Commonwealth v. K.B. – Lynn District Court

LARCENY: DISMISSED

Client, 22 year-old college student with no criminal record, was arraigned on charges of Larceny over $250 (felony) stemming from a shoplifting incident in which she was alleged to have stolen $1,379.86 in merchandise from Kohl’s Department Store.

Result: Attorney Patrick J. Noonan got the felony charge reduced to a misdemeanor and dismissed outright.

Commonwealth v. W.M. and J.P. – Attleboro District Court

LARCENY: DISMISSED
LARCENY: DISMISSED

North Attleboro Police were dispatched to Walmart for a report of shoplifting. A loss prevention officer (who filled out a written statement) stated that he observed two males (identified as the defendants) concealing merchandise under their coats. The loss prevention officer continued to follow the males and observed them conceal more merchandise on their persons. The suspects passed all points of final sale and did not pay for the items. The loss prevention officer apprehended them outside. The defendants were charged with Larceny over $250 (a felony offense) because the merchandise was valued at $469.68. Client #1 was a freshman at Bryant College and a Finance majoring planning to pursue a career in accounting. Client #2 was a senior in college who was eventually accepted to Rhode Island College where he planned to major in education.

Result: Attorney Patrick J. Noonan gets felony charges reduced to simple misdemeanor Shoplifting and dismissed upon community service.

Commonwealth v. J.G. – Hingham District Court

SHOPLIFTING: DISMISSED PRIOR TO ARRAIGNMENT

Client, 24 year-old recent college graduate with no criminal record, was charged with Shoplifting over $100 stemming from an incident in which she allegedly stole two bracelets from Kohl’s Department Store. Attorney Patrick J. Noonan successfully dismissed the charge prior to arraignment and remanded the matter for a Clerk-Magistrate’s Hearing at which time the case was dismissed outright.

Result: Attorney Patrick J. Noonan gets criminal charge dismissed prior to arraignment so no charges appear on recent college graduate’s record.

Commonwealth v. L.J. – Stoughton District Court

LARCENY: DISMISSED at CLERK’S HEARING

Client, 46 year-old medical secretary with no criminal record, was charged with Larceny over $250 (felony) stemming from a shoplifting incident in which she allegedly stole over $250 worth of merchandise from Kohl’s Department Store.

Result: Attorney Patrick J. Noonan persuades Clerk-Magistrate to not issue criminal complaint for shoplifting against medical secretary.

Commonwealth v. C.B. – Brockton District Court

BREAKING & ENTERING: DISMISSED
LARCENY over $250: DISMISSED

Defendant was alleged to have broken into his girlfriend’s apartment and stolen a mirror, Northface jacket, and $480 in cash. Attorney Gerald J. Noonan was able to get the criminal complaints dismissed and remanded for a clerk-magistrate’s hearing. Originally, Brockton Police sought a show cause hearing and the criminal complaint issued because the Defendant failed to appear. Attorney Noonan presented evidence that the Defendant never received notice of the show cause hearing because the summons was returned, as it was sent to an insufficient address. Because the Defendant failed to appear at the show cause hearing, Cambridge Police arrested him at his business. The Cambridge Police, however, mistakenly brought the Defendant to the Cambridge District Court for an arraignment when they were supposed to bring him to the Brockton District Court. As a result, Defendant was held in the House of Correction for three days until he was transported to the Brockton District Court (the correct court) for his arraignment. Patrick J. Noonan (then a third-year law student) filed a Memorandum of Law for the clerk-magistrate to consider in determining whether to issue the criminal complaints. With regards to the Breaking & Entering, Patrick J. Noonan argued in the Memo that the Defendant did not break into the “dwelling place of another” because he had a right to habitation and occupancy in the apartment. See Commonwealth v. Robbins, 422 Mass. 305 (1996). Specifically, Defendant paid rent, had a key to the apartment, and lived in the apartment for four-months prior to the incident. With regards to the Larceny, Attorney Noonan presented evidence that the mirror belonged to the Defendant, not the alleged victim. Specifically, Attorney Noonan presented photographs of the mirror that pre-dated the alleged incident in the custody of the Defendant. With regards to the Northface jacket, Attorney Noonan presented evidence that the Defendant purchased the Northface jacket on his credit card and provided a copy of his bank statement to the clerk-magistrate. Lastly, Attorney Noonan argued that the Defendant was a jilted lover and upset at the Defendant for breaking up with her and getting back together with his wife. Attorney Noonan presented Facebook messages (post-dating the incident) sent to the Defendant’s wife from the alleged victim where she blasts the Defendant for breaking up with her but she mentions nothing about the alleged breaking and entering and larcenies.

Result: Attorney Gerald J. Noonan convinces clerk-magistrate not to issue criminal complaints on felony charges against his client.

Commonwealth v. R.C. – Commonwealth v. M.C. – Taunton District Court

LARCENY BY CHECK: DISMISSED
LARCENY BY CHECK: DISMISSED

Clients owned and operated a sporting goods store and purchased merchandise from a vendor in the amount of $9,626.65. Clients wrote several checks to pay the balance. All checks were returned for insufficient funds and the balance was never paid. As a result, the clients were charged with Larceny by Check. Patrick J. Noonan (then a third-year law student) filed a Motion to Dismiss (which was denied) on venue grounds, as the events alleged to have occurred did not take place “in the vicinity” of Bristol County but in Plymouth County. See Commonwealth v. Adelson, 40 Mass. App. Ct. 585 (1996)(discussing factors in determining vicinity in larceny by check case). Patrick J. Noonan then drafted a Motion to Dismiss on the grounds that the criminal court was an improper venue to settle the dispute, as the alleged victim had an adequate remedy to recover the monies owed in a civil action and failed to do so. See Taylor v. Newton Div. of the District Court Dep’t, 416 Mass. 1006 (1993)(noting that the petitioner, who was not permitted to file applications for criminal complaint, “had a right to proceed in a civil action.”). In addition, Patrick J. Noonan argued in the Motion to Dismiss that it was an abuse of process for someone to use the criminal process to collect a civil debt. See Carroll v. Gillespie, 14 Mass. App. Ct. 12 (1982)(defendant sought to use the criminal process to collect a civil debt). Lastly, Patrick J. Noonan argued in the Motion to Dismiss that the Defendants’ did not have the intent to permanently deprive the alleged victim of the money, as they filed for bankruptcy shortly thereafter and were discharged from all debts.

Result: Attorney Gerald J. Noonan’s Motion to Dismiss was allowed and all criminal charges were dismissed against his clients.

Commonwealth v. E.W. – Brockton District Court

RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY: DISMISSED
SHOPLIFTING: DISMISSED
SHOPLIFTING: DISMISSED
SHOPLIFTING: DISMISSED

Police were dispatched to Target for a report of a male party cutting open boxes of merchandise and putting them in his pockets. Defendant was also seen opening videogames and removing them from the cases and placing them in a cooler. Defendant was also seen opening up videogames and placing them into his pockets. Police arrested the Defendant and recovered videogames in his pockets. They also located other merchandise that he hid inside the cooler. The security officer provided police with surveillance footage showing that the Defendant had come into the store on two previous occasions and had stolen a large number of videogames each time. When conducting an inventory of the Defendant’s vehicle, police recovered stolen property from Papa Ginos. The client was 20 years old and had no prior criminal record. Attorney Gerald J. Noonan had his client pay restitution to all the victims and convinced the District Attorney’s Office to dismiss all the charges.

Result: Attorney Gerald J. Noonan gets all criminal charges dismissed against 20 year-old defendant.

Commonwealth v. K.C. – Taunton District Court

LARCENY OF A FIREARM: NOT GUILTY
LARCENY OF A FIREARM: NOT GUILTY
LARCENY OF DRUGS: NOT GUILTY
LARCENY OF DRUGS: NOT GUILTY
LARCENY OF DRUGS: NOT GUILTY
ENTERING DWELLING by FALSE PRETENSE: NOT GUILTY
WITNESS INTIMIDATION: NOT GUILTY

Police were dispatched to a residence for a report of a burglary. Upon arrival, police spoke to the homeowner. The homeowner stated that somebody broke into her gun safe and stole two firearms. The homeowner also stated that somebody stole her prescription medication from her pill bag. She told police that she felt the Defendant stole the firearms and prescription pills. Two days before she called police, David (a friend of the homeowner) came over to the homeowner’s house. David came over the house with Kevin, the Defendant. David asked the homeowner where she keeps her guns because Kevin wants to shoot it. She stated that she kept the guns in a safe but she couldn’t find the key. David kept asking her about the gun and the key. David and Kevin came back to her home later that evening. The homeowner told police that the Defendant kept walking in and out of her house. David and Kevin left the home a short time later. The next day, the homeowner discovered that her guns and prescription pills were missing. The homeowner stated that David and Kevin were the only people inside her home from the time she last saw the firearms until the firearms went missing. She stated that her prescription medications were in her pill bag before David and Kevin came over her house.

After she reported the guns missing, the homeowner called the police later that evening and reported that one of the guns was put in her mailbox. She told police that she believed David called her and told her that the gun was in her mailbox. Police were unable to extract useable fingerprints from the gun safe. The homeowner called to report to police that she saw the Defendant when she was in Taunton and that the Defendant threatened her by saying that she would be sorry if she were to testify against David. Later on, the homeowner called the police to report that the Defendant was pulling in and out of her driveway in a dark vehicle to scare her.

Result: After a two-day bench trial, Attorney Gerald J. Noonan gets Not Guilty verdicts on all 7 criminal offenses.

Theft Crimes