Amicus Decisions
In 2017 appellate courts issued decisions in 11 cases in which CPCS either submitted or signed on to an amicus brief. We had a remarkably successful year. We prevailed in about half of the cases in which the agency weighed Read more
Category: Criminal Defense
Minutes – FY 2016 Committee Meetings
Minutes – July 15 2015 meeting Minutes – September 16 2015 Minutes – October 20 2015 meeting Minutes – November 18 2015 meeting Minutes – December 15 2015 meeting Minutes – January 19 2016 meeting Minutes – February 17 2016 Read more
Inside Story of an Exoneration: Lisa Kavanaugh’s Bumpy Road to Success in the Case of Fred Clay
Frederick Clay had been in prison for murder since 1979 when, by happenstance, his case came to the attention of CPCS Innocence Program Director Lisa Kavanaugh. A minister who was a friend of Lisa’s family had met Fred through prison Read more
Commonwealth v. Lunn – Blog Post
CPCS Staff Attorney Emma Winger’s Blog Post Urges Other States to Follow the SJC’s Lead in Commonwealth v. Lunn. In Lunn, the Supreme Judicial Court held “that Massachusetts does not authorize our courts, jails, or police officers to arrest for Read more
MBA Recognizes CPCS Attorney With 2017 Access to Justice Defender Award
On May 4, 2017, Public Defender Division Staff Attorney Rebecca Jacobstein received the Massachusetts Bar Association’s 2017 Access to Justice Defender Award for her work on behalf of clients affected by the misconduct of a state drug lab chemist in Western Read more
CPCS Annual Training Conference – May 15, 2018
SAVE THE DATE: The CPCS Annual Training Conference will be held on Tuesday, May 15, 2018, 8:00-5:00 at the DCU Center, 50 Foster Street, Worcester. Advance Registration is Required.
Lawyers Weekly Selects Two CPCS Public Defenders Lawyers of the Year
Congratulations to Rebecca Jacobstein, a staff attorney with the Appeals Unit of the Public Defender Division and Ben Keehn, Second-Seat Appellate Counsel with the Public Defender Division. Lawyers Weekly recognized Ben and Rebecca as Lawyers Weekly Lawyers of the Year Read more
PDD – Goodbye 2016!
Soon, 2016 will be a memory. As we look forward to 2017, here are some things that have been going on in the Public Defender Division. Interesting Litigation Cash bail challenge Are our clients being Punished for Being Poor Read more
Committee Meeting Agenda – December 20, 2016 Meeting
Minutes of the November 15, 2016 meeting Amicus Request(s) Lease Approval CY 2017 Committee Meeting Dates Monthly Financial Overview Report Commitments $10,000 and Over Report Chief Counsel Report
RECOGNITION WELL-DESERVED – ATTY. ANNE GOLDBACH RECEIVES THE 2016 MACDL CLARENCE GIDEON AWARD
On June 14, 2016, the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (MACDL) presented our colleague, Atty. Anne C. Goldbach, with the Clarence Gideon Award, an honor not awarded every year, but presented to only those worthy to be recognized Read more