On November 3, Justice Duffly of the SJC affirmed an order granting the defendant's motion for DNA testing of a stamp admitted into evidence at our client's trial 42 years ago. Attorney Wood and Attorney Jellison persuaded Justice Duffly that the Commonwealth's appeal was untimely and meritless. This is one of the first instances in which a defendant has successfully obtained testing of evidence under G.L. c. 278A since its passage in 2012.

On behalf of MACDL, Attorney Wood and a team from Goodwin Proctor have filed an amicus brief in Commonwealth v. DiPiero, SJC-11893, challenging the reliability of anonymous tips to police through the 911 call system. Read the brief here.

Attorney Wood and Attorney Nathanson were both recently named Massachusetts Super Lawyers for 2015 by Thomson Reuters. We are pleased with the recognition from our peers. We are even more excited that, in our everyday work, we simultaneously help protect our clients, protect all the people from government overreaching and preserve our constitution.

We are pleased to announce that Natalie Rice joined Wood & Nathanson full-time in April. Attorney Rice brings a deep dedication to criminal defense along with diverse experiences ranging from the San Francisco and New York public defender offices to a legal tech startup to the United States Attorney's Office Anti-Terror Unit.

On behalf of MACDL, Attorney Wood has filed an amicus brief in Commonwealth v. Chamberlin, SJC-11877, with attorneys at Wilmer Hale and the ACLU of Massachusetts. They argue that G.L. Ch. 271 Section 17B prohibits police from making informal requests to cell phone carriers for subscriber information during criminal investigations.

On October 7, 2015, Attorney Jellison will chair a panel at Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education regarding Transgender Persons & The Law. The panel will educate attorneys regarding the many issues involved in representing transgender persons: proper decorum and terminology, practical issues, as well as unique substantive legal issues. Read more here.

On September 24, the SJC upheld the reversal of a defendant's first degree murder conviction secured by Attorney Wood in the Plymouth Superior Court. This is the fourth reversal of a Massachusetts murder conviction for Attorney Wood. Read the opinion here.

On September 1, 2015, Attorney Nathanson appeared on the Farm to Fork radio program on Northampton public radio. He discussed his work with the ACLU in bringing a First Amendment challenge to the federal Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, explaining that this vague and overbroad statute chills legitimate animal rights activism. Listen to the program here. (Discussion begins at 35:25).

On August 21, 2015, Attorney Wood co-authored an amicus brief with a team from the law firm Goodwin Proctor on behalf of MACDL in Commonwealth v. Boucher, SJC-11605, raising a due process challenge to the Massachusetts murder statute. Read the brief here.

Attorney Jellison recently secured physical therapy services from the Department of Corrections for an incarcerated client. Despite undergoing extensive back surgery, the client had not been provided with a physical therapy evaluation or skilled services up to 10 months after the procedure.

On behalf of MACDL, Attorney Wood and a team from Latham & Watkins submitted an amicus brief to the SJC in Commonwealth v. Kostka, SJC-11766. The Court adopted all of the arguments they advanced and reversed the defendant's contempt conviction, holding that he was not required to provide a DNA sample to police in a murder investigation. Read the brief here.

On May 14, 2015, Attorney Wood spoke at the Committee for Public Counsel Services annual conference regarding the right to a speedy trial. He gave attorneys practical suggestions regarding using the Supreme Judicial Court's recent decision in his case Commonwealth v. Taylor. The case established new rules that require prosecutors to provide better justification for delays that result from their failure to produce discovery.

Attorney Wood recently secured a resentencing for his client in federal court. He successfully argued to the First Circuit Court of Appeals that the defendant was denied his right of "allocution". That is, he was not allowed to address the judge before he was sentenced.

Attorney Nathanson recently filed a petition with the United States Supreme Court challenging the Massachusetts SJC's ruling that his client had to show harm to his case from the denial of his right to a public trial. His client, a young Marine just back from basic training, wanted his family in the courtroom while a jury was selected. But the trial judge ordered everyone out. The Sixth Amendment guarantees a public trial.

Attorney Wood recently convinced the Supreme Judicial Court to expand the rights of juveniles being interrogated by police. Drawing on current brain science and decisions from other jurisdictions, he successfully argued that juveniles who are 17 years old should have the opportunity to consult with an "interested adult" such as a parent during interrogation.

Attorney Wood was recently asked to serve on the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. We consider it vital to advance both the interests of our clients and the protection of constitutional rights generally through supporting zealous defense everywhere!

Attorneys Wood and Nathanson both presented at the Advanced Post-Conviction Litigation seminar of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. As co-chair of MACDL's Amicus Committee, Attorney Wood presented on the importance of having amicus support and how to solicit it. Attorney Nathanson presented on Petitions for Further Appellate Review to the SJC.

Attorney Wood recently convinced a judge to order the testing of a a 42 year old stamp for DNA under GL Ch. 278A in a 42 year old murder case. This is one of the first times a trial judge has agreed to order testing of old evidence under this new law. Read the decision here.

Attorney Jellison recently won her first case where she was the lead attorney. On appeal to the Appellate Division of the District Court, she secured a finding of not responsible for her client who was charged with speeding. She successfully argued that the defendant should have been allowed to challenge the officer's visual estimate of speed using mathematics and that there was improper foundation for LIDAR evidence.

Attorney Nathanson was recently listed by Thomson Reuters as a Massachusetts Super Lawyer for 2014. This is the sixth time Attorney Nathanson has been recognized as a Super Lawyer.