Massachusetts Criminal Defense Attorney

Criminal Defense Law

Robert D. Lewin, has been practicing law in Massachusetts since 1971. A former Assistant District Attorney for Middlesex County, since 1975 attorney Lewin’s practice has been dedicated solely to handling criminal defense.

Criminal convictions in Massachusetts carry stiff penalties, which may include lengthy prison sentences, large fines, GPS monitoring and – in cases of sexual abuse – sex offender registration. With so much at stake, solid, zealous legal representation is the only true option for those who want to protect their rights. Because these penalties are so severe, those accused of any crime should seek representation from an attorney whose entire practice is devoted to criminal defense.

Our firm defends clients against all felony and misdemeanor criminal charges, including:

• Domestic Violence
• Sexual Assaults
• Internet Sex Crimes
• Rape
• Child Abuse
• Indecent Assault and Battery
• Indecent Exposure/Open & Gross Lewdness
• Drug Charges
• DUI / Drunk Driving Charges
• Motor Vehicle Violations & License Suspensions
• Theft Crimes
• Homicide & Violent Crimes
• Suspended / Revoked Out-Of-State License
• Suspended Social Security Benefits
• Juvenile Delinquency & Youthful Offender Cases

Our Services

Our services in criminal cases and related matters are comprehensive from start to finish. They include:

• Police investigations
• Grand jury investigations
• Pre-arrest representation
• Clerk magistrate hearings
• Clearing Warrants
• Arraignments and bail hearings
• Pre-trial conferences and negotiations
• Pre-trial hearings
• Motions to dismiss charges
• Motions to suppress evidence
• Probable cause hearings
• Trials by judge
• Trials by jury
• Probation Violations
• Sentence revision hearings
• Petitions to seal records
• Criminal forfeiture hearings
• Sex Offender Registry hearings
• Registry of motor vehicle hearings
• All other criminal proceedings

Criminal Defense Overview

If you are charged with a crime, the charge may be classified as a felony or a misdemeanor. Felonies and misdemeanors are defined in the General Laws of Massachusetts at chapter 274, section 1. Crimes that can be punished by death or imprisonment in state prison are felonies, while any other crime is a misdemeanor. In Massachusetts, the death penalty has been abolished for state criminal charges. All criminal charges need to be established beyond a reasonable doubt, which is not a standard to take lightly. You should not feel that the situation is hopeless and should take every opportunity to assert your rights.

Domestic Assault and Battery

Massachusetts criminal defense lawyer Robert Lewin has a remarkable record of success in obtaining dismissals and not-guilty findings in domestic assault and battery cases. Domestic violence charges should be taken seriously. Assault involves a threat of violence, while battery involves any offensive touching. These are distinct charges, but when assault and battery occur within a family relationship, they constitute domestic violence. The punishment that you may face for domestic assault and battery will depend on the facts of the case and the existence of aggravating factors, if any. If you are convicted of domestic assault and battery, you may face up to two and a half years of imprisonment. We may be able to defeat a charge by showing that the accuser’s testimony is not credible or that you were acting in self-defense, among other strategies.

Leaving the Scene / Hit and Run

Our firm has gotten hit and run charges dismissed in the vast majority of the cases that we have handled in this area of criminal law. As a result, we have protected many clients from losing their license. Under Massachusetts General Laws chapter 90, section 24, you can be charged with a misdemeanor for failing to stop after a collision to exchange information with the other driver or contact the police. The prosecutor will need to show that you knew of a collision or property damage, yet you did not stop. If the damage is merely a scratch on the other car, for example, the prosecution may have a hard time showing that you knew about the collision. If the force was so great that it resulted in catastrophic injuries or death, on the other hand, a reasonable jury may infer that you knew that there had been a collision. The penalties for a conviction may include two years in jail, a maximum of one year of license loss, and a $200 fine.

DUI

At Lewin & Lewin, we have an outstanding record of not guilty verdicts in DUI cases. If you are charged with DUI, even if it is your first offense, you should promptly hire a criminal defense attorney in Massachusetts to help you avoid the potentially harsh penalties. You might think that there is no way to defend a DUI charge if you have failed a blood or breath test, but often it is possible to challenge the test results. There also are other procedural or constitutional defenses that may be available. We can look into issues such as whether there was a reasonable suspicion to pull you over, whether the policeman’s account of what happened is credible, and whether the testing equipment was working.

Theft Crimes

Theft crimes can include shoplifting, embezzling, credit card theft, larceny, grand larceny, car theft, burglary, check forgery, mail fraud, and wire fraud. Each of these crimes is identified and penalized separately. For example, under Massachusetts General Laws chapter 266, section 37C, the fraudulent use of credit cards is prohibited. For another example, buying or receiving stolen goods is criminalized under section 60. Larceny, however, can involve any situation in which the property of another party is stolen. It can include illegally converting someone else’s property while intending to steal or embezzle it, or hiding someone else’s property while intending to convert and steal it.

Drug Crimes

Massachusetts criminal defense attorney Robert Lewin handles both felony and misdemeanor drug charges, including possession, distribution, trafficking, manufacturing, conspiracy, and school zone violations. There are often very serious penalties for a drug crime conviction, and these penalties may vary depending on whether the drug at issue is cocaine, heroin, Oxycontin, meth, ecstasy, or another controlled substance. If you are convicted, you may face harsh penalties and mandatory minimum prison sentences. The circumstances surrounding an arrest for a drug crime and the seizure of the drugs may provide a basis for a strong defense. For example, we would look at whether the drugs were seized pursuant to a valid warrant.

Juvenile Crimes

Juvenile crimes are those in which an offender is under age 18. Juveniles can face the same kinds of penalties that adults face, even though the penalties are given different names. Juveniles who are found delinquent can be fined, put on probation, or have their sentence suspended. If a juvenile is committed, he or she is sent to a secure facility within the Department of Youth Services. When a serious felony involving a threat of serious harm is at issue, a juvenile may be prosecuted as a youthful offender, which means that the court proceedings will be public and that the juvenile can be sentenced as if they were an adult.

Clearing Warrants

In Massachusetts, there are two types of arrest warrants: default warrants and straight warrants. If there is a warrant outstanding against you, the consequences can be significant. Your license may be revoked, and government benefits may be stopped. Generally, if you are arrested on a default warrant, you may need to wait in jail until you are brought to court before a judge. As a criminal defense lawyer serving people in Massachusetts and beyond, Mr. Lewin regularly receives calls from people with outstanding warrants. He arranges to bring them before the judge before they get arrested, and he gets them released. We also represent people from other states with open warrants in Suffolk, Middlesex, and Essex Counties. When we get a warrant cleared, driving privileges and rights to government benefits will be restored.

Sex Crimes

Sex crimes include rape, statutory rape, child abuse, child molestation, indecent assault and battery, indecent exposure, and open and gross lewdness. People convicted of a sex crime can face consequences that change their lives forever. A sex crime conviction can result in mandatory sex offender registration, a long prison sentence, and GPS monitoring. If you are being investigated for or charged with a sex crime, you should consult an experienced criminal defense attorney. At our firm, we also defend people accused of Internet sex crimes, such as possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, Internet solicitation of a minor, and dissemination of obscene matter.

Contact Us

Contact our Andover/North Andover, Massachusetts law office to schedule a time to meet with Massachusetts criminal defense attorney Robert Lewin. Initial consultations are always provided free of charge and we are readily available for evening, weekend, off-site and jail visits.

Lewin & Lewin is *AV Preeminent Rated, which means fellow attorneys hold the firm’s legal ability and general ethical standards in high regard.