Attorney Joe Serpa has defended criminal cases in the Massachusetts District Courts and Boston Municipal Court since 1995. These posts cover Massachusetts criminal law as it is practiced. Mr. Serpa explains statutes, case law, court-by-court procedure, and how charges are defended and resolved. These pages are written for defendants, licensed professionals, students, tradespeople, and non-citizens who need to understand what a Massachusetts criminal charge means and what the defense options are.
By Attorney Joe Serpa | Georgetown University Law Center October 16, 2026 On September 24, 2026, the Massachusetts Appeals Court upheld the convictions of a man who pursued a woman he met in high school for about fifteen years, violated the harassment prevention order she obtained against him, and threatened her family in emails sent…
Continue reading ›By Attorney Joe Serpa | Georgetown University Law Center October 16, 2026 On September 30, 2026, the Massachusetts Appeals Court ordered the dismissal of gun charges against a juvenile whom Boston police had frisked after a 911 call reporting “three guys with guns” in a Dorchester backyard. The police ordered the juvenile out of a…
Continue reading ›The SJC held in Piper P. v. Barron B. that a judge can expunge a vacated harassment prevention order from the statewide registry only for fraud on the court.
Continue reading ›The SJC upheld a conviction for secretly photographing a nude person and held that dissemination under § 105(c) requires sending the image to a third party.
Continue reading ›ICE has arrested and moved out of state people with pending Massachusetts criminal charges. The SJC is hearing three appeals on writs, missed trials, and dismissal.
Continue reading ›By Attorney Joe Serpa | Georgetown University Law Center This post is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. It is based on published court decisions, the text of the statutes, public statements by New York officials, and news reporting. The Cornell allegations have not been proved in any court. The case…
Continue reading ›By Attorney Joe Serpa | Georgetown University Law Center This post is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. It is based on the civil complaint, public statements by Cornell University and New York officials, and published news reporting, including reporting on documents from Cornell’s Title IX investigation. The complaint’s allegations have…
Continue reading ›Judge William Sullivan held a hearing on the morning of September 29, 2026, in Plymouth Superior Court in the murder case against Lindsay Clancy. The hearing was the first since Judge Sullivan declared a mistrial on September 4, 2026. Judge Sullivan set arguments on the defense motion to dismiss for November 2. The Plymouth County…
Continue reading ›By Attorney Joe Serpa | Georgetown University Law Center September 28, 2026 Shortly before 2 A.M., a Cambridge police officer walking through Harvard Square saw Shyam Khadgi striking a woman in the face and arms. The officer saw Khadgi strike her ten to fifteen times, hard enough to lift his own foot off the ground.…
Continue reading ›By Attorney Joe Serpa | Georgetown University Law Center September 28, 2026 At about 1 A.M. on September 2, 2024, Boston police officers on patrol in Dorchester saw that the registration on an Acura sport utility vehicle had expired. The officers confirmed through their database that the registration was expired and non-renewable, activated their lights,…
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