Google Reviews - Badge
The National Trial Lawyers - Top 100 Trial Lawyers - Badge
10 Best - 2018 - Attorney client Satisfaction - Americas Institute of Family Law Attorneys - Badge
MACDL - Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers - Badge
Boston Bar Association - Badge
Massachusetts Bar Association - 1911 - Badge
Expertise-com - Best Criminal Defense Attorneys in Boston - 2026 - Badge
Expertise-com - Best DUI Lawyers in Boston - 2026 - Badge
2022 - Top 3 - Criminal Dfense Lawyers on Boston - Badge

Articles Posted in Clerk-Magistrate Hearings

Shoplifting and Larceny Clerk-Magistrate Hearings in Massachusetts: Why the Criminal Record Matters More Than the Fine
Attorney Joe Serpa

Massachusetts shoplifting and larceny cases often begin with a private clerk-magistrate hearing before any criminal complaint or arraignment. The immediate question is whether the clerk-magistrate will issue a complaint and start a public criminal case. If the application is denied, no complaint issues, no arraignment occurs, and that application creates no Criminal Offender Record Information…

Continue reading ›
I Received a Show Cause Notice in Massachusetts. What Do I Do?
Attorney Joe Serpa

By Attorney Joe Serpa | Georgetown University Law Center | Massachusetts Criminal Defense Since 1995 A Massachusetts show cause notice means that someone has applied for a criminal complaint and the court has scheduled a clerk-magistrate hearing. The notice is not an arrest warrant, a conviction, or a criminal complaint. It is an opportunity to…

Continue reading ›
Student Fake ID Cases in Boston: Enforcement and the Summons
Attorney Joe Serpa

By Attorney Joe Serpa | Georgetown University Law Center | Massachusetts Criminal Defense Since 1995 A Massachusetts fake ID case in Boston or Cambridge often begins at a clerk-magistrate hearing, before a criminal complaint or arraignment. The hearing is private. It does not itself create a public criminal case or a Criminal Offender Record Information…

Continue reading ›

Contact Us

  • Discuss Your Case With Us for Free
  • 617.936.0201

Client Reviews

He's one of the best people I've met. I'm really appreciative of all the help I received. If you have a serious case, he'll work hard to make sure you have the best outcome. I highly recommend him. You will not be disappointed.

A.J

Mr. Serpa was very helpful with my family member ‘s case. He was able to get it dismissed quickly and easily. He is very professional and very good at what he does. I’m so glad he hired him. You will be glad too if you hire him.

Z.M.

Serpa law office was my attorney of choice for 2 seperate cases I had last year. With both situations, Joseph not only treated me great, delivered the results I was hoping for, and was extremely professional and genuine. I would definitely recommend this law office to anyone in need of legal help.

P.C.
View More
Submit a Law Firm Client Review

Contact Us

  1. 1 Individual, Hands-On Approach
  2. 2 Winning Trial Record
  3. 3 Criminal Defense Since 1995
Fill out the contact form or call us at 617.936.0201 to schedule your free consultation.

Leave Us a Message

We Accept the Following Payment Solutions

Button for 'PAY with LawPay' alongside Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express logos.

Greater Boston Criminal Law Alerts

The Supreme Judicial Court Takes Up Massachusetts’ Firearm Suitability Standard in Pratt v. Westbrook

By Attorney Joe Serpa | Georgetown University Law Center September 23, 2026 The Holyoke police chief denied Randy Westbrook a license to carry a firearm, pointing to charges filed more than a decade earlier that never led to a conviction. Westbrook asked a court to overturn the denial. The Supreme Judicial Court has now agreed…

The Clancy Mistrial and the Juror Questionnaire

On September 4, 2026, a Plymouth County jury could not agree in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, and the judge declared a mistrial. In the two weeks since, reporting has turned to the lone holdout and to what he did or did not disclose before he was seated. A judge impounded the jury list…

Automatic License Plate Readers and Flock Cameras in Massachusetts Criminal Cases

How prosecutors use automatic license plate reader data, what Commonwealth v. McCarthy requires, and how the defense challenges the search and the accuracy of the reads.

View More