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Negligent Operation Clerk-Magistrate Hearings in Massachusetts: The Law, the Four-Day Deadline, and How to Win

By Attorney Joseph Serpa | Georgetown University Law Center | 30 Years Massachusetts Criminal Defense A criminal citation for negligent operation of a motor vehicle under M.G.L. c. 90, § 24(2)(a) arrives in the mail and most people treat it like a traffic ticket. It is not. Negligent operation is a criminal offense. A formal…

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

By Attorney Joe Serpa | Georgetown University Law Center | 30 Years Massachusetts Criminal Defense A shoplifting citation from a Massachusetts retailer arrives in the mail with a civil demand letter attached. The civil demand is for $200 or so. The criminal case, the notice to appear for a clerk-magistrate hearing, is the part that…

Unlicensed Operation Clerk-Magistrate Hearings in Massachusetts: Students, New Residents, and Skilled Workers

By Attorney Joe Serpa | Georgetown University Law Center | 30 Years Massachusetts Criminal Defense Unlicensed operation under M.G.L. c. 90, § 10 is one of the most frequently charged motor vehicle crimes among students arriving in Boston and Cambridge, professionals relocating from other states, and skilled workers who have not yet converted their foreign…