2016

Commonwealth v. N.G. – Brockton District Court

ASSAULT & BATTERY: DISMISSED AT TRIAL

Defendant’s boyfriend called 911 and he reported that the Defendant bit him and that the Defendant had a knife in her hand. The boyfriend stated that they were having an argument over finances when the Defendant bit him and retrieved a knife at which point the victim left the apartment and called 911. Police were dispatched to the residence and they placed the Defendant under arrest for Domestic Assault & Battery.

Result: Attorney Gerald J. Noonan prepared the case for trial. At trial, the alleged victim failed to appear. Attorney Gerald J. Noonan argued that the Commonwealth would not be able to introduce the 911 call into evidence, as the 911 call did not meet the necessary rules of evidence. Without the victim’s testimony and without the 911 call, the Commonwealth was forced to dismiss the case.

Read More about Commonwealth v. N.G. – Brockton District Court

Commonwealth v. K.D. – Brockton District Court

LEWD & LASCIVIOUS CONDUCT: NOT GUILTY

A woman (alleged victim) called 911 to report that a woman in a second story apartment building was exposing her vagina and masturbating. The alleged victim was driving her teenaged daughter and her teenaged daughter’s friends to school. They went to the Dunkin Donuts drive thru. While placing their order in the drive-thru line, the alleged victim’s daughter directed her attention to the second story window in the apartment adjacent to the Dunkin Donuts. The alleged victim looked up into the window and saw a heavyset woman standing in the window naked from the waist down with her vagina exposed. The alleged victim beeped her horn so that the woman in the window would leave. When she beeped her horn, the alleged victim saw the woman in the window insert her fingers into her vagina and masturbate. The alleged victim immediately called 911. Upon arrival, police looked into the apartment window and a saw a heavy-set woman naked from the waist down. Police gained entry into the apartment. The Defendant was in the apartment. When speaking with the Defendant, police identified the Defendant as the person in the window naked from the waist down. Police observed that the Defendant matched the description given by the alleged victim. At trial, Attorney Patrick J. Noonan discredited the alleged victim. Attorney Patrick J. Noonan discovered that the alleged victim withheld the names and identities of percipient witnesses. That is, there were two other girls in the alleged victim’s vehicle that the alleged victim decided not to disclose to the police. At trial, the prosecutor introduced a photograph that one of the girls in the car had taken of the person in the window. The photo showed a leg propped up on the window sill. Attorney Patrick J. Noonan established that this photograph was provided to police shortly after the alleged incident and that it was not disclosed to the defense until the day of trial. Attorney Patrick J. Noonan argued that the Commonwealth made the decision to introduce a black and white copy of the photo when they should have introduced a color copy of the photo. The color copy was the best evidence and may have been exculpatory to the defense. Attorney Noonan questioned the government’s decision to introduce the black and white photo when they had the ability to introduce a color copy. Attorney Patrick J. Noonan argued that the Defendant did not have the intent to expose herself to the public. Attorney Noonan showed that the shades to the window were pulled down so the only thing visible was below the person’s waist. Attorney Noonan showed that the window had red curtains on both sides. Attorney Noonan argued that the Defendant desired privacy and took steps to ensure her privacy. Attorney Noonan argued that the Defendant’s exposure was negligent, not reckless.

Result: After a two-day jury trial, Attorney Patrick J. Noonan convinced the jury that the Defendant did not commit a sexual act in the apartment window and that the Defendant did not masturbate in the apartment window. Attorney Patrick J. Noonan won a Not Guilty verdict on the offense of Lewd, Wanton, and Lascivious Conduct.

Read More about Commonwealth v. K.D. – Brockton District Court

Commonwealth v. F.P. – Quincy District Court

OPEN & GROSS LEWDNESS: NOT GUILTY

A woman (alleged victim) walked into the police station to report an incident that just happened in the parking lot of TJ Maxx. The alleged victim claimed that she parked her vehicle in the parking lot of the TJ Maxx. She stated that she parked next to the Defendant’s vehicle and their driver’s side doors were facing each other. The Defendant was sitting in his vehicle with the driver’s side window down. She claimed that she exited her vehicle and walked past the Defendant’s driver’s side window. She claimed that she looked down into the Defendant’s window and saw that he had an erect penis exposed through the zipper of his pants. At trial, Attorney Patrick J. Noonan discredited the alleged victim. The alleged victim testified that she went immediately into the TJ Maxx to report the incident to the manager. She testified that she provided the manager with the make, model, and license plate to the Defendant’s vehicle. She testified that she provided the manager with a physical description of the Defendant. She testified that the manager offered to escort her to her vehicle but she refused. She testified that the manager offered to call the police but she refused. At trial, Attorney Patrick J. Noonan called the TJ Maxx manager as a witness. The manager testified that he had no knowledge of receiving such a report and that he would remember receiving such a report. The manager testified that he had never met the alleged victim. This impeachment testimony discredited the alleged victim. Attorney Patrick J. Noonan thoroughly attacked the investigation conducted by police. The arresting officer testified that he interviewed the alleged victim for approximately 30 minutes. After interviewing the alleged victim, the arresting officer spoke with the Defendant in the lobby of the police station. The Defendant arrived to the police station before the alleged victim to report that a crazy woman falsely accused him of exposing his penis in the TJ Maxx parking lot. The arresting officer testified that he spoke to the Defendant for about 1-2 minutes and placed him under arrest. The arresting officer did not conduct any investigation other than speaking to the alleged victim. The arresting officer did not listen to what the Defendant came to the police station to report. The arresting officer made up his mind that the Defendant committed the crime after he spoke with the alleged victim. Because he rushed to judgment, the arresting officer did not conduct any investigation. Lastly, Attorney Patrick J. Noonan called the Defendant to testify on his own behalf. Defendant worked for the Department of Corrections for 37 years. Defendant was a veteran of the Air Force. Defendant testified that he went to the TJ Maxx to do some shopping. After shopping, Defendant went back to his vehicle and sat in the driver’s seat. Defendant drank a large ice coffee and ate a coffee roll while sitting in his driver’s seat. While eating and drinking in the driver’s seat, the alleged victim walked past his window and said, “Pull up your pants, you creep.” Defendant was shocked by the alleged victim’s accusation because he didn’t do anything wrong. Defendant went directly to the police station to report the false accusation. Attorney Patrick J. Noonan argued that the Defendant’s actions showed consciousness of innocence.

Result: After a two day jury trial, Attorney Patrick J. Noonan won a Not Guilty verdict on the felony offense of Open & Gross Lewdness. Attorney Noonan’s client was a 65 year-old retired state employee and a military veteran with no criminal record.

Read More about Commonwealth v. F.P. – Quincy District Court

Commonwealth v. S.O. – Wareham District Court

ASSAULT & BATTERY: DISMISSED
RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT of CHILD: DISMISSED

The alleged victim walked into the police station to report that the Defendant assaulted him and endangered the life of his two year-old son. The Defendant’s sister had a two year-old child with the alleged victim. The alleged victim claimed that he was pushing his two year-old son in a baby stroller for an afternoon walk. When he was crossing the street, the alleged victim claimed that the Defendant accelerated his high-performance vehicle at him and the baby. The alleged victim claimed that the vehicle came inches from hitting him and the baby stroller. The alleged victim claimed that he had to push the baby stroller out of the way or else the vehicle would strike the baby stroller. The alleged victim claimed that the Defendant and two other males got out of the vehicle and approached him. The alleged victim claimed that the Defendant got in his face, yelled at him, threatened him, and pushed him into the baby stroller. The alleged victim claimed that an unidentified neighbor threatened to call the police and the Defendant fled the scene. Defendant had two open criminal cases. When he was charged with this offense, probation moved to find him in violation for committing a new offense while on probation and while he had two criminal cases pending. Attorney Patrick J. Noonan refused to have his client stipulate to violating probation by committing a new offense. Attorney Noonan requested a hearing to challenge probable cause that the Defendant committed a new crime.

Result: At the probation violation hearing, the alleged victim appeared and recanted his statements to police. Attorney Patrick J. Noonan moved the court to dismiss the criminal complaints because the alleged victim recanted his statement to police. The judge dismissed the criminal complaints and the Defendant was not found in violation of probation.

Read More about Commonwealth v. S.O. – Wareham District Court

Commonwealth v. C.M. – Brockton District Court

OPEN & GROSS LEWDNESS: NOT GUILTY

Defendant was charged with the felony offense of Open & Gross Lewdness. The allegations were that the Defendant, a senior in high school, was sitting on the school bus on the way home from school when another student observed him expose his penis and masturbate on the school bus. There was evidence that the Defendant had previously masturbated on the school bus on approximately three prior occasions. One student told police that she observed the Defendant masturbate on the school bus on two separate occasions. Another student told police that she observed the Defendant masturbate on the school bus on at least one occasion. Prior to this incident, one student reported to the school that the Defendant masturbated in class. Defendant admitted to school officials that he did masturbate in class as reported. At trial, Attorney Patrick J. Noonan persuaded the trial judge to exclude these “prior bad acts” from evidence. As a result, the Commonwealth was prohibited from introducing any evidence of the prior instances in which the Defendant allegedly masturbated on the school bus and in class. At trial, Attorney Gerald J. Noonan cross-examined the alleged victim who claimed that she saw the Defendant’s penis exposed on the school bus, and that she observed the Defendant masturbating on the school bus. Attorney Gerald J. Noonan introduced into evidence a videotape of the actual bus ride and highlighted all the inconsistencies in the victim’s testimony in comparison to what was shown on the videotape. Attorney Gerald J. Noonan pointed out that the victim did not look over at the Defendant during the bus ride, which was contrary to her trial testimony. Attorney Noonan established that the victim looked out the window or looked straight ahead during the bus ride and didn’t look over at the Defendant as she claimed. The victim testified that she looked over at the Defendant and saw him masturbate when a student behind her tapped her on the shoulder. When she was tapped on the shoulder she turned her head to say hello to the student behind her and that’s when she observed the Defendant masturbating. Attorney Noonan impeached the victim by pointing out that the student behind her pulled her hair and didn’t tap her on the shoulder. Attorney Noonan established that the only time she looked over at the Defendant was when the student behind her pulled her hair and she reacted by turning her head in the Defendant’s direction. Attorney Noonan established that it was in a split-second (when she turned her head in reaction to her hair being pulled) that she allegedly saw the Defendant masturbating. Attorney Gerald J. Noonan pointed out that the victim did not tell anybody on the bus that she saw the Defendant’s penis or him masturbating. Defendant got off the school bus before the victim yet the victim did not report the incident to anyone on the school bus after the Defendant got off the bus. The victim testified that she was offended by what she saw. However, as Attorney Noonan pointed out, the videotape did not show any reaction from the victim after she allegedly saw another student expose his penis and masturbate.

Result: At the conclusion of the Commonwealth’s evidence, Attorney Gerald J. Noonan moved the judge for a Required Finding of Not Guilty arguing that the Commonwealth failed to present sufficient evidence to support each element of the offense. The trial judge agreed and entered a required finding of Not Guilty on the felony offense of Open & Gross Lewdness.

Read More about Commonwealth v. C.M. – Brockton District Court