5/19/21 Not Guilty of Aggravated DWI in Keene District Court

On May 19, 2021, we took L.T.'s case to trial in the 8th Circuit-District Division-Keene Court. The State charged L.T. with Aggravated DWI, a class A misdemeanor carrying a mandatory minimum 2 year license suspension and mandatory minimum 5 days in jail (up to a year in jail), where the aggravating factor was a child under 16 years old in the car. After a full trial, Judge Gleason found L.T. NOT GUILTY of Aggravated DWI. Judge Gleason found him guilty only of failure to maintain lane control, a minor traffic violation that carried a $124 fine. Thus, our representation saved L.T.'s Massachusetts driver's license from a 2 year suspension AND saved him from mandatory jail time. Instead, he left the courtroom the same way his case started: No criminal record. This was a great outcome for L.T. and his family!

Oct

NHSCt tightens up legal standards for Aggravated DWI

October 4th, 2024

NH Tightens Up Legal Standards for Aggravated DWI Definition of Aggravated DUI Most people charged with a first offense DUI face a class B misdemeanor. “Aggravated DUI” means there is a factor that makes it a more serious DUI, a class A m… Read More

Aug

Ted Lothstein presenting lecture at NH Bar Seminar on Post-Conviction Issues

August 8th, 2024

On September 27, 2024, Ted Lothstein will be part of a distinguished faculty presenting a day-long seminar presented by the New Hampshire Bar Association on the topic of Post-Conviction Issues. Ted and co-presenter Emily C. Garod, prosecuting attorne… Read More

May

May 26th, 2024

Lawyer Indicted Federally for Threats on Twitter Springfield, Illinois prosecutor Samuel Cundari, just 30 years old, may find himself enjoying a VERY early retirement from the practice of law in a local minimum security prison if the indictment broug… Read More

Freed from Prison - Juror Misconduct

On March 28, 2017, the Merrimack County Superior Court granted a 54-page Motion for New Trial that we filed on behalf of a client who had been convicted of Aggravated Felonious Sexual Assault and sent to prison. This victory resulted in the immediate release of our client from prison. The victory also received widespread press coverage in the Concord Monitor, WMUR and other media outlets. For more details, and to access the press coverage, click here. Read More

Operating after Certification as a Habitual Offender — Conviction Overturned

Right Vindicated: Fair Trial – Jury’s Option to Convict on Less Serious OffenseRead the Court’s Decision Overturning the Conviction. State v. Clyde Gauntt,154 N.H. 204, 908 A.2d 771 (2006). Read More

Victory on Appeal: Cruelty to Animals Conviction Reversed on Appeal

On March 30, 2023, in State v. Tufano, a case briefed and orally argued by Ted Lothstein, the NH Supreme Court reversed a conviction for cruelty to animals arising out of a very unusual fact pattern. The accused was seen by neighbors in a manufactured home park spraying water into a large plastic bin. Inside the bin, was a Havahart trap. Inside the trap, was a very vocal cat. A neighbor saw this happening, confronted the accused about it, but did nothing. But a few days later, another neighbor told him that the accused had a history of trapping cats, and that she had confronted him about it years prior. The neighbors went to the police and eventually, our client was charged with Cruelty to Animals and brought to trial. The case in the lower court. In the jury trial, Mr. Tufano was skillfully represented by former counsel Stephen Brown of Rochester, NH. But over Attorney Brown's objection, the prosecutor was allowed to introduce evidence that according to the neighbors, the accused had a history of trapping cats, which one witness described as "a history of being hostile towards cats." But the NH Supreme Court reversed, finding that this evidence was precluded under NH Rule of Evidence 404(b), which prevents the introduction of “propensity” or character evidence. This rule says that a prosecutor, or a party in a civil case, cannot introduce evidence that the defendant or opposing party committed a similar crime in the past, and then argue: He did it before, he must have done it again. Rule 404(b) is critical to ensure a fair trial. The prohibition on the use of character evidence to prove a person's propensity to commit crimes or propensity to do bad things is a critical legal principle of equal importance in civil and criminal cases. There are exceptions of course, like a serial killer who commits his murder in a unique manner, such that evidence of his past crimes helps identify him as the perpetrator. The exceptions apply when the evidence is admissible for a purpose other than propensity, such as, in our example, to prove identity. But otherwise, all of us can appreciate the purpose of this rule: We have all made mistakes at some point in our past, but we don't think that our mistakes should define us forever. But more importantly, propensity evidence leads to wrongful convictions, because even if the evidence is thin, the jury may convict out of fear they will let a person "get away with it again." Accused Hired Ted Lothstein and Lothstein Guerriero, PLLC for his Appeal. On appeal, Mr. Tufano hired Ted Lothstein and our firm to represent him before the NH Supreme Court. This is common in our practice: A person will be represented by another lawyer or firm in the trial court, and then we handle the appeal. A new lawyer on appeal can see things from a different perspective. And of course on top of that, we are highly experienced, having handled well over a hundred appeals in State and federal courts. Ted Lothstein prepared the brief, and presented oral argument, which you can listen to here. You can read Attorney Lothstein's brief here: 2022-03-14-Tufano-FINAL BRIEF Victory on Appeal. On March 30, 2023, the New Hampshire Supreme Court issued a published opinion, reversing (overturning) Mr. Tufano's conviction. The court held that the lower court's ruling allowing the prosecution to use propensity evidence to prove guilt was "clearly untenable", even taking into account the substantial discretion allowed to lower courts in making rulings on evidence. The ruling inflicted prejudice, meaning that the unfairly-admitted evidence influenced the jury's decision. And the court rejected the prosecution argument for "harmless error" - the argument that other evidence of guilt was overwhelming. It was not. Our firm has now had at least 78 published decisions in State and Federal appellate courts, and dozens of appellate victories, far more than most law firms in NH. Click here to learn more about our firm's appellate litigation practice. Click here to learn more about Ted Lothstein, who has co-chaired the NH Bar's Appellate Litigation seminar several times in recent years. Read More

Lothstein Guerriero, PLLC

5 Green Street

Concord, NH 03301

Phone: (603) 513-1919

Fax: (603) 218-6503

Lothstein Guerriero, PLLC

Chamberlain Block Building

39 Central Sq., Suite 202

Keene, NH 03431

Phone: (603) 352-5000

Fax: (603) 218-6503

5/19/21 Not Guilty of Aggravated DWI in Keene District Court

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