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Mandatory minimum drug
sentences
"There is a
nonsensical notion that repealing mandatory minimum sentences for
drug offenders would allow drug offenders to avoid jail altogether.
It would not. It would simply put the decision of appropriate
punishment back to the person whose job it is to know more about an
individual's offense than any one-size-fits-all sentencing
guideline could possibly contemplate: the Massachusetts
judge."
MBA President Marsha V.
Kazarosian, Boston Globe,July 17
Kazarosian penned the "yes" answer to the point-counterpoint
feature in the Boston Globe's North Edition, which posed
the question: Should Massachusetts repeal its mandatory minimum
drug sentences? The "no" answer was written by Essex District
Attorney Jonathan Blodgett.
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Statute of limitation in rape
cases
"We can see, and rightfully so, that society is rethinking the
way these crimes, usually perpetrated against women, have been
handled by the courts," he said. "There's a very national trend
toward trying to allow the victims of these very horrific crimes to
come forward and get their day of justice in a court of law."
MBA Chief Legal Counsel and
Chief Operating Officer Martin W. Healy, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, July
17
Healy was quoted in a story about a state senator's proposal to
eliminate the time limit to prosecute rape cases altogether. Due to
the controversial nature of the bill and expected opposition from
defense lawyers, Healy added, "I think this will require a lot of
hard study by the Legislature."
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