Cases & Verdicts

According to SJC, Police Need Only Notify Suspects of the Recording of the Interview; You Do Not Need Suspect’s Permission to Record the Interview

In Commonwealth v. Alleyne, ___ Mass. ___ (2016), the Supreme Judicial Court clarified that police officers do not need a suspect’s permission to record the suspect’s interview as long as the suspect has actual knowledge of the recording.  The Court recommended that police departments do away with their interview forms that advise a suspect of a right to refuse recording and that require the suspect

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First Circuit Court Of Appeals Affirms Judgment In Favor Of Fall River Police Chief In Case Alleging That The Plaintiff Was Raped By A Police Officer

In 2015, RJA secured the dismissal of a civil rights claim brought against the Chief of Police for the City of Fall River.  The plaintiff in the action accused a Fall River police officer of raping her while the officer was on duty, and the claim against the Chief of Police was that the Chief had failed to supervise or discipline the officer appropriately in

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State Court Judge Rejects Civil Rights And Other Claims Made Against Waltham Chief Of Police And Captain

In 2011, an individual made a complaint against a Waltham police officer that the officer inappropriately had threatened him. After its receipt, the complaint was investigated and, as a result of the inquiry, and after an appointing authority hearing presided over by a retired Judge, the officer was suspended. Through his union, the officer appealed the sanction and, at arbitration, the arbitrator reduced the discipline

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Federal Court Dismisses Claims Made Against Fall River Chief Of Police In Case Alleging That Plaintiff Had Been Raped By A Police Officer

In a recent civil lawsuit seeking $750,000.00 in damages, the plaintiff accused a Fall River police officer of sexually assaulting her while the officer was on duty. Named as defendants were the officer, the City of Fall River and the Fall River Police Chief; the Chief was represented in the litigation by RJA. Although the plaintiff filed her lawsuit in state court, believing that a

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Federal Court Rejects Claims Against Lawrence Police Chief and Captain

In November, 2010, a police officer with the Lawrence Police Department was in Lawrence District Court to support the son of the Department’s Deputy Police Chief, who had been charged with various crimes. While in the courthouse, the officer had an interaction with three civilians who were involved in the prosecution of the Deputy Chief’s son. Based upon that interaction, the three civilians complained to

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RJA Scores Important Victory For Law Enforcement In Constitutional Claim

Most civil rights claims against police officers in Massachusetts are made by former criminal defendants  who, for one reason or another, were not found guilty of the criminal charges brought against them. Going forward, those plaintiffs will have one less claim that they can make against police officers involved in their arrest or prosecution. RJA represented a Sergeant with the Springfield Police Department in connection

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RJA Obtains $58,000.00 Settlement In Motor Vehicle Accident Case

RJA’s client was driving in Carver, Massachusetts on a Sunday afternoon when a driver on an intersecting street went through a stop sign and crashed into our client’s vehicle. The force of the collision caused our client’s vehicle to perform a 360 degree spin until it came to rest against a telephone pole. As a result of the accident, our client suffered a fracture to

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Former Springfield cop Jeffrey Asher is seeking a new trial

In 2012, a police officer in Springfield was convicted criminally based upon actions taken during the course of an arrest.  Following the conviction, the officer retained RJA to pursue an appeal on his behalf.  In the brief filed with the Massachusetts Appeals Court, RJA argued that the trial judge did not instruct the jury properly on the applicable law, as she failed to provide guidance

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RJA Obtains Dismissal Of Assault, Battery And Emotional Distress Claims Against Lawrence Police Sergeant On First Day Of Trial

An attorney often is required to persuade a judge or a jury on a particular issue.  More rarely achieved, but no less important, is an attorney’s ability to persuade an opposing counsel to concede. RJA was retained to represent a sergeant with the Lawrence Police Department with regard to claims made by a plaintiff who alleged that she was assaulted and battered, resulting in a

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RJA Obtains Over $410,000.00 For Wrongfully Terminated Police Lieutenant

RJA’s client, a police lieutenant for the Wareham Police Department, was terminated from the employment that he had held for more than twenty years, and almost all of his adult life.  Believing that the termination was improperly driven by personal and political reasons, RJA soon set out, with its client, to gather together the strong evidence and arguments to prove that the firing was unjust.

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