Boston Massachusetts Criminal Defense Attorneys
Boston Witness Intimidation Defense Attorney serving Massachusetts and the Greater Boston area including South Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Somerville, Quincy, New Bedford, Taunton, Attleboro, Lowell, Woburn, Medford, Waltham, Wareham, Lynn, Lawrence, Wrentham, Dedham, Salem, Fall River, Brookline, Chelsea, Worcester, Framingham, Everett, Revere, Dorchester and Roxbury and all smaller cities and rural areas in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 268 section 13 B makes witness intimidation a crime. The statute is very broad encompassing a lot of different conduct and it is open to interpretation. Judges sometimes have difficulty applying the law and police frequently arrest people for conduct that doesn’t amount to witness intimidation.
When most people hear witness intimidation they think about someone threatening a witness with bodily harm or doing actual harm in an attempt to prevent the witness from giving his or her testimony at a criminal trial. While this is a form of witness intimidation it isn’t the most common kind. In situations involving domestic violence or domestic battery, where the defendant knows the alleged victim, the defendant may try to resolve a disagreement without getting the police involved. Charges for intimidating a witness can result in these situations where the defendant urges the alleged victim not to contact or call the police or takes steps to prevent the alleged victim from calling the police.
The commonwealth doesn’t take intimidation of a witness charges lightly and usually won’t dismiss the charges even when the alleged victim spouse, girlfriend or boyfriend requests the prosecutor to drop the charges. If you have been charged with this offense it is important that you do not contact the police in an effort to clear up any misunderstanding or resolved the case. Instead of working with you to resolve the matter law enforcement will simply take your statements and use them against you in order to get a conviction. You also shouldn’t work with the alleged victim in an attempt to resolve the matter. This continued contact with the alleged victim might result in additional charges.
A defendant that is convicted of witness intimidation faces imprisonment up to 2 ½ years in the house of corrections or a maximum of 10 years in a state prison and or a minimum fine of $1,000 but not more than $5,000.
Call For Your Free Consultation With An Experienced Defense Lawyer
If you have been arrested or charged with witness tampering or witness intimidation, you need an experienced Massachusetts criminal trial lawyer. Don’t make the mistake of hiring an inexperienced attorney when your criminal record and freedom is at stake.
For a free consultation with an aggressive and experienced defense attorney, contact us today. There’s no obligation and your consultation will be kept in confidence.
Our knowledgeable and experienced Massachusetts Intimidation of a Witness Attorney at The Law Offices of Gerald J. Noonan is available to assist clients throughout all of Southeast Massachusetts, including but not limited to Plymouth County including Brockton, Plymouth, Bridgewater, Marshfield, Hingham, Duxbury, Scituate, Hanover, Wareham, Abington, Rockland, Whitman, Hanson, Holbrook, Kingston, Middleborough; Norfolk County including Quincy, Stoughton, Dedham, Weymouth, Braintree, Avon, Holbrook, Randolph, Canton, Sharon, Brookline, Franklin; Bristol County including New Bedford, Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, Dartmouth, Westport, Mansfield, Easton, Raynham, Lakeville, Norton; Cape Cod, Falmouth, Barnstable.
