Criminal/Drug Charges – Not Guilty
Police pulled over a vehicle (not owned by the driver). The driver did not have a valid Driver’s License so he was arrested and the car towed. Police found oxycontin for which the driver did not have a prescription. He was charged with possession with intent to distribute. The prosecution’s main argument, for which they offered a police ‘expert’, was that drug dealers carry more than one phone and the defendant was found in possession of two phones.
Criminal/Home of Illegal Gambling – Defense Win
Police received an anonymous tip that there was illegal activity occurring in the basement of the defendant’s home. This anonymous person provided a description of the alleged wrong doer who did not match the description of the defendant, anyone who lived in the home or anyone known to frequent the home. Police initiated a search anyway and found materials that they claim were associated with the allegations. The defendant was charged. After a Motion to Dismiss, the Court found that there was no probable cause for the search; therefore any and all things recovered were to be thrown out.
Criminal/Trespassing – Defense Win
I have had numerous cases where persons are arrested trespassing on public property. The arrest gives police the right to search. Suppression of the arrest throws out anything found during the search as well as the underlying charge of trespassing.
Civil Rights/Police Misconduct – Plaintiff’s Award
Police illegally invaded the client’s home and upon his protestation of this action was arrested and charged with false crimes. A jury found him not guilty of all criminal charges. A Federal jury found that his civil rights had been violated and awarded money.
Rape – Not Guilty, Defense of Consent
Two co-workers engaged in a sexual conduct at their place of employment. The woman reported it to her supervisor as rape. The client insisted that the encounter was consensual. After two full jury trials he was vindicated and found not guilty on all four charges.
Rape – Reduced to Simple Assault and Battery
The client, a Freshman college student, took a girl home that he had meet at a Sorority party. He was later charged with rape. Lawyers worked with school administrators to ensure that the client was allowed to stay in school and attend classes. The client was allowed to travel abroad every summer. A successful plea was negotiated with the government for simple assault and battery thereby protecting the client from any potential requirement to register as a sexual offender.
Child Pornography – Straight Probation/No Jail Time
Lauren has twice successfully avoided indictment to Superior Court and negotiated plea deals to avoid all jail time in instances where significant amounts of child pornography were found on client’s computers.
Sex Offender Registry Board – Relief from Registration
The client a conviction for a single sexual offence in the 1980’s when he was a young man. He had since become a model citizen, even receiving a civil service award from the local police department. Lauren was able to convince a Superior Court judge to order that he be removed from the registry database.
Appeal – Battered Woman’s Syndrome is Recognized
Lauren was part of the team that convinced the Massachusetts Court of Appeals to recognize that battered women’s syndrome is real and can affect competency at trial. The woman at the heart of this case was released from prison, shortening her sentence by 20 years.
Appeal – Illegal Incarceration
After trial, an illegal sentence imposed incarcerated time on the client. Lauren immediately went to work to get an emergency hearing before a Single Justice of the Appeals Court. The client was incarcerated for less than 1 week and the conviction was eventually overturned.
Civil Rights/Police Misconduct – Plaintiff’s Award
The client had been operating under the influence of alcohol and was arrested. While he was held, officers slammed a cell door on his hand permanently severing the tips of two fingers.
Injunction – Halt to Deportation Proceedings
A gentleman died in immigration custody while awaiting deportation. The family was looking for justice. Prior to any case being filed the Federal government began deporting all witnesses to the events. Lauren was able to get a Federal judge to halt all deportations of these witnesses until they could be deposed by the parties to the legal action.
First Degree Murder – NOT GUILTY
Lauren was part of the team that represented a young African-American male accused of an execution style murder. Multiple eye witnesses gave statements to police. The case was tried twice to hung juries. The third Suffolk Superior jury found the client Not Guilty.