In Commonwealth v. Lek, the Massachusetts Appeals Court issued a major decision earlier this month that curtails the ability of the police to make pretextual stops, find a reason to arrest the driver, and then search his car. Surprise! – Pretex…
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Yesterday, September 17, 2020, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (highest court in MA) released a landmark decision that enables victims of racial profiling to hold police officers accountable in court by suppressing evidence obtained as a res…
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DWI ROADBLOCK COMING According to patch.com, the New Hampshire State Police, Troop B have announced they will run a roadblock “DWI checkpoint”) in the Bedford area this week. Usually, “this week” means Friday or Saturday eveni…
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On May 14, 2018, the United States Supreme Court unanimously held that the 4th Amendment right against unreasonable searches and seizures protects the driver of a rental car, even if the driver was not listed as an authorized driver on the rental agr…
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There is a rarely-used doctrine in constitutional law that says that a police officer violates a person’s constitutional rights if the officer’s conduct “shocks the conscience.” In other words, does something really, really ba…
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Waste of Taxpayer Dollars or Successful Deterrence? The Concord Monitor reported today that last week’s taxpayer-funded DWI Roadblock in Chichester, a joint effort between the State Police and Chichester Police, resulted in zero arrests. This c…
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The Tragic Death of an Innocent Man Eurie A. Stamps was an innocent, 68-year old man living in a Framingham, Massachusetts home also occupied by suspected drug dealers. On January 5, 2011, he was in his pajamas, watching a basketball game on TV. A SW…
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Could a new touch sensor device for installation in automobiles, championed by NHTSA officials, put an end to drunk driving? NHTSA Champions New BAC Sensing Technology Yesterday,a Washington Post article reported that federal officials have endorsed…
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In an important decision today, a 6-3 majority of the United States Supreme Court held that a police officer must release a motorist after the officer has resolved the underlying purpose of the motor vehicle stop. Rodriguez v. United States (US Supre…
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The Concord Police Department has issued a press release, announcing that the Concord Police Department and the “Merrimack County DUI Task Force” will conduct a “Sobriety Checkpoint” starting as soon as this Monday – …
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