The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled unanimous decision that police officers can be forced to take lie detector tests when they are the subject of an internal investigation. The Court ruled that the the public confidence in the police must be protected and therefore when an officer is under investigation he or she must take the test. Justice Cordy wrote the opinion for the Court and extended the current lie detector rule to include instances where the officer is not facing a criminal complaint. Justice Cordy wrote, "We have little hesitation in concluding that, when the functions of a police department are disrupted by allegations of criminal conduct by police officers, the police department's decision to subject officers reasonably suspected of criminal activities to lie detector tests furthers law enforcement objectives."
Today all nine members of the Court were right. It is a good day for Massachusetts.

If you or someone you know has a criminal case, contact Boston Criminal Attorney Patrick Donovan at 617 479-1800.

Boston Police reported that crime figures showing that crimes in Boston are down year to date. To see the statistics, click here.

Contact Boston Criminal Lawyer Patrick Donovan with any legal concerns.

The Boston Police are demanding that Roxbury judge Edward R. Redd apologize because he was deferential at a hearing for a convicted cop killer. Judge Redd presided over a probation hearing for Christopher Shays. Mr. Shays was convicted and served time in prison for planting a bomb that killed a Boston Police officer. On Wednesday May 14, two dozen Boston Police Officer packed Judge Redd's courtroom in what they called a show of support. The judge was described as deferential and said that he would rather that the police officers out on the street working for their community. After the comments were made by the judge Boston Police officers have claimed that they were offended and have called for an apology.
Here, it is understandable that the emotions may run high, but the Boston police have no right to demand anything from a judge. The judge should not be bullied into saying he is sorry for saying anything. It is also wrong for the police to fill the courtroom and then demand to the press that the judge apologize to them.
Contact Boston Criminal Attorney Patrick Donovan with any criminal law issues.

A former Worcester based investment manager was found guilty in Worcester of cheating investors out of approximately 13 million dollars A jury in Worcester found Amit Mathur guilty on twenty counts of fraud after less than three hours of deliberating. According to the Boston Herald,

Federal prosecutors accused Mathur of cheating investors in his former company, Entrust Capital Management, out of about $13 million from 2001 to 2005. Investigators said Mathur used the money to cover trading losses as well as personal expenses for items such as jewelry and a Porsche sport utility vehicle.

Click here for the Boston Herald.
White collar crimes are crimes committed by businessmen or women. They are usually very intense case where people are accused of stealing money not by violence but rather by fraud. Embezzlement, false pretenses, and fraud are common white collar crime.
If you or someone you know has been charged with a white collar crime contact Boston Criminal Attorney Patrick Donovan today.

The Patriot Ledger, in an ongoing series, is reporting on the status of repeat drunk drivers. The Ledger is printing the names and addresses of the people charged with a multiple OUI, and in the case where there was a trial, is reporting the judge who heard the case. The paper is giving a bare bones report. Also, in the online version the site also allows readers to post thoughts or opinions about the report.
Here is an example,

In Quincy District Court, Robert Turpin, 35, of Taunton, was found innocent of second-offense drunken driving and driving after his license had been suspended by Judge Mary Orfanello following a bench trial. The offenses were alleged to have occurred Oct. 5, 2006 in Braintree.

Patriot Ledger.
I was in the Quincy District court that day and observed some of the trial. What the paper is not reporting is that no one saw, or testified that they saw the man accused of drunk driving actually driving. The ledger should be ashamed to call themselves journalists.
Being accused of drunk driving is a serious charge and if you or someone you know has been charged with a DWI/DUI/OUI you need the help of an experienced criminal lawyer. Contact Boston Criminal Attorney Patrick Donovan today.

The weekend crime report in Boston. Friday, May 2, 2008 through 10am, Monday, May 5, 2008
Homicides: 1
Non-fatal Stabbings: 7

Street Robberies: 16
Commercial Robberies: 2
Home Invasion:1

Vehicle Thefts: 13
Vehicle Recoveries: 6
Vehicle Breaks: 34

Residential Break-ins: 20
Commercial Break-ins: 5

If you or someone you know has been chaged with a crime in Boston, contact Boston Criminal Attorney Patrick Donovan today.