News and Action Alerts

News2019-02-11T21:24:40-05:00

MACDL Forms Clemency Committee

MACDL has formed a Clemency Committee in response to the Governor’s new clemency guidelines, which hold promise for more relief. The Committee screens applicants and refers the most promising candidates to pro bono lawyers.

From Lawyers Weekly

New committee aims to streamline use of recently released clemency guidelines

by Kris Olson | March 8, 2024 | 4 minute read

By |March 12th, 2024|Categories: News|Comments Off on MACDL Forms Clemency Committee

CPCS 2023 Awards Nominations Solicited

TO: Committee Members, CPCS Staff, Bar Advocate Program Administrators,
CAFL Resource Attorneys, Juvenile Bar Association, Mental Health Litigation Division Regional Coordinators, Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Massachusetts Bar Association, and Boston Bar Association

FROM: Anthony J. Benedetti, Chief Counsel

DATE: February 10, 2023

RE: NOMINATIONS ACCEPTED FOR ADDAMS, BLITZMAN, DAVIS-DUGGAN, DONOVAN, LIACOS, MARSHALL, MCPARLAND, MELLEN, SOUTO-GOYETTE, WINCHESTER AWARDS, CPCS COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP, AND EMERGING DEFENDER AWARDS

Nomination Process
The Committee will present the Awards […]

By |March 6th, 2023|Categories: News|Comments Off on CPCS 2023 Awards Nominations Solicited

MACDL Summer Internship Program

In 2021, the SJC released a report (see below) summarizing affinity bar town hall meetings, shedding light on the experiences of legal professionals from underrepresented, historically excluded and systemically oppressed populations. As stated in the report, “the burden of change cannot and should not fall on these attorneys and law students themselves, as it has for far too long.” Instead, “the burden of supporting and championing this work should […]

By |October 17th, 2022|Categories: News|Comments Off on MACDL Summer Internship Program

MACDL Mourns the Passing of Joe Balliro

By Victoria Kelleher, Past President, MACDL

Joe Balliro Sr., a giant of the defense bar, passed away peacefully on August 10, 2022. His impact on the defense community is difficult to overstate. He possessed both passion and unshakeable dignity. He remained true to the profession’s highest calling — he had the guts to challenge the abuse of authority, the intellect to choose his words carefully, and the wherewithal to bring […]

By |August 21st, 2022|Categories: News|Comments Off on MACDL Mourns the Passing of Joe Balliro

MACDL Responds to Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health

The Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (MACDL) is deeply troubled by the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. This decision will have a profound impact on both our clients and members, as well as on the integrity of the legal process.

The Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade is not only an intrusion into the bodily autonomy of people who can become pregnant but is […]

By |July 4th, 2022|Categories: News, President's Messages|Comments Off on MACDL Responds to Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health

In-person Court Proceedings and Jury Trials

As COVID cases began rising as the weather got colder, MACDL president John Amabile sent a letter to the Chief Justices of the SJC, Superior, and District Courts recommending best practices for court administration (see PDF of the letter below). The recommendations were aimed at mitigating the spread of disease and making our practice more efficient. MACDL recommended statewide directives for restoring remote hearings, accepting electronic filings, and staggering […]

By |January 4th, 2022|Categories: News|Comments Off on In-person Court Proceedings and Jury Trials
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