Law
A Boston Entrepreneur’s Lesson in Checking Your Phone Bill
The Federal Trade Commission announced that the operators of a text messaging scheme run by Babson College graduates agreed to surrender more than $10 million in […]
What’s to Come for Juvenile Murderers Seeking Parole?
Seven months after the highest court in Massachusetts ruled that it was cruel and unusual to keep murderers convicted as juveniles behind bars for the rest […]
Massachusetts Schools Can Say ‘Under God,’ Court Rules
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the phrase “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance doesn’t discriminate against atheists or violate the state Constitution. […]
Damn the Press, But Keep It Free
In the United States, editorial decisions are supposed to be made in the newsroom, not in the courtroom. That’s why the First Amendment is there—and it should protect good journalism as well as bad. But three recent libel cases in Massachusetts are chipping away at that notion.
A Judge Ruled the State Can’t Ban Prescription Drug Zohydro
After a brief battle in court this week, a federal judge ruled Tuesday that state officials don’t have the legal muscle to stop doctors from […]
Gun Group Wants to Give Domestic Abuse Victims Free Access to Weapons Permits
As legislators get ready to discuss a new domestic violence bill, spurred by the tragic murder of a Waltham woman last summer, gun advocates are […]
Makers of Zohydro File Lawsuit to Lift the State’s Ban on the Prescription Painkiller
A California-based pharmaceutical company filed a complaint in United States District Court in Boston this week, calling for a judge to put a stop to […]
Saudi Man Investigated After Marathon Bombings Sues Glenn Beck for Defamation, Slander
A Boston man searched by authorities in the days following the Marathon bombings is suing a national media outlet and radio personality for defamation and […]
Beacon Hill Officials Pass Legislation to Make Secret ‘Upskirt’ Photos Illegal
Update: It’s official—”upskirting” in Massachusetts is now illegal. Governor Deval Patrick today signed “An Act Relative to Unlawful Sexual Surveillance,” which updates the state’s existing […]
State’s Highest Court Says Taking ‘Upskirt’ Photos on the MBTA Is Within the Law
The “Peeping Tom” laws in Massachusetts only apply when people being photographed unknowingly are either nude or partially nude in places like dressing rooms, and […]
Councilor Bill Linehan Still Wants to Tax Your Alcohol Purchases
Citing the devastating effects of substance abuse, newly-elected City Council President Bill Linehan filed a home rule petition that, if passed, would put a tax […]
Massachusetts Approves First 20 Medical Marijuana Licenses to ‘Highest’-Quality Applicants
After months of meticulously combing through nearly 200 requests for permits, the Massachusetts Medical Use of Marijuana Program granted provisional licenses to 20 businesses looking […]
The Supreme Court Might Not Like the State’s Abortion Clinic Buffer Zone
The U.S. Supreme Court held oral arguments today in a case challenging the Massachusetts law that sets a 35-foot buffer zone around abortion clinics, inside […]
The Boston Bar Association Still Doesn’t Agree With the Death Penalty
The Boston Bar Association took a strong stance against the death penalty on a federal level in a new report released by one of its […]
Where The Sidewalk Shoveling Ends
Last February, after Nemo dropped 25 inches of snow on Boston, the city’s Inspectional Services Department handed out a staggering 2,400 citations to residents and […]