of a private playground did not qualify for prosecution under the school/park zone law that adds an additional two-year jail term onto drug dealers' sentences.  The name of the case is Commonwealth v. Gopaul. (more…)

In an important decision issued yesterday, the Massachusetts Appeals Court vacated a contempt finding against a criminal defense attorney, Donald Brisson, who disobeyed a trial judge's order to produce notes related to his representation of clients.  The case is Commonwealth v. Derek Hunt. The defendant was charged in connection with the 2003 shooting death...

The Massachusetts Appeals Court today reversed the finding of a Worcester County Superior Court judge that an intellectually-disabled defendant had knowingly and voluntarily admitted to violating his probation, and overturned the 5-to-8 year prison sentence awarded against him.  The name of the case is Commonwealth v. Abdullah Muhammad Sayyid.  (more…)

In an opinion issued last week, the Massachusetts Appeals Court overturned a defendant's felony motor vehicle homicide conviction because a testifying state trooper offered an inappropriate expert opinion about the cause of the accident.  The case is Commonwealth v. Douglas Guinan. In 2010, the defendant was driving his 2011 Hyundai Sonata on South Street...

In a decision that could have far-reaching implications for future drug prosecutions, the Massachusetts Appeals Court today reversed drug possession convictions of a woman that resulted from her arrest in Haverhill.  The name of the case is Commonwealth v. Dolores Paine. In October of 2008, a state trooper came upon a pickup truck parked...