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The Modern Massachusetts Traffic Stop: Phones, GPS, License Plate Readers, and the Fruit of the Poisonous Tree

By Attorney Joe Serpa | Georgetown University Law Center | 30 Years Massachusetts Criminal Defense A Massachusetts traffic stop used to be a roadside event. An officer saw a violation, pulled the car over, and whatever happened next happened in person, on the shoulder, in a few minutes. That stop no longer exists. The modern…

Domestic Violence Allegations in Massachusetts Divorce and Custody Disputes: Motive to Fabricate as a Defense

By Attorney Joe Serpa | Georgetown University Law Center | 30 Years Massachusetts Criminal Defense Most Massachusetts domestic violence complaints are made in good faith by people who were genuinely frightened, and nothing here suggests otherwise. There can sometimes be a specific and recurring subset that arises inside contested divorce and custody litigation, where a…

Self-Defense and Mutual Combat in Massachusetts Domestic Violence Prosecutions

By Attorney Joe Serpa | Georgetown University Law Center | 30 Years Massachusetts Criminal Defense Massachusetts police responding to a domestic call operate under a preferred-arrest policy and must decide in minutes, at a chaotic scene, usually from two conflicting accounts and whatever is visible: a red mark, a torn shirt, who is crying, who…