Massachusetts Criminal Defense Practice Areas

Every Case Begins With the Same Question: What Is the Best Available Outcome at the Earliest Possible Stage?

Attorney Joseph Serpa has practiced Massachusetts criminal defense for thirty years across every charge category, every court in Eastern and Central Massachusetts, and every stage of the criminal process — from clerk-magistrate hearingsto first-degree murder trials in Superior Court. The practice areas below cover the full range of charges and proceedings handled by Serpa Law Office. Each links to a dedicated page with statute citations, defense analysis, and the specific consequences for licensed professionals, university students, and non-citizens. Contact Serpa Law Office at 617.936.0201 for a free consultation.

The Criminal Process

Understanding how a Massachusetts criminal case begins — and where it can be stopped — is the foundation of effective defense.

• Clerk-Magistrate Hearings (M.G.L. c. 218, § 35A) — The most consequential proceeding in Massachusetts criminal law. A private, pre-arraignment hearing at which a formal complaint can be denied before any CORI entry is created. Serpa Law Office has obtained hundreds of denials at this stage across Greater Boston courts. See also: Clerk-Magistrate Hearing FAQ and A Practitioner’s Guide to Clerk-Magistrate Hearings
• Arraignment in Massachusetts — The first formal court appearance, at which the charge is entered onto the public CORI regardless of the ultimate outcome. Understanding what happens at arraignment — bail, dangerousness hearings, conditions of release, 209A orders — and how to prevent it through a clerk-magistrate hearing is essential
• Arrests and Arrest Warrants in Massachusetts — How warrantless arrests differ from summons, when a warrant is required, and what to do in the first hours after arrest. See: What to Do in the First 24 Hours After a Massachusetts Arrest
• Massachusetts Grand Jury Indictments — How Superior Court felony cases begin, when a grand jury is required, and the strategic considerations for cases that may be indicted
• Massachusetts Courts, State Prison, and House of Correction — The difference between House of Correction and state prison sentences, which court hears which cases, and how sentencing authority affects defense strategy
• Arrests, Arraignments, and Clerk’s Hearings: How Criminal Cases Begin — A complete overview of the three pathways into the Massachusetts criminal system

Your Constitutional Rights

The Fourth Amendment, Fifth Amendment, and Article 12 and 14 of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights are the foundation of every criminal defense.

• Your Right to Remain Silent in Massachusetts — The Fifth Amendment and Article 12, Miranda rights, the Bouchett pre-arrest silence standard, the phone passcode question, and the right not to testify at trial. See: Your Fifth Amendment Right to Refuse a Passcode
• Illegal Searches and Seizures in Massachusetts — The Fourth Amendment and Article 14, traffic stops, vehicle searches, phone and device searches, home searches, dorm room searches, warrants, and Motions to Suppress. See: Digital Search Warrants in Massachusetts
• Massachusetts Felonies vs. Misdemeanors — The legal distinction, its effect on which court hears the case, CORI sealing waiting periods, and how the felony/misdemeanor classification affects professional licensing and immigration consequences

Criminal Records and Case Outcomes

How a case resolves determines what appears on your CORI and for how long.

• Massachusetts Criminal Records (CORI) — What a CORI is, when it is created, who can see it, and how it affects employment, housing, licensing, and immigration
• CWOF, Pretrial Probation, and Diversion in Massachusetts — What a CWOF is, why it is not always safe, how it differs from pretrial probation, and the specific consequences for professionals, CDL holders, and non-citizens. See: CWOF and Diversion FAQ
• Case Dismissals in Massachusetts — How cases are dismissed — through clerk-magistrate hearings, Motions to Suppress, Motions to Dismiss, and pretrial diversion — and why the stage at which dismissal occurs matters for the CORI
• Sealing and Expunging a Massachusetts Criminal Record — Waiting periods, administrative vs. judicial sealing, expungement eligibility, what sealing does and does not do. See: CORI Sealing and Expungement FAQ
• Criminal Defense for Licensed Professionals in Massachusetts — Licensing board reporting obligations, CWOF consequences for physicians, attorneys, nurses, and FINRA registrants, and the four-step defense sequence
• College and University Student Criminal Defense — The two-proceeding problem: criminal case and university disciplinary process. Fake ID, OUI, drug charges, Title IX, and CORI consequences for graduate school applications

Domestic Violence and Restraining Orders

• Boston Domestic Violence Defense Lawyer — Mandatory arrest, no-drop prosecution, dangerousness hearings, 209A restraining orders, CWOF consequences, firearms surrender, marital privilege, and trial strategy
• Domestic Violence Defense for Licensed Professionals, Students, and Non-Citizens — The three-front analysis: criminal case, licensing board, and immigration proceeding. CWOF vs. pretrial probation for professionals. Court-by-court culture guide
• Assault and Battery on a Family or Household Member (M.G.L. c. 265, § 13M)
• Strangulation or Suffocation (M.G.L. c. 265, § 15D)
• Intimidation of a Witness (M.G.L. c. 268, § 13B). See: Defending 209A and 258E Violations
• 209A Abuse Prevention Orders — Plaintiff and Defense Representation
• 258E Harassment Prevention Orders

OUI / DUI and Motor Vehicle Offenses

• OUI / DUI Defense Lawyer in Greater Boston (M.G.L. c. 90, § 24) — Perfect OUI jury trial record. Four-layer defense: constitutional stop, field sobriety tests, breathalyzer, trial strategy. First through felony OUI penalties. See: Massachusetts OUI Trial Results and Fighting an OUI in Massachusetts: How Cases Are Won at Trial
• Massachusetts OUI License Suspensions — Breathalyzer refusal vs. failure, CWOF, conviction, the consecutive bookend effect, hardship licenses, and RMV appeals
• Should I Take the Breathalyzer in Massachusetts?. See: Why a Failed Breathalyzer Does Not Equal an OUI Conviction
• Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Crimes Defense (M.G.L. c. 90C) — Negligent operation, leaving the scene, operating after suspension, and the 4-day clerk-magistrate hearing deadline. See: The Criminal Traffic Citation and the 4-Day Deadline

Criminal Charges Defense

• Drug Crimes (M.G.L. c. 94C) — Possession, distribution, trafficking, school zone charges, and search and seizure challenges
• Massachusetts Firearms Defense (M.G.L. c. 269, § 10; Chapter 135, Acts of 2024) — Unlicensed carrying, the 2026 registration deadline, sensitive location offenses, and constitutional search challenges. See: Massachusetts Firearms Registration Deadline: October 28, 2026
• Fake ID Defense — Boston and Cambridge (M.G.L. c. 138, § 34B; M.G.L. c. 90, § 24B) — Misdemeanor vs. felony charges, RMV license suspension, BPD enforcement operations. See: Student Fake ID Charges in Boston and Cambridge
• Sexual Assault and Rape Defense in Massachusetts — DNA evidence challenges, SORB consequences, Title IX parallel proceedings, and thirty years of not-guilty verdicts in sexual assault trials
• AI-Generated Sexual Imagery and Deepfake Defense (M.G.L. c. 272, § 29D) — Massachusetts’s 2024 Act to Prevent Abuse and Exploitation, authentication challenges, SORB exposure. See: How Massachusetts Courts Authenticate Deepfakes and AI Evidence in 2026
• Shoplifting and Larceny Defense (M.G.L. c. 266, § 30A; M.G.L. c. 266, § 30) — Clerk-magistrate hearing strategy for first-time defendants, CORI consequences for professionals and tradespeople
• Firearms Offenses for Massachusetts Visitors and Out-of-State Travelers

Immigration Consequences

• Immigration Consequences of Massachusetts Criminal Charges — How Massachusetts charges affect immigration status — deportability, CIMT, controlled substance offenses, domestic violence, CWOF as a federal conviction

FAQs and Criminal Law Resources

• Greater Boston & Massachusetts Criminal Case FAQs
• Massachusetts Clerk-Magistrate Hearing FAQ
• Massachusetts OUI/DUI FAQs
• Massachusetts Domestic Violence Law FAQs
• CWOF, Pretrial Probation, and Diversion FAQs
• Massachusetts CORI Sealing and Expungement FAQ

Massachusetts Courts Where Serpa Law Office Practices

Attorney Serpa has represented clients in the Federal Courts, Massachusetts Superior Courts, and the following Massachusetts District Courts and Boston Municipal Court divisions. For dedicated court-specific defense guides see: Massachusetts District Courts.

Boston Municipal Court — All Eight Divisions (Suffolk County)

• BMC Central Division — Downtown Boston, Financial District, Beacon Hill, North End, Chinatown, Seaport
• BMC Brighton Division — Brighton and Allston
• BMC Charlestown Division — Charlestown
• BMC Dorchester Division — Dorchester
• BMC East Boston Division — East Boston, Winthrop, Logan International Airport
• BMC Roxbury Division — Roxbury
• BMC South Boston Division — South Boston
• BMC West Roxbury Division — West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park, Roslindale

Norfolk County District Courts

• Quincy District Court — Quincy, Weymouth, Braintree, Randolph, Milton, Cohasset, Holbrook
• Brookline District Court — Brookline
• Dedham District Court — Dedham, Dover, Medfield, Needham, Norwood, Wellesley, Westwood
• Stoughton District Court — Stoughton, Canton, Sharon, Foxborough
• Wrentham District Court — Wrentham, Franklin, Plainville, Norfolk, Millis, Medway, Milford, Bellingham

Middlesex County District Courts

• Cambridge District Court — Cambridge, Arlington, Belmont
• Somerville District Court — Somerville, Medford
• Malden District Court — Malden, Everett, Melrose, Wakefield
• Waltham District Court — Waltham, Watertown, Weston
• Woburn District Court — Woburn, Burlington, Winchester, Wilmington, Stoneham, Reading, North Reading
• Newton District Court — Newton (all 13 villages)
• Concord District Court — Concord, Lexington, Carlisle, Lincoln, Bedford, Acton, Maynard, Stow
• Framingham District Court — Framingham, Ashland, Holliston, Hopkinton, Sudbury, Wayland
• Marlborough District Court — Marlborough, Hudson, Northborough, Southborough
• Lowell District Court — Lowell, Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Dunstable, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, Westford
• Ayer District Court — Ayer, Groton, Pepperell, Shirley, Townsend, Dunstable, Ashby

Plymouth County District Courts

• Hingham District Court — Hingham, Norwell, Scituate, Hanover, Hull, Rockland
• Brockton District Court — Brockton, Abington, Bridgewater, East Bridgewater, West Bridgewater, Whitman, Easton
• Plymouth District Court — Plymouth, Carver, Duxbury, Kingston, Plympton, Pembroke
• Wareham District Court — Wareham, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester, Middleborough, Lakeville

Essex County District Courts

• Salem District Court — Salem, Marblehead, Swampscott, Manchester-by-the-Sea
• Lynn District Court — Lynn, Nahant, Saugus
• Peabody District Court — Peabody, Danvers
• Newburyport District Court — Newburyport, Amesbury, Merrimac, Newbury, Rowley, Salisbury, West Newbury
• Gloucester District Court — Gloucester, Rockport
• Ipswich District Court — Ipswich, Hamilton, Topsfield, Wenham
• Haverhill District Court — Haverhill, Georgetown, Groveland, Boxford
• Lawrence District Court — Lawrence, Methuen, Andover, North Andover

Bristol County District Courts

• Taunton District Court — Taunton, Berkley, Dighton, Easton, Raynham, Rehoboth, Seekonk
• Attleboro District Court — Attleboro, Mansfield, North Attleborough, Norton
• Fall River District Court — Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, Westport
• New Bedford District Court — New Bedford, Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven

Worcester County District Courts

• Worcester District Court — Worcester
• Fitchburg District Court — Fitchburg, Lunenburg, Townsend
• Leominster District Court — Leominster, Lancaster, Sterling
• Gardner District Court — Gardner, Ashburnham, Hubbardston, Phillipston, Templeton, Westminster, Winchendon
• East Brookfield District Court — Brookfield, East Brookfield, Leicester, North Brookfield, Oakham, Paxton, Rutland, Spencer, Warren, West Brookfield
• Dudley District Court — Dudley, Charlton, Douglas, Northbridge, Oxford, Southbridge, Sturbridge, Sutton, Upton, Uxbridge, Webster
• Milford District Court — Milford, Hopedale, Medway, Mendon, Millis, Holliston
• Clinton District Court — Clinton, Berlin, Bolton, Boylston, Harvard, West Boylston
• Westborough District Court — Westborough, Northborough, Shrewsbury, Southborough

Massachusetts Superior Courts

Serpa Law Office also handles felony cases in the Massachusetts Superior Courts across all counties, including Suffolk, Norfolk, Middlesex, Plymouth, Essex, Bristol, and Worcester Superior Courts. Superior Court cases typically involve grand jury indictments and carry potential state prison sentences. Attorney Serpa has obtained not-guilty jury verdicts in Suffolk, Norfolk, Middlesex, Plymouth, Bristol, and Essex County Superior Courts — including first-degree murder, aggravated rape, armed assault with intent to murder, and mayhem acquittals. See: Representative Trial Results.

For court-specific defense guides for the 13 courts with dedicated pages see: Massachusetts District Courts and Boston Municipal Court.

Contact Serpa Law Office at 617.936.0201 for a free consultation. Boston office: 20 Park Plaza #400A. Quincy office: 500 Victory Rd., Suite 400A. Available 24 hours a day.