On March 6, 2017, Attorney Wood and a team of attorneys from Ropes & Gray filed a brief in the Supreme Court on behalf of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in Weaver v. Massachusetts, No. 16-240. They argue that the Court should not shy away from vindicating the treasured right to a public trial. The government's argument that vindicating the right to a public trial would "open up the floodgates" is both factually incorrect and diverts attention from the real issue: whether our Constitution entitles everyone to a public trial. Read the brief here.
Courts Should Use Reasonable Juvenile Standard
On March 21, Attorney Jellison submitted an amicus brief in a manslaughter case on behalf of the Committee for Public Counsel Services and the ACLU arguing that juvenile brain science should lead courts to evaluate juveniles' conduct under a reasonable juvenile standard. Read the brief here.
Petition for Writ of Certiorari
Although it was eventually denied, this petition highlights the weakness of the evidence against our client, outrageous police misconduct in destroying evidence, and the ways in which the Massachusetts law on destruction of evidence fails to protect constitutional rights.
Public Trial Brief (Cohen)
This is an amicus (friend of the court) brief we submitted on behalf of the public defender’s office. Our position won and the case established as Massachusetts law that excluding spectators from jury selection violates the right to a public trial.
Brief Against Animal Rights “Terrorism” Law
We co-authored this amicus brief with the ACLU of Massachusetts, supporting activists’ challenge to a terrifying vague federal law that criminalizes even the most minor conduct as terrorism.
Supreme Court Brief on Double Jeopardy
This is our brief which convinced the Supreme Court that our client’s conviction violated the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Constitution.
Listen to the arguments here.