We wanted to trace the history of Thanksgiving in Massachusetts for you, but the task proved challenging. We all know the story of the “first Thanksgiving” in Plymouth in 1621, but what happened in the following years? As it turns out, it was not uncommon for authorities …Continue Reading Thanksgiving in Massachusetts History
Words of Law is a regular feature of Massachusetts Law Updates, highlighting a particular word or phrase and its meaning in law. Today’s phrase is stare decisis. stare decisis (Stahr-ee di-sI-sis or stair-ee), n. [Latin “to stand by things decided”] (18c) The doctrine of precedent, …Continue Reading Word(s) of the Month – stare decisis
On September 28, 2016, U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ruled that a New Hampshire law banning voters from taking selfies with their ballots in the voting booth was unconstitutional. N.H. Rev. Stat. § 659:35 was held unconstitutional by the Judges’ decision in …Continue Reading Selfies in the Voting Booth
The Massachusetts Supreme Court recently considered whether G. L. c. 211E, § 3 (e), authorizes a sentencing judge to depart from the mandatory minimum terms specified by statute for subsequent drug offenses. The defendant in Commonwealth v. Laltaprasad was charged with possession of heroin with intent …Continue Reading Deviating from Mandatory Minimum Sentencing
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2016