Massachusetts recently followed the lead of several states – and of the federal government – in proscribing the manufacture, possession or distribution of designer drugs. Generally speaking, a designer drug is a structural and functional analog of a controlled substance that has been designed to mimic the effects of the original banned drug, while at…

Do I need a lawyer if I am charged with shoplifting?  Probably. In January of 2015, Governor Baker signed into law “An Act to Improve the Criminal Laws Relative to Organized Retain Theft.” The Act, which is now in effect in Massachusetts, created several new crimes related to organized shoplifting. According to Wikipedia, Organized retail…

The case was Commonwealth v. Dyette, decided in 2015.  After an alleged foot chase, the defendant was arrested for possession of a gun that was found in a public park garbage can.  At the time of the arrest, the defendant claimed that he was not out of breath because he had been running from other…

In December of 2014, the Massachusetts Appeals Court had occasion to apply the Alimony Reform Act of 2011.  The case, Vendesky v. Vendesky, involved an appeal of a Probate and Family Court Judgment of Modification by Veronica Vendesky, which Judgment awarded her ex-husband Dmitry alimony. The parties were divorced in 2007, and in their separation…