Commonwealth v. Colin O. – Quincy District Court

ATTORNEY PATRICK J. NOONAN WINS NOT GUILTY VERDICTS ON ALL CHARGES, INCLUDING OPERATING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS, POSSESSION OF A CLASS C SUBSTANCE, AND OPERATING TO ENDANGER.

Quincy Police were dispatched to a call from a concerned citizen reporting that a person (defendant) was passed out and slumped over the steering wheel of his car. Upon arrival to the scene, police spoke to the witness who pointed to the Defendant’s car as it was leaving the scene. Police pursued the vehicle. When police came upon the vehicle, they discovered there had been an accident. Police spoke to the other driver who reported that the Defendant struck her vehicle. Police spoke to the Defendant who was lethargic and nodding off. Defendant admitted to smoking marijuana. Defendant admitted to recently taking a prescription medication called Seroquel, which made him very sleepy and tired. Police searched Defendant’s vehicle and discovered a pill, which was later tested and found to be Clonazepam, a Class C Controlled Substance. In his vehicle, police also found syringes and other items consistent with intravenous drug use. With the Clonazepam in the vehicle, police charged Defendant with Possession of a Class C Substance (G.L. c. 94C, §34). Police charged him with Operating under the influence of Drugs (G.L. c. 90, §24) and Operating to Endanger (G.L. c. 90, §24(2)(a).

Result: At trial, Attorney Patrick J. Noonan convinced the judge to find his client not guilty on all charges. First, Attorney Noonan convinced the judge that the Commonwealth failed to prove that Seroquel was a “drug.” The Commonwealth went on to claim that Defendant was under the influence of marijuana or heroin, or both. Second, Attorney Noonan argued that the police officer could not give an opinion that the Defendant was under the influence of marijuana or heroin because the police officer was not qualified as an expert. Third, the Commonwealth sought to prove that the pill was Clonazepam through a Drug Certificate of Analysis where the crime lab tested the pill and identified it as Clonazepam. Attorney Noonan convinced the judge to throw out the Drug Certificate because the Commonwealth failed to lay a proper foundation. Attorney Noonan introduced evidence that the pill identified in the Drug Certificate may not have been the same pill found in the trash can because the police officer testified that the pill in the vehicle was “blue” where the drug certificate identified the pill as “green.” Lastly, Attorney argued that his client had no idea that there was a pill in the vehicle. This was a work vehicle where other workers had access to the vehicle and the pill could have belonged to any of the workers who previously used the vehicle. Attorney Noonan argued that the Defendant did not have any knowledge that a Clonazepam pill was in the work truck because it was buried at the bottom of a trash barrel with other trash and discarded items.