Law firms frustrated with fighting federal immigration officials for copies of their clients' records are suing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other agencies for withholding case documents and forcing immigrants to face "trial by ambush."
By Rebecca Trager2021-01-14T14:30:00+00:00
The district attorney for Suffolk County, Massachusetts is investigating a drug lab chemist named Della Saunders who used to work at the state’s Hinton forensic lab. She was the de facto team leader of Annie Dookhan, who was arrested in September 2012 for tampering with evidence and has already served a prison sentence for her action. A second forensic chemist at the now closed Hinton lab, Sonja Farak, was also arrested in January 2013 and sent to prison for similar offences. Dookhan and Farak’s fraudulent drug sample analysis ultimately resulted in tens of thousands of drug convictions being overturned in Massachusetts.
Somerville is launching an investigation into Jessica Turner’s trip to Washington, with some residents including City Council members suggesting she could be stripped of her volunteer position.
Patriots players give grants to eight local organizations through their 2020 Social Justice Fund Jan 08, 2021 at 10:46 AM Photo by Eric J. Adler
The Patriots organization spent the 2020 season putting an emphasis on education about racial and social injustices. From Monday meetings, featuring guest speakers and open conversations, to following the lead of guys like Devin McCourty, Jason McCourty and Matthew Slater, this season s efforts built on years of advocacy and activism.
Not coincidentally, the Patriots Players Social Justice Fund saw its highest totals since its inception in 2018. The fund is a chance for Patriots players to pool their money to create grants for local, grassroots organizations fighting for equality in all forms.
Federal appeals court says Massachusetts citizens can secretly make audio recordings of on-duty police in public spaces Nick Stoico
A Massachusetts ban on secret audio recordings of police in public areas was declared unconstitutional last month by a federal appeals court, reversing part of a 52-year-old state law that criminalized recordings made without the officer’s permission.
The unanimous ruling by the First Circuit Court of Appeals said the law violated the First Amendment by undermining citizen oversight of law enforcement.
“Massachusetts makes it as much a crime for a civic-minded observer to use a smartphone to record from a safe distance what is said during a police officer’s mistreatment of a civilian in a city park as it is for a revenge seeker to hide a tape recorder under the table at a private home to capture a conversation with an ex-spouse,” Judge David J. Barron wrote for the unanimous three-judge panel.