Violent Crimes
Commonwealth v. W.E. – Brockton District Court
ASSAULT & BATTERY: DISMISSED
Police were dispatched in response to a 911 in which the Defendant’s wife stated that the Defendant was intoxicated and had struck her on the side of the face. She was in fear of the Defendant. Upon arrival, she told police that the Defendant struck her on the right side of the face with an open hand. Defendant denied hitting his wife and told the police that his wife actually hit him.
Result: On the day of trial, Attorney Gerald J. Noonan argued a Motion to Dismiss the criminal complaint on the basis that the Defendant’s wife would be asserting her marital privilege not to testify against the Defendant, and that the Commonwealth had no other evidence upon which to try and convict the Defendant. Attorney Gerald J. Noonan’s Motion to Dismiss was allowed and the criminal charge was dismissed against his client, a computer technician with no prior criminal record.
L.M. v. S.O. – Dedham District Court
209A RESTRAINING ORDER: VACATED
The alleged victim (girlfriend) called 911 from her locked bedroom and reported that her boyfriend had just assaulted her. She claimed that the Defendant was banging on her bedroom door with a wooden staff and she was afraid that he may kill her. Upon arrival, the alleged victim reported that the Defendant has a history of mental illness and was experiencing a manic episode. She claimed that the Defendant became violent and aggressive. She claimed that the Defendant sucker punched her in the face 4 times. She ran to her bedroom to get away from him. Defendant chased her to her bedroom. She was trying to close the bedroom door but the Defendant was trying to force is way in. She was able to close the bedroom door and lock it. She called the police from her bedroom at which time the Defendant was banging on her bedroom door with a wooden staff. Police observed that the alleged victim has scratches on her face, that she was bleeding from her face, that her ear-ring had been ripped, and that she was bleeding from the ear. Defendant was charged with Assault & Battery. Later that afternoon, the alleged victim obtained an emergency abuse prevention restraining order against the Defendant.
Result: Attorney Patrick J. Noonan requested a two-party hearing to challenge the extension of the 209A abuse prevention restraining order. Attorney Patrick J. Noonan cross-examined the alleged victim and showed that she assaulted and battered the Defendant, not the other way around. She testified that she pushed the Defendant to the ground in his bedroom. She testified that she pushed the Defendant to the ground, a second time, in the hallway to her bedroom. Attorney Noonan alleged that she had beaten the Defendant while he was on the ground with a wooden staff and a long cat scratcher. Attorney Noonan introduced photographs showing that the Defendant sustained extensive physical injuries in the attack. The photos showed that the Defendant had very large, sizeable bruises across his lower back, along his left hip, and distinct contusions to the chest, stomach, and elbows, and that he was bleeding extensively from his foot. Attorney Noonan argued that the Defendant’s injuries were consistent with him being the victim of a violent assault. As a result of the injuries he sustained in the assault, Defendant had to go to the emergency room by ambulance. Attorney Noonan introduced evidence that the Defendant is 72 years-old and suffers from many serious physical and medical conditions, such as: arteriovenous malformation in the brain, cardiac disease, kidney insufficiency, aortic aneurysm, hypertension, and anemia. Attorney Noonan argued that the Defendant was physically and medically incapable of violently assaulting the alleged victim, as she described. Attorney Noonan showed that the alleged victim was currently on probation for assaulting two victims with hot coffee. At the conclusion of the hearing, the judge terminated the 209A Abuse Prevention Order.
Commonwealth v. Juvenile – Dedham Juvenile Court
ASSAULT: DISMISSED
An eighth grade student (alleged victim) reported to police that he was threatened by four males and was fearful that they would kill him. The alleged victim reported that he was walking home from school when he was approached by a vehicle with four males inside. The males were yelling at him from the vehicle. The alleged victim stated that two of the males got out of the vehicle and chased him on foot but the alleged victim was able to get away. The alleged victim reported that the same two males subsequently approached him at the Dunkin Donuts scaring the alleged victim causing him to leave the Dunkin Donuts and immediately go home. The alleged victim reported the incident to police because he was scared to walk home fearing that the males would hurt him. The alleged victim provided a description of the males. Based on his description, the officer was able to identify the Juvenile as one of the males that got out of the car and chased the alleged victim. Police interviewed the driver of the vehicle and he told police that the Juvenile was one of the males that got out of his vehicle and chased the alleged victim. Juvenile was charged with Assault.
Result: On the day of trial, Attorney Patrick J. Noonan was able to get the criminal complaint dismissed.
Commonwealth v. K.S. – New Bedford District Court
ASSAULT & BATTERY: PRETRIAL PROBATION
Defendant’s father called 911 to report a fight between the Defendant and his 16-year-old younger brother. The father reported that the Defendant charged at his younger brother and they began fighting on the floor. The father pointed out that the Defendant outweighs his younger brother by 100 lbs. The father intervened to protect his younger son from the Defendant and the father had to punch the Defendant in the face to break up the fight. The younger brother told police that the Defendant pushed his finger into his eye socket multiple times. Police observed that the younger brother had redness to his left eye and redness around his mouth. The parents made written statements to police. All parties (father, mother, brother) stated that the Defendant has an anger problem and needs help for his anger issues.
Result: Attorney Gerald J. Noonan persuaded the Commonwealth to place his client on pretrial probation for one-year with the condition that he undergoes counseling to address the concerns of his family members. If the Defendant abides by the conditions, the criminal charge will be dismissed after one-year and the Defendant will not have to admit guilt.
Commonwealth v. B.S. – Plymouth District Court
ASSAULT & BATTERY: DISMISSED
Defendant had an argument with her boyfriend. The boyfriend told the Defendant to pack up her belongings and leave the residence. They proceeded to argue over the items that the Defendant wished to take with her upon moving out of the house. The argument escalated and the boyfriend alleged that the Defendant assaulted and battered him. The boyfriend called 911 and made a written statement to police. The police arrested the Defendant. Because the boyfriend-alleged victim was over 60 years old, Defendant was charged with Assault & Battery on an Elderly Person, an aggravated offense. The Commonwealth refused to dismiss the criminal complaint, even though the Defendant was in her late 50s and had no criminal record.
Result: Attorney Patrick J. Noonan placed the Commonwealth on notice that he would be asserting self-defense at trial. At trial, the alleged victim appeared ready to testify, as well as the arresting officer. At trial, the Commonwealth dismissed the criminal complaint that charged Defendant with an aggravated offense.
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.
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.
Commonwealth v. Juvenile – Attleboro Juvenile Court
ASSAULT & BATTERY on PREGNANT WOMAN: PRETRIAL PROBATION
Juvenile was a high school student. In class, his teacher disciplined him repeatedly causing the Juvenile to become upset. After class, the Juvenile grabbed the teacher’s hand for a hand shake. During the handshake, the Juvenile twisted her arm in an unnatural way causing the teacher “extreme pain” in her wrist and arm. The handshake pulled the teacher’s body downward. The teacher called out in pain and the Juvenile ran away. The Juvenile admitted to the Dean of Students what the teacher had reported. The teacher was visibly five and one-half months pregnant. The Juvenile was aware that the teacher was pregnant. The Dean of Students suspended the Juvenile for 10 days. The Juvenile had an extensive disciplinary record, including a violation physical altercation with school staff. At the time of this incident, the Juvenile had an open criminal case for being a minor in possession of alcohol.
Result: On the first court date, Attorney Gerald J. Noonan convinced the prosecutor to place the Juvenile on pretrial probation for six-months with the condition that the Juvenile enroll in and complete the Bridging the Gap Youth Program. Upon the successful completion of probation, the aggravated felony charge of Assault & Battery on a Pregnant Woman, and the misdemeanor charge of Minor in Possession of Alcohol will be dismissed.
Commonwealth v. J.C. – Lynn District Court
ASSAULT & BATTERY: NOLLE PROSS
DISORDERLY CONDUCT: NOLLE PROSS
RESISTING ARREST: CWOF
STALKING: Amended to THREATS TO COMMIT A CRIME: CWOF
The alleged victim dated the Defendant. They dated for 9 months. She states that the Defendant was “very controlling” over the course of the relationship. He controlled what clothing she wore and he controlled what people she could talk to. They broke up. Two days after the break-up, Defendant called the alleged victim at 1:00 a.m. He called her 4 times in a row screaming at her. In the last call, Defendant threatened to burn her house down. Approximately 15 minutes after the phone call, Defendant showed up to the alleged victim’s house. He barged into the house very intoxicated. She claims that the Defendant was screaming and yelling at her. She claims that she felt that the Defendant was going to hit her. She alleges that she was in fear of her life. The alleged victim’s parents got the Defendant to leave. The alleged victim called the Defendant’s mother to come pick him up. The alleged victim looked out her window and saw the Defendant fighting and wrestling with his father (defendant’s father) in the street. She called 911. Police arrived and observed the Defendant fighting his father in the street. The officer intervened. The officer ordered the Defendant to stop fighting his father. The officer attempted to gain control of the Defendant’s right arm but he repeatedly pulled his arm away. The officer warned the Defendant that he was spray him with mace if he continued to resist. The Defendant continued resisting and the officer sprayed him in the face and placed him under arrest. The police officer observed a 5 gallon container of gasoline in the street where the Defendant and his father were fighting. The alleged victim’s mother came outside. She picked up the gas container and observed that it was less than half-way full of gasoline. Police interviewed the Defendant’s father. The father stated that he received a call from the alleged victim stating that the Defendant barged into her house intoxicated and he needed to be removed. The father, after much persistence, was able to get the Defendant in his car to drive him home. While driving the car home, the Defendant stated that he was “going to burn that shit down.” The Defendant also threatened to kill himself. The Defendant jumped out of the moving car and ran home where he went into the garage and retrieved the 5 gallon container of gasoline. His father tackled him in an attempt to prevent the Defendant from going to the alleged victim’s house to carry out his threat. The Defendant was able to wrestle away from his father and run over to the alleged victim’s house; 1-2 streets away. The father got into his car and drove to the alleged victim’s house where he confronted the defendant in the street. The father tackled the Defendant to the ground and attempted to hold him down until police arrived.
Immediately, the District Attorney’s Office filed a Motion with the Court requesting that the Defendant be held in custody for 120 days or until his trial because he was “dangerous” and posed a danger to the alleged victim and the public if he were released. After a Dangerousness Hearing in which Attorney Patrick J. Noonan cross-examined the alleged victim and her mother, Attorney Noonan was successful in obtaining the release of his client with certain conditions.
The Commonwealth was intent on finding the Defendant Guilty of all the offenses and having him serve jail time. Attorney Patrick J. Noonan argued a Motion to Dismiss the Stalking charge arguing that the incidents of Stalking did not occur “over a period of time,” as required by statute. Attorney Noonan argued that the alleged acts of Stalking occurred within the time-span of 45 minutes, which is inconsistent with the language of the statute, which requires three instances of stalking “over a period of time.” Attorney Noonan’s Motion to Dismiss was denied but he preserved the issue for appeal.
Attorney Patrick J. Noonan prepared for trial. He obtained an arsenal of information to attack the alleged victim’s credibility at trial. Attorney Noonan obtained text messages showing that the Defendant broke up with the alleged victim – and not the other way around. Attorney Noonan obtained text messages showing that the alleged victim initiated contact with the Defendant on the night of the incident – and not the other way around. Attorney Noonan established that the alleged victim did not call the police or tell her parents when the Defendant threatened to burn her house down in the phone call. Rather, the alleged victim went back to sleep. Shortly, thereafter, the alleged victim saw the Defendant walking up the front steps to her home. Again, she did not call the police but decided to let him into the house showing that she did not take his threat to burn the house down seriously. When the Defendant was inside the house, Attorney Noonan obtained previously testimony from the mother that the Defendant did not touch anyone when he was inside the house. Attorney Noonan elicited testimony from the mother that there was no physical confrontation whatsoever in the home and it took less than one minute to get the Defendant to leave. After the Defendant left, the alleged victim nor her parents called 911 – but rather they all went back to sleep showing that they did not take his threats seriously. When the alleged victim looked out the window and saw the Defendant fighting with his father in the street, she told police at the scene that she obtained a gas can close by. Attorney Noonan obtained the alleged victim’s 911 call in which the alleged victim never tells the 911 dispatcher that the Defendant threatened to burn her house down or that she observed a gas can in the street. The 911 call shows that the alleged victim was not fearful, scared, crying, breathing heavy, etc. Rather, the 911 tape shows that the alleged victim was calm and unemotional. She even laughed at one point in the call, showing that she did not take the Defendant’s threat seriously. After the Defendant was arrested, the police officer interviewed the alleged victim and her parents. Attorney Noonan, in a prior hearing, established that the alleged victim and her parents declined getting a restraining order because they did not feel it was necessary. A week after the incident, the alleged victim obtained a restraining order. Attorney Noonan found a restraining order that the alleged victim filed against a previous ex-boyfriend several years before the Defendant’s case. The alleged victim applied and obtained the prior restraining order with the assistance of her mother. Attorney Noonan contended that the alleged victim was familiar with the process of obtaining a restraining and had she been in imminent fear of the Defendant she would have obtained one immediately. Attorney Noonan also argued that the alleged victim’s mother had taken precautions to protect her daughter in the past by assisting her daughter in getting a restraining order. Had the alleged victim’s mother felt that the Defendant posed a danger to her daughter, she would have persuaded her daughter to get a restraining order – as she did in the past. Attorney Noonan felt that the alleged victim’s mother did not persuade her daughter in getting a restraining order against the Defendant because she felt that the Defendant did not pose a danger to her daughter. After the alleged victim obtained a restraining order against the Defendant, Attorney Noonan obtained evidence of the alleged victim attempting to contact the Defendant. Attorney Noonan obtained a text message that the alleged victim sent to the Defendant’s mother. Attorney Noonan obtained another text message that the alleged victim sent to the Defendant’s friend. Attorney Noonan obtained information that the alleged victim sent a request to the Defendant’s Instagram account in an effort to contact him. When all her attempts to contact the Defendant failed, the alleged victim went into court and removed the restraining order. Attorney Noonan obtained an audio recording and transcript of the hearing. In the hearing, the alleged victim states that the real reason why she sought the restraining order against the Defendant was to give the Defendant some time to get himself together – rather than being in fear of him. When asked about the alleged incident, the alleged victim states that she did not believe that the Defendant would carry out such a threat because she knows him and she knows he is not the type of person to do such a thing. She further states that she would like to have contact with him because they were practically engaged and their relationship was not the type of thing to just throw away.
Attorney Noonan provided the Commonwealth with his discovery and the evidence he intended to introduce at trial. On the eve of trial, the Commonwealth made a proposition, which the Defendant refused. On the day of trial, the Commonwealth made another proposition. The Commonwealth entered a Nolle Prosequi on the Assault & Battery and Disorderly Conduct. The Commonwealth amended the felony Stalking to charge to a misdemeanor offense of Threats to Commit a Crime. The Commonwealth recommended Guilty findings on Resisting Arrest and Threats to Commit a Crime. Attorney Patrick J. Noonan convinced the Judge to continue the two charges without a finding and upon the Defendant’s successful completion of probation the two charges will be dismissed.
Result: Attorney Patrick J. Noonan persuades the Commonwealth to Nolle Pross the Assault & Battery charge and the Disorderly Conduct. Attorney Noonan persuades the Commonwealth to amend the felony Stalking charge to a misdemeanor offense of Threats to Commit a Crime. Attorney Noonan assured that the Stalking charge would not appear on his client’s record. Even though the Commonwealth recommended Guilty findings on the remaining charges of Resisting Arrest and Threats to Commit a Crime, Attorney Patrick J. Noonan convinced the judge to continue them without a finding. The client will not have any felonies on his record. If he complies with probation, he will get dismissals on the two misdemeanor offenses.
Commonwealth v. L.B. – Framingham District Court
ASSAULT & BATTERY: DISMISSED
ASSAULT & BATTERY: DISMISSED
Sudbury Police were dispatched to a residence for a domestic assault. Upon arrival, the alleged victim (defendant’s husband) reported that the defendant punched him in the jaw. Police observed a red mark to the victim’s jaw. Photos were taken of the victim’s injuries. The victim claimed that the defendant assaulted him the before by kicking him. Defendant admitted to pushing her husband forming the basis for the second count of Assault and Battery.
Result: On the first court date, Attorney Gerald J. Noonan dismissed charges outright against 53 year-old caregiver of disabled daughter with no criminal record.