Boston Criminal Lawyers Blog

Massachusetts Supreme Court Rules on Admission of 911 Call Where Caller Doesn’t Testify at Trial

Published on: October 15, 2011 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently considered whether the admission of a 911 call at trial was proper where the caller did not testify at trial, and whether admitting the call violated that defendant’s constitution right of confrontation.

In this case, the defendant was charged with two counts of Assault & Battery, and prior to trial, moved to preclude the prosecutor from admitting the 911 call, in which the caller identified his as the perpetrator, and alleging that he had just beaten her.

By way of background, in the case of Crawford v. Washington, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment barred the admission of statements of witness who did not appear at trial [unless they were unavailable to testify and where the defendant had had a previous opportunity to cross-examine them].

Boston Police Target Convenience Store Owner for Selling ‘Drug Paraphernalia’

Published on: October 11, 2011 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

The Boston Police Department and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino recently announced that they are targeting convenience store owners, primarily in Roxbury, who allegedly sell drug paraphernalia, such as “crack pipe kits”, and charging them with violating the Massachusetts Drug Crimes Laws.

The investigation was reportedly initiated after complaints from the neighborhood that the stores selling these items would attract too many drug users and addicts.

In all, the Boston Police Department reportedly focused their attention on 14 locations and seized various items the store owners were selling to customers, including ‘crack kits’, illegal poker machines, Viagra pills, glass smoking pipes, and other items that drug users can allegedly use to support their habit.

Boston Man Indicted on Sex Crimes Charges

Published on: October 3, 2011 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

Norman Barnes, 28, was indicted by a special grand jury on violation of Massachusetts Sex Crimes for his alleged involvement in forcing underage women into prostitution.

Barnes is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow in Boston’s Suffolk Superior Court on various sex crimes charges, including 10 indictments charging Deriving Support from Prostitution; Statutory Rape; and Dissemination of Obscene Material.

Norman Barnes was arrested on May 19 when one of the young ladies was located by her family at a motel. Massachusetts State Police arrested Barnes that evening at the motel, also seizing almost $20,000 in cash along with a key to the room where he was allegedly staying with a 15 year old girl.

Boston Woman Arrested for Stabbing Boyfriend

Published on: October 1, 2011 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

Angel Haywood, 26, of Boston’s Dorchester section, was arrested this weekend on Massachusetts Crimes of Violence Charges for allegedly stabbing her boyfriend.

Haywood is was charged with Assault & Battery with a Dangerous Weapon after she turned herself into the police station and admitting to stabbing her boyfriend.

According to the Boston Police Department, the incident occurred at about 4:00 o’clock this morning after the couple returned home. Haywood allegedly admitted to grabbing two knives and then stabbing her boyfriend, after which she jumped out a window and ran – with the stabbed boyfriend chasing her.

Massachusetts Woman Reported Being Raped After Facebook Encounter

Published on: September 30, 2011 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

A Massachusetts woman reported this week that she was allegedly raped after meeting a man on Facebook at an Andover hotel. David Rodriguez has been charged in connection with this alleged incident with several Massachusetts Sex Crimes Charges.

According to police, the woman replied to a request for a modeling agency. At the hotel, the woman was allegedly given a drink that was believed to be spiked and ultimately made her feel dizzy. Although the woman reportedly refused to take off all her clothes, she did agree to model lingerie for the man. After taking several photos, however, the man allegedly raped her.

David Rodriguez, who was arrested in New Jersey, has been arraigned in Lawrence District Court on charges of Rape and Assault and Battery. Following his arraignment, he was held on $100,000 cash bail.

Latest Massachusetts Armored Car Robbery Believed to be “Inside Job”

Published on: September 27, 2011 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

Three men, two of which were employees of the armored car company, were arrested this week on Massachusetts Robbery Charges in connection with Monday’s armored car robbery in Methuen: Eliezer Martinez, 26, and Jose Salazar Vasquez, 21, both from Lawrence; and Justin Levesque.

Methuen Police and Boston FBI reported that the men, two of which are employees of the armored car company, that they were working a transaction shortly after 3:00 p.m. when they were approached by a man with a gun and ordered back into the armored car where they were robbed.

The Essex County District Attorney’s Office, however, reported that the armored car guards allegedly gave conflicting stories, purportedly not getting straight the description of the alleged robber.

Randolph Man Charged with Drug Dealing in Quincy

Published on: September 26, 2011 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

Destin Jean, 22 of Randolph, was arraigned in Quincy District Court this morning on several Massachusetts Drug Crimes Charges, including Drug Trafficking.

He had also previously been charged in Quincy on Gun Crimes Charges as well as Larceny of a Motor Vehicle and Leaving the Scene of an Accident.

According to the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office, Destin Jean was arrested following the execution of a search warrant after he had reportedly been the subject of a ‘month long investigation’ of alleged drug crimes.

Boston Man Arraigned in Murder of Rockland Mother

Published on: September 24, 2011 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

Orlando Kavanaugh, 28 from Boston, was arraigned in Brockton’s Plymouth County Superior Court on several Massachusetts Crimes of Violence Charges and Gun Crimes in connection with the death of Tina Gonsalves.

Kavanaugh has been charged with First Degree Murder; Armed Home Invasion; Armed Assault to Murder; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon; Unlawful Possession of a Firearm; and Unlawful Possession of Ammunition.

According to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, Orlando Kavanaugh allegedly broke into Tina Gonsalves’ Rockland apartment by breaking a window and then unlocking the back door. At some point during the unlawful entry, Gonsalves reportedly confronted and struggled with Kavanaugh, during which the handgun Kavanaugh allegedly was carrying went off, striking Gonsalves in the stomach. She later died of her wound at a Weymouth Hospital.

Boston Man Arrested for Murder of Elderly Neighbor

Published on: September 22, 2011 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

Adam J. Cassino, 25, of South Boston, was arrested on Murder Charges by Boston Police today and charged in connection with the beating death of his 65 year old neighbor, Barbara Tagen.

Cassino was arraigned today in South Boston District Court and charged with First Degree Murder.

According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Adam J. Cassino beat his neighbor in her apartment this past August, and that forensic evidence, including witnesses, allegedly link him to the murder.

Boston Man Arrested in String of Dorchester Assaults on Women

Published on: September 19, 2011 | by Lefteris K. Travayiakis, Esq.

Walter Mains, 31, was arrested by Boston Police Officers on Massachusetts Violence Crimes Charges in connection with three separate alleged assaults, all involving women.

Mains was arraigned this afternoon in the Boston Municipal Court on charges including Assault with a Dangerous Weapon; Accosting a Person of the Opposite Sex; Armed Robbery; Assault with Intent to Rape; and Indecent Assault and Battery.

According to Boston Police, Mains allegedly assaulted one woman with a gun; and in a separate incident, allegedly assaulted another woman, again with a gun and tried to rape her. Both assaults allegedly occurred in the Dorchester section of Boston.