Lexington, MA Criminal Defense

Lexington Attorney for Defense Against Criminal Charges

Lexington, a suburban town in Massachusetts is home to numerous historical and colonial monuments. The town had a population of 34,454, as of 2020. This population was organized into 11,530 households, of which 38.6% were homes with children under the age of 18 living there. In the same year, the crime rate of Lexington was 10.6 times less than the federal average, though it was higher than many other cities’. Annually there are about 24 violent crimes and around 102 property crimes in the town each year. Criminal cases can be filed in District Court, Juvenile Court, or Superior Court, and most of them begin at the District Court level. The Concord District Court, located on Walden St in Concord, serves Lexington and several other cities in Essex and Middlesex Counties. If you were charged with a crime, you should call the experienced Lexington criminal defense lawyer Ryan P. Sullivan to represent you before the Concord District Court.

Lawyer to Defend Against Violent Crimes Charges

You could be charged with a violent crime if you used force against another person. Violent crimes include crimes that are punished quite harshly, like murder or homicide, but it can also include assault, battery, illegal weapons possession, malicious destruction of property, and mayhem. When someone is grievously injured or killed, it is likely that the penalties imposed during sentencing will be steeper.

Massachusetts statutes do not criminalize domestic violence broadly. However, circumstances that might give rise to domestic violence charges under other state’s statutes are called abuse defined as the occurrence of certain acts between family and household members when there is an attempt to cause physical harm, an apprehension of imminent serious physical harm or causing someone to involuntarily engage in sex through force, threat or duress.

Sex Crimes Attorney to Defend You in Lexington

Several different sexual assault crimes may be charged in Massachusetts: rape, indecent assault and battery, and assault with commit rape. These crimes tend to involve sexual conduct that is inflicted without the victim’s consent.

Rape is criminalized under MGL c. 265 s. 22. Rape occurs when someone has sexual intercourse with a person and compels that person to submit by force and against his or her will or compels that person to submit by threat of bodily injury.

Under M.G.L. c. 265, prohibited indecent assault and battery includes many charges:

• indecent assault and battery on a child under age 14,
• commission of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of fourteen during the perpetration of other offenses or by mandated reporters,
• commission of indecent assault and battery on a child under age 14 by specific offenders who are previously convicted
• indecent assault and battery on someone with an intellectual disability.

Property Crimes in Lexington

Prosecutors take property crimes seriously, as well. These crimes include:

• arson,
• forgery,
• theft,
• malicious damage to motor vehicles,
• trespass,
• uttering,
• wanton destruction of property,
• and willful or wanton destruction of a house of worship or school.

OUI/Drug Crimes

Drug and alcohol-related charges can result in significant penalties when the prosecutor is able to prove the government’s case. Even a first operating under the influence (OUI) charge in the Commonwealth is punished harshly. If you are convicted, you can face up to 2 ½ years in prison, a license suspension of up to a year, a $500-$5000 fine, along with other penalties. You’ll need to wait for three months before you can apply for a hardship license. However, a conviction is not inevitable. Our lawyers will consider whether you, as a first time offender, are eligible for what’s called a 24D disposition, which would allow you to avoid the harsher penalties.

Discuss Your Charges With a Trustworthy Criminal Defense Lawyer

Whether you’ve been charged with a violent crime or sex crime or a property crime, you shouldn’t have to go through the proceedings alone. A knowledgeable Lexington criminal defense attorney can make a difference to your case. Call Ryan P. Sullivan for a consultation at (978) 474-0054 or get in touch through our online form to schedule your free consultation. Mr. Sullivan has more than a decade of experience and will investigate every angle of your case and build the strongest defense available in Concord District Court.