Case Results

Commonwealth v. G.K. – Fall River District Court

ASSAULT by DANGEROUS WEAPON: NOT GUILTY
ATTEMPT TO COMMIT A CRIME: NOT GUILTY

An Easton Police Officer was flagged down by a motorist in the parking lot of Christy’s Market. The motorist reported to the police officer that the driver of the vehicle behind her just threatened her with a machete knife. The officer obtained the license plate. The woman identified the Defendant as the man who threatened her with the machete. The woman claimed that she had just left the Taunton District Court after taking out charges against the Defendant for Annoying and Harassing Telephone Calls. She stated that when she was driving home she looked in her rear-view mirror and saw the Defendant traveling behind her. She stated that she observed the Defendant pointing the knife at her and motioning for her to pull over. She states that the Defendant then put the knife to his throat. She claimed that the Defendant was throwing rocks at her vehicle. She states that her vehicle was almost forced off the road by the Defendant. She then pulled into the party lot of Christy’s Market and flagged down the officer. The police stopped the Defendant’s vehicle and asked him to produce the knife. Defendant produced a fishing knife. Defendant denied threatening her with the knife. The Defendant explained to the officer that he had attempted to get a restraining order against the alleged victim because she has been harassing him. He stated that the alleged victim knows he has he has a knife. The police seized the knife from the Defendant’s vehicle.

Result: After a three-day jury trial, Attorney Gerald J. Noonan gets Not Guilty verdicts on all criminal charges against Firefighter.

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Commonwealth v. J.B. – Brockton Superior Court

TRAFFICKING COCAINE: NOT GUILTY
TRAFFICKING COCAINE IN SCHOOL ZONE: NOT GUILTY

Brockton police received an anonymous telephone call reporting that drugs were being sold from a residence in Brockton. Police conducted surveillance and observed activity consistent with drug transactions. An undercover officer went to the residence and purchased cocaine. Police then obtained a search warrant for the residence. In executing the search, Defendant and two other co-defendants were inside the residence. Police found 58 plastic bags of white powder (76.2 grams), one plastic bag of white powder (46.1 grams), one plastic bag of white power (17 grams), and over $1,000 in cash.

Result: At trial, Attorney Gerald J. Noonan convinced the judge that the Commonwealth presented insufficient evidence to convict his client. The judge agreed and found the Defendant Not Guilty. The felony drug charges carried significant mandatory jail time.

Read More about Commonwealth v. J.B. – Brockton Superior Court

Commonwealth v. W.C. – Stoughton District Court

OUI LIQUOR: CONVICTION REVERSED
LEAVING THE SCENE: CONVICTION REVERSED

At 1:45 a.m., police were dispatched to an auto-body garage in Avon for an argument in progress as a result of a hit-and-run accident. Upon arrival, a witness stated to police that a blue pick-up truck struck his vehicle, which was parked in front of his house. The witness chased the blue pick-up truck to the auto-body garage. The witness observed three people sitting in the blue pick-up truck. The witness identified the Defendant as getting out of the driver’s side of the truck. The witness identified a woman as sitting in the middle seat. The witness identified the Defendant as the operator of the pick-up truck. Defendant was the registered owner of the pick-up truck. Officers observed that the Defendant was highly intoxicated. Officers immediately detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from the Defendant’s breath. Defendant’s eyes were glassy, his speech was slurred, and he was very unsteady on his feet. The officer observed that the Defendant would close his eyes every 5 seconds, as if he was about to fall asleep. Defendant was arrested OUI-Liquor and Leaving the Scene of an Accident.

At this time in the 1980s, the District Court in Massachusetts had a two-tier trial system (known as the “de novo” system) in which a Defendant could choose to have a bench trial before a judge and, if found guilty, demand a jury trial on appeal.

Here, Defendant was tried before a judge and found Guilty of OUI-Liquor and Leaving the Scene of an Accident. Defendant was sentenced to 90 days in the House of Correction suspended for two-years, 14 days in an impatient treatment facility, and ordered to pay restitution. Defendant retained Attorney Gerald J. Noonan.

Result: Attorney Gerald J. Noonan appealed the Defendant’s conviction to the second tier of the trial system. Attorney Gerald J. Noonan filed a Motion to Dismiss and requested an evidentiary hearing. At the evidentiary hearing, Attorney Noonan called the Defendant’s wife to testify. Defendant’s wife testified that the Defendant was not the operator of the blue pick-up truck and that she had been the operator of the blue pick-up truck. The judge dismissed the criminal complaints against the Defendant, and his prior convictions were vacated.

Read More about Commonwealth v. W.C. – Stoughton District Court