Judy A. Cox, Attorney at Law

01/21/2023

A confidential document from the gunshot-detection company ShotSpotter details the extensive role human reviewers play in checking the work of its proprietary, artificial intelligence algorithm

10/23/2022

The month of October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, more than 10-million people in the U.S. experience physical abuse by a part…

08/20/2022

https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/franklin-county/greenfield-police-to-begin-wearing-body-cameras/

Over the next few weeks, the Greenfield Police Department will begin to wear body worn cameras, which was funded through the state.

08/06/2022

Be careful of your street drugs. Narcan does not work with this new mixer.

The sedative xylazine is starting to permeate illegal opioids and cocaine. It does not respond to naloxone, an overdose reversal medication, and may be to blame for grisly injuries and infections.

07/16/2022

Be very selective of what you post, text, email. It can (and likely will) come back to bite you.

The Secret Service may have deleted texts that were being sought by a government investigator. But data on a device isn't necessarily gone when it's been deleted.

06/30/2022

With the restart of utilizing the breath test evidence, if you are charged with an OUI and a breath test is requested, it may be more advantagous to you to refuse the test and get the license suspension rather than have them bring in your breath test results, especially if you were intoxicated. Also, remember, an individual IS NOT REQUIRED to submit to field sobriety tests so decline them as well. If police do not have field sobriety test results nor a breath test they can show, it makes it much more difficult to prove an OUI, especially if there was no accident involved.

The Hampden District Attorney’s Office will resume using breathalyzer results as evidence in cases where persons are charged with the operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcoh…

02/17/2022

Governor Baker has once again filed a bill that would keep defendants who are considered dangerous in jail while they wait for a trial.

01/25/2022

If this passes, it would create a task force to add additional items to your criminal history so the prosecutors can ask for more bail or harsher conditions of release pending trial; impose a minimum mandatory sentence if you commit a felony while possessing a firearm; permit a bail commissioner to determine whether or not a person is dangerous and if so, not allow them to hold that person rather than allowing them to post bail from the police station; allow police to arrest you if you violate the release conditions - right now it is usually a summons for violating pretrial release conditions, and increase the penalties for violating bail or pretrial release conditions. It also would "expand the opportunity" for the prosecution to seek more dangerousness hearings and ultimately, seek harsher conditions of pretrial release.

The Joint Committee on the Judiciary heard testimony Tuesday on Governor Baker’s Dangerousness Legislation and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno spoke in support at the request of the Governor.

01/17/2022

Breath test results are back so know your rights: Field Sobriety tests are totally voluntary (meaning you are not required to take them). If you cannot walk a straight line, putting your heel against your toes with each step; cannot lift your leg off the floor 6 inches and hold it there without wobbling when you are sober, think about whether or not to do them.

You also have the right to refuse to take the breath test usually requested at the police station after being arrested. While a refusal to submit to a breath test will result in the temporary loss of your license, there will be no breath test results (meaning hard evidence) to further support the police's claim of OUI and be used against you in court.

Breathalyzers are back in business in the Bay State after a judge dropped the suspension on breath tests, which cops use to bust and prosecute drunk drivers.

12/17/2021

This can actually be a good thing for both the officers as well as those they arrest. Be aware that they have these and will be recording - act accordingly.

The milestone marks the completion of planned reforms since 2018.

12/16/2021

Difficulty expunging marijuana-related criminal records should be “unthinkable” in a state whose voters legalized the substance five years ago, Sen. Adam Gomez said Tuesday, pointing to…