LOWELL — Defendants facing charges including armed robbery and drug trafficking were released from custody on Wednesday at the Kiernan Judicial Center, as trial courts in Middlesex and Suffolk counties began holding emergency Lavallee Protocol hearings at the Lowell-based courthouse in response to a statewide shortage of court-appointed attorneys.
Crime
Four men held without bail after masked pre-Fourth jewelry store robbery
Four men from out of state were arraigned before a Essex County Judge on Tuesday and held without bail over allegations they robbed a North Andover jewelry store and led police on a high speed chase just ahead of Independence Day.
Major crimes in Massachusetts fell more than 4% in 2024, but hate crimes grew
Major crimes like murder and armed robbery are down in Massachusetts, according to a preliminary state analysis. But hate crimes against Jewish people recently saw a 20.5% spike.
‘Strong medicine’: SJC orders courts to begin potential release of indigent defendants as right-to-counsel crisis hits breaking point
BOSTON — Declaring a “systemic violation” of constitutional rights, Massachusetts’ highest court on Thursday ordered trial courts in Middlesex and Suffolk counties to begin hearings that could lead to the release of jailed defendants and dismissal of charges against individuals who remain unrepresented.
CPCS petitions SJC to release jailed defendants amid attorney shortage
Amid a spiraling shortage of court-appointed defense attorneys, the state’s top court is being asked to release jailed indigent defendants left without lawyers — including more than a dozen in Middlesex County — as hundreds of people statewide remain unrepresented.
Forensic breakthrough identifies killer in 1980 cold case murder of Ayer woman
AYER — More than four decades after the horrific murder of Katharina Reitz Brow shook the town of Ayer, investigators have finally identified the man responsible.
