Court Decisions

The state Appeals Court has overturned the conviction of a Lowell woman found guilty along with her husband in 1997 of drugging and raping their four sons because she may have been incompetent to stand trial. The court in its decision last week said a Superior Court judge erred in 2002 when he denied Nancy […]

The SJC this week, in Commonwealth v. Parenteau, considered whether a District Court judge erred by admitting in evidence, pursuant to G.L. c. 90, § 22 (d), a certificate from the registry of motor vehicles (registry) attesting to the fact that a notice of license suspension or revocation was mailed to the defendant, Peter L. […]

Out-of-state wineries are hoping this finally will be the year that they can make direct shipments to local Massachusetts consumers, as reported by the Boston Herald. A trade group for California vintners, who’ve been pushing for the state for nearly 20 years, is supporting proposed legislation again this year. The bill was the subject of […]

Mass. Lawyers Weekly reports that a Boston nightclub could not be indemnified for a patron’s injuries because it failed to present evidence that the man showed visible signs of intoxication earlier in the evening at a Chinese restaurant, a Superior Court judge has ruled. The plaintiff nightclub, Felt Enterprises, argued that because defendant Chau Chow […]

The Boston Globe reports that a federal judge sentenced Chuck Turner to three years in prison for accepting a $1,000 bribe, chastising the former Boston city councilor for his inability to “confront the ugly reality of the federal crimes he committed.” US District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock laid blame for the harsh sentence squarely on […]

A former Holyoke, Massachusetts school teacher who ran off with a male student and pleaded guilty to statutory rape charges was given probation yesterday by a judge who said he does not see her as a sexual predator. Lisa Lavoie, a 25-year-old former teacher at Maurice Donahue Elementary School in Holyoke, was charged in 2009 […]

The Boston Globe reports that Massachusetts’ top federal judge, Mark Wolf, has said that Boston City Council’s authority to oust Chuck Turner from office last month following the councilor’s conviction for accepting a bribe is legally uncertain, and Turner’s lawsuit to regain his seat might be turned over to the state courts. Wolf ordered lawyers […]

Haverhill Fire Chief Richard Borden has lost his attempt to close the Blue Finn Grille and force the owners to install an expensive fire sprinkler system. Restaurants like the Blue Finn Grille that seat fewer than 100 diners are not typically required to have sprinklers. However, Borden contended that the building had sprinklers at some […]

Federal judge Douglas Woodlock has sentenced former state Senator Dianne Wilkerson to 3 1/2 years in prison for taking $23,500 in bribes in a scandal that rocked the Massachusetts State House and Boston City Hall. The Boston Globe reported that Woodlock said he recognized Wilkerson’s service to the community but he called her “financially embarrassed […]

A federal judge has delayed the sentencing of former state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson for corruption charges. Wilkerson was scheduled to be sentenced this week, but both the prosecution and the defense asked U.S. District Court Judge Douglas Woodlock to consider additional information first. Woodlock heard more testimony from Dorchester developer Azeed Mohammed, who claims Wilkerson […]

After denying the transfer of a liquor license to a Shrewsbury man partly because of his character, the Northboro Board of Selectmen has approved the license transfer, but with conditions, reported the Worcester Telegram. The Board’s decision follows an ABCC reversal of the Board’s earlier decision to deny the license. In March, the board denied […]

The highest court in Massachusetts says homeless sex offenders should not be punished for being unable to keep their GPS monitoring devices charged. The Supreme Judicial Court ruled Tuesday in the case of John Canadyan Jr., a homeless man who was sentenced to 18 months in jail after pleading guilty to two counts of indecent […]

Federal Magistrate Judge Collings has denied the Beer Republic Brewing Company’s request for an injunction against the Central City Brewing Company. Beer Republic contended that Central City’s “RED RACER” mark infringed upon Plaintiff’s “RACER 5” and “RED ROCKET” marks. Judge Collings found that as to Red Rocket, the Plaintiff has not shown similarity of marks, […]