August 10, 2016 -BMC Roxbury
Client was only 19 years old when he was arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, a knife and a felony in Massachusetts. Growing up in the city can be difficult and as the living isn’t always easy. Tight living quarters and thin walls make disputes between neighbors in apartment complexes common place. Hot weather and school vacations makes for open windows and short tempers, summer was upon them. After months of family feuds between Client’s family and their downstairs neighbor things came to a head. One afternoon on the front steps of the multifamily they lived in a fight broke out. Client’s mother and the neighbor, a 50 something man, were arguing when it turned into a fight. Client perceived his mother to be in danger as the Man’s son tried to join in the scuffle, client had no choice but to come to his mother’s aid.
After the initial interview it became clear to Lawyer immediately that Client was a perfect fit for a pretrial diversion program. This would allow the case to be dismissed by the judge, but even better, it would prevent him from even being charged with a crime. Client was under 21 years old, employed, attending school part time, with no record, the program was an easy sell. Lawyer, with help from a reasonable DA was able to give this young man a chance to pursue whatever he wants to in the future, with a clean slate and no record of the events that caused him to appear in front of a judge.
