CASE RESULTS
Seabrook, NH: Aggravated DWI: Dismissed
Summary of Facts: Our client was stopped by a police officer for speeding. The officer, suspicious of DWI, had our client take field sobriety tests, which were captured on the officer’s cruiser camera. The officer believed that our client failed the field sobriety tests, and arrested him for Aggravated DWI. Our client refused to take a breath test.
Action: Attorney Christopher Coughlin represented our client. Attorney Coughlin immediately got into contact with the police prosecutor, and began to discuss the charges. Upon seeing the cruiser camera video, Attorney Coughlin was able to use the footage to poke holes in the prosecution’s theory that our client failed the field sobriety tests. The prosecutor agreed to dismiss the more serious DWI in exchange for a plea to reckless operation.
Lawrence: Reckless Endangerment of a Child: Pre-Trial Probation
Summary of Facts: Our client worked as a school van driver, transporting children to and from homes outside of their school district. With a student in his van, and on a day with substantial traffic due to a snow storm, our client began feeling sick. Because of this, our client stopped at his own apartment before dropping off the child, and was physically sick. The child was left in the car for an undetermined period of time. The child’s mother became worried, and alerted authorities. Our client was summonsed to appear at a magistrate hearing on a charge of reckless endangerment of a child.
Action: Coughlin Law Group was hired to defend our client. Attorney Christopher Coughlin appeared at our client’s magistrate hearing, and despite strong arguments, a criminal complaint was issued against our client. Attorney Alexander Conley filed and argued a motion to dismiss, however the Court did not dismiss the case, despite an apparent lack of evidence. However, the arguments made at the magistrate hearing and the motion to dismiss hearing alerted the prosecutor to the weakness of the case against our client. Attorney Conley was able to successfully negotiate favorably for our client, stressing our client’s sympathetic personal circumstances. The prosecutor agreed to resolve the case with one year of pre-trial probation, leading to dismissal of the charges.
Worcester: OUI: Not Guilty
Summary of Facts: Our client was stopped for a minor traffic violation when driving home from a wedding. The officer questioned him and observed signs that he believed indicated impairment from alcohol, including that our client told the officer that he had urinated in his pants. Our client submitted to field sobriety tests, which the officer alleged he failed. Our client was arrested, given a breathalyzer test, and charged with OUI – 1st offense.
Action: Our client hired Coughlin Law Group to defend him against the OUI charge. Attorney Christopher Coughlin worked diligently with our client and his family to obtain medical records and psychological evaluations of our client. These records ultimately indicated some of the mental impairments that our client suffered from that explained the performance on the field sobriety tests. Our client, on the advice of Attorney Coughlin, decided to take the case to trial in front of a judge. At trial, the judge listened to testimony from the arresting officer, and reviewed our client’s medical records. Based on the submitted evidence, and Attorney Coughlin’s trial skills, our client was found not guilty of OUI.
Result: Our client was found not guilty of OUI. Our client was not required to make any admissions, was not convicted, and was spared any collateral consequences.
South Boston: OUI: Dismissed
Summary of Facts: Our client was travelling home with multiple passengers and was involved in a minor motor vehicle accident. Our client was suspected of OUI and given a number of field sobriety tests at the scene of the accident. In the arresting officer’s opinion, our client failed all of the tests. Our client was then arrested, and took a breathalyzer test at the police station. Our client scored above the legal limit on the breath test. The Commonwealth then charged our client with OUI 1st offense and negligent operation of vehicle.
Action: The Coughlin Law Group was hired to represent our client. Attorneys Christopher Coughlin and Alexander Conley reviewed the case, made a number of court appearances and determined that the case should be scheduled for trial. On the day of trial, the prosecutor had trouble getting the necessary witnesses in order to introduce the breathalyzer test results against our client. Attorney Coughlin discussed the matter with the prosecutor, who ultimately filed a Nolle Prosequi, or in other words, the prosecutor voluntarily dismissed the whole case.
Result: The charges against our client were voluntarily dismissed at the request of the District Attorney’s office. Our client was not convicted of OUI, and not subject to any of the associated collateral consequences.
Chelsea: Possession of Narcotics: Record Sealed
Summary of Facts: Our client was a licensed nurse in Massachusetts who was relocating to another state. Our client’s application in that state for a nursing license required that she submit fingerprints. Once the prints were submitted, her application was delayed, based on a criminal record from 1971 for possession of narcotics and disorderly conduct.
Action: Attorney Alexander Conley was hired to resolve the unwanted visibility of our client’s record. Attorney Conley was able to gather all necessary documentation and seal our client’s record. Additionally, Attorney Conley worked with the Massachusetts State Police to ensure that our client’s FBI fingerprint record was updated.
Result: Our client’s record was sealed, making it no longer available to most potential employers, and keeping our client’s professional license safe. Additionally our client’s FBI fingerprint record from her 40 year-old arrest was updated.
Roxbury: Leaving the Scene of Personal Injury: Dismissed
Summary of Facts: Our client was charged with leaving the scene of personal injury and leaving the scene of property damage after his car was located near a motor vehicle accident. The only eyewitnesses gave a generic description of the driver of our client’s vehicle. Our client was located and charged based only on the contact information tied to his vehicle’s registration.
Action: Our firm was hired to defend the charges against our client. Attorney Christopher Coughlin discussed the charges at length with the prosecutors in Roxbury. Attorney Coughlin specifically explained the lack of evidence. While the prosecutors did not initially dismiss the case, Attorney Coughlin and our client were more than happy to take the case to trial. On the day of trial, the eyewitness did not appear in Court. Based on the prosecutor’s representation that they could not go to trial without the eyewitness, and the relative weakness of the case, the Court ordered that the case be dismissed.
Result: All the charges against our client were dismissed.
Cambridge: Witness Intimidation: Pre-Trial Probation
Summary of Facts: Our client’s friend was charged with serious offenses in Superior Court. Our client called the alleged victim in her friend’s case in an attempt to retrieve some of her friend’s belongings from the alleged victim. The alleged victim contacted the police, alleging that our client made threats. Our client was charged with witness intimidation.
Action: Attorney Christopher Coughlin was hired by our client. Attorney Coughlin filed a number of motions in order to best situate our client’s case. These included motions to compel certain documents, and even a motion to dismiss the case based on discovery violations. While these motions were not successful, the use of the motions and subsequent negotiations resulted in the prosecution ultimately agreeing to dispose of the case with pre-trial probation.
Result: Our client was given one year of pre-trial probation, with the only condition being that our client takes a mental health evaluation. After the expiration of this period, the case is set to be dismissed.
Malden: Ignition Interlock Violation: Dismissed
Summary of Facts: Our client was required to use an Ignition Interlock device, as the result of a previous OUI. Our client was pulled over for a traffic violation, and the officer discovered that our client was driving without the device. Our client was arrested and charged with the serious criminal offense of driving without the interlock device, as well unlicensed operation and a civil marked lanes violation.
Action: Our firm was hired to represent to defend our client against these charges. Attorney Christopher Coughlin discussed the charges in depth with the prosecutor, and was able to show that the documentation did not adequately show the interlock requirement. Thus, the charge was dismissed without trial. The unlicensed operation charge was continued without a finding, and our client was held not responsible for the marked lanes violation.
Result: Our client’s serious charge was dismissed. The other charges against our client were also resolved favorably, thus saving our clients criminal record, and driving record from unnecessary blemishes.
Gloucester: 1st Offense OUI: Not Guilty
Summary of Facts: Our client was pulled over on his way home from a concert at Fenway Park in Boston after an observed traffic violation. He was stopped within blocks of his home. Our client submitted to Field Sobriety Testing. Our client was arrested and given a chemical breath test. The breath test resulted in a reading over the legal limit. Our client was subsequently charged with a first offense OUI, and a marked lanes violation.
Action: Attorney Christopher Coughlin was hired to represent our client. Attorney Coughlin filed a Motion to Suppress the breathalyzer results. The motion was never heard, as the Prosecutor agreed to not use the breathalyzer results against our client. Attorney Coughlin advised our client to waive his right to a trial by jury, and instead try the case in front of a judge. The police officers involved testified against our client, and were skillfully cross-examined by Attorney Coughlin. After hearing the case, the judge found our client not guilty of OUI.
Result: Our client was found not guilty. He was thus spared from an OUI conviction and all the collateral consequences attached.
Rockingham, NH: Criminal Mischief: Criminal Record Annulled
Summary of Facts: Coughlin Law Group represented our client in a criminal mischief case that was ultimately dismissed. Our client continued to have issues with employment and volunteer work because of the availability of his criminal record. Our client thus reached out to Coughlin Law Group to address this issue
Action: Attorney Christopher Coughlin filed a petition to annul our client’s criminal record. Attorney Coughlin detailed specifically for the Court the reasons that the record should be annulled and should no longer be publicly available. The Court reviewed the petition and granted the petition, without even requiring a hearing.
Result: Our client’s record was annulled, and was no longer public record. Our client was thus able to pursue new employment and volunteer opportunities.
Chelsea: Use of a Motor Vehicle without Authority: Pre-Trial Probation
Summary of Facts: Our client worked for livery vehicle company, and got into a contract dispute with his employer. The employer accused him of keeping a company vehicle after the employment relationship ended. Our client was charged with using the vehicle without authority. Additionally, our client was in the process of becoming a United States Citizen.
Action: Attorney Alexander Conley represented our client. Attorney Conley worked hand-in-hand with our client’s immigration attorney on this matter, as the charge carried potential immigration consequences in conjunction with the criminal consequences. Attorney Conley argued a motion to dismiss prior to arraignment, which was ultimately denied. However, Attorney Conley was able to negotiate with the prosecutor for a favorable resolution of our client’s case. Specifically, the prosecutor agreed to dismiss the case after 6 months of pre-trial probation, with the only condition being that our client does not commit any new offenses.
Result: The charges against our client were continued and set to be dismissed. Our client was not required to make any admissions, thus ensuring that the charges would not be detrimental to his application for U.S. Citizenship.
Chelsea: Domestic Assault & Battery: Dismissed
Summary of Facts: The police were called to our client’s residence in response to an alleged domestic assault. Upon their arrival, our client’s spouse stated to the officers that our client and her spouse had argued earlier in the day. After our client’s spouse refused to leave their home, he alleged that our client became physical, including scratching and digging her nails into her spouse. Our client was later arrested and charged with assault and battery on a family member.
Action: Coughlin Law Group was hired to defend our client against this charge. Attorney Christopher Coughlin represented our client. After carefully investigating the matter and discerning that the only evidence that the prosecutors could use would be the testimony of our client’s spouse, Attorney Coughlin decided to set the case for a trial date. On that trial date, our client’s spouse failed to appear, thus the case was dismissed.
Result: The charge against our client was dismissed for want of prosecution, thereby protecting our client from facing potential prison time or an expensive fine.
Natick: Criminal Motor Vehicle Violations: Dismissed
Summary of Facts: Our client was pulled over by a Massachusetts State Trooper for travelling 90 M.P.H. in 65 M.P.H. zone. After a brief encounter between our client and the trooper, it was discovered that our client had inadvertently let her driver’s license expire. The officer issued a citation. Subsequently, our client was given a notice to appear for a Magistrate’s hearing, on charges of speeding and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
Action: Attorney Christopher Coughlin was hired to represent our client for the Magistrate’s hearing. He advised our client to renew her driver’s license and to take a driver safety course. Attorney Coughlin was also able to learn from our client some mitigating circumstances that led to her speed, and her failure to renew her driver’s license. At the Magistrate’s hearing, Attorney Coughlin advocated for dismissal of the charges. Initially the clerk was resistant to dismissing the charge. After additional time, the clerk agreed to dismiss the charges upon the payment of $200 in court costs.
Result: The charges against our client were dismissed. Having disposed of the matter at the clerk magistrate level, our client was spared a criminal record, and other potential collateral consequences that would have stemmed from a finding against her.
Seabrook, NH: DWI: Dismissed
Summary of Facts: Our client was involved in a minor motor vehicle accident while driving through New Hampshire on the way to Massachusetts. When police arrived on the scene, our client was given a number of Field Sobriety Tests, which our client did not complete to the satisfaction of the officer. Our client was then arrested, and given a breathalyzer test. Our client failed the breathalyzer test, recording a score of .09%. Our client was subsequently charged with DWI.
Action: Attorney Christopher Coughlin was hired to represent our client. Attorney Coughlin spoke at length to the State Prosecutor about our client, including the fact our client was a veteran, was suffering from cancer, and had a breath test score just barely above the legal limit. Prior to scheduling the case for trial, Attorney Coughlin expertly negotiated an agreement so that the DWI charged would be dismissed, and our client would plead guilty to the far less serious offense of Reckless Operation. The judge accepted this recommendation.
Result: The DWI charge against our client was voluntarily dismissed by the prosecutor. Our client instead admitted to Reckless Operation, saving our client from the harsh immediate and future consequences of a DWI conviction.
Concord: Assault: Dismissed
Summary of Facts: Officers responded to our client’s home for reports of a domestic disturbance. Our client’s spouse informed the officers who responded that our client had made a violent threat with a chair. Our client was also interviewed, and denied having done this. Nonetheless, our client was arrested and charged with assault.
Action: Coughlin Law Group was hired to defend to our client against this charge, as well as in a restraining order filed by our client’s spouse. Prior to the first hearing, and after tempers had calmed down, Attorney Christopher Coughlin was able to negotiate with our client’s spouse and reach an agreement in lieu of a restraining order. After this, our client’s spouse decided to invoke the privilege not to testify against a spouse. Nonetheless the District Attorney’s Office decided to proceed with the case. At the next hearing, the District Attorney still wished to proceed, but had failed to produce any additional evidence. Attorney Alexander Conley adeptly argued that the Court that the case should be dismissed, and it was.
Result: The charge against our client was dismissed, without the need for a trial. Additionally, no permanent restraining order was ever issued against our client.
Brockton: Unlicensed Carrying of a Firearm: Dismissed (VALOR Act)
Summary of Facts: Our client’s sibling called 911 to report that our client was making threats while brandishing a firearm. Police officers quickly arrived on the scene, and allegedly seized a firearm and ammunition from our client. The seized firearm was an old family heirloom. Our client was arrested and charged with carrying a firearm without a license and possession of ammunition without an FID card.
Action: Coughlin Law Group was hired to represent our client. Upon learning that our client had previously served in the United States Navy, our firm advocated that our client be recommended for VALOR Act diversion. Although the VALOR Act motion was initially denied, Attorney Christopher Coughlin successfully worked with our client, the Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”), and the Court to again recommend VALOR Act diversion. The VA ultimately accepted our client into its diversion program, and after a providing sufficient evidence to the Court, Attorney Alexander Conley argued that the case should be dismissed due to our client’s successful completion of a plan devised by the VA. The Court was ultimately persuaded to dismiss the case.
Result: Our client’s charges were dismissed, and our client was able to successfully get assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Lynn: 2nd Offense OUI: Dismissed
Summary of Facts: Our client was stopped at a roadblock on a major Massachusetts highway. After performing Field Sobriety Tests, our client was given a breathalyzer test and recorded a score of 0.09% (.01% above the legal limit). It was soon discovered that our client had a prior DUI in California in 2008. Given the prior DUI, our client was charged with a second offense OUI.
Action: Attorney Christopher Coughlin was hired to defend the OUI 2nd Charge. Attorney Coughlin filed a motion to suppress, challenging the procedures that were followed in the roadblock. After multiple dates were set for the motion to dismiss, the Commonwealth could not produce the necessary police witnesses for the motion. Attorney Coughlin skillfully argued that the Court should dismiss the charges, and the Court agreed.
Result: The OUI 2nd was dismissed. Our client was saved from having an additional criminal OUI charge on his record.
Roxbury: Assault with a Dangerous Weapon: Dismissed
Summary of Facts: Our client was reported by a 911 caller to have been threatening his father-in-law with a knife, while in their shared building. When the police arrived, our client was found in his room, sitting on his couch. He was then arrested and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon.
Action: Attorney Christopher Coughlin represented our client. Attorney Coughlin filed various pre-trial motions including a motion to suppress the knife discovered at the scene. At the trial date, the Commonwealth failed to bring all the witnesses necessary to prove the charge against our client. Attorney Coughlin, seizing the opportunity, successfully argued that the case should thus be dismissed.
Result: The serious felony charge against our client was dismissed, thereby protecting his record, and avoiding his incarceration.
Newton: Domestic Assault & Battery: Dismissed (VALOR Act)
Summary of Facts: Our client was observed by a civilian witness striking an alleged victim on the side of the street, and then returning to his vehicle. The police were called and given the vehicle’s plate number. Police Officers interviewed the witnesses, and located our client’s vehicle as it was in the driveway of our client’s house. Both our client and the alleged victim were interviewed. Both our client and the alleged victim indicated that there had been a verbal, and then physical, altercation between them. Our client was arrested and charged with assault and battery on a domestic or household member.
Action: Coughlin Law Group was hired to defend our client. After litigating a motion to suppress and other pre-trial matters, Attorney Christopher Coughlin discovered that our client was eligible for VALOR Act diversion. Our client received approval for a program by the Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”). Once the program was complete, and notwithstanding the fact that our client was charged with a subsequent crime while he was undergoing treatment, Attorney Coughlin and Attorney Alexander Conley successfully argued that the case should be dismissed.
Result: The charges against our client were dismissed, and our veteran client was the beneficiary of the services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Plaistow, NH: DWI: Dismissed
Summary of Facts: Our client was stopped by a police officer after entering the driveway of his home. There had been reports that our client had been operating erratically. Our client was given a standard battery of Field Sobriety Tests, which he failed. Our client refused to take a breathalyzer test and was charged with Driving under the Influence.
Action: Attorney Christopher Coughlin represented our client. Attorney Coughlin immediately got into contact with the police prosecutor, and began to negotiate the charges. At the first court appearance, Attorney Coughlin was able to negotiate a favorable plea with prosecutor, getting the DWI charge dismissed.
Result: The serious DWI charge against our client was dismissed, and the client to plead to the lesser charge of Reckless Operation.