In the Massachusetts criminal justice system, there is a legal presumption that a criminal defendant will be released on personal recognizance (his or her promise to return to court). However, the Court may use its discretion to impose bail. At…
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All criminal courts in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have a probation department, which is formally referred to as the Massachusetts Probation Service. The Commissioner of Probation, and his office, oversee the Massachusetts Probation Service and the Office of the Community…
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Once a person is charged with a crime in Massachusetts, he or she must initially appear before the Court for a procedure called an arraignment. At the time of arraignment, not guilty pleas are entered as to the charged offense(s)…
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As a condition of a defendant’s bail or probation in Massachusetts, he or she can be ordered by the District or Superior Courts to be subject to Global Positioning Systems (GPS) monitoring. GPS monitoring is ordered in circumstances where the…
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Rapper Meek Mill is headed to prison, and it might surprise you to find out why. Although Meek Mill originally ended up on the wrong side of the law with a 2008 gun and drug case, his recent crimes were…
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