Welcome to Exhibit A

Take the law into your own hands, my friend. In a matter of speaking, that’s what you just did when you picked up the inaugural issue of Exhibit A. Forget about the way you used to learn about all things legal. This publication represents a new, bold, exciting way to deliver information about the law to you. Wait … hold on … That may have sounded a little cold and even downright boring. I know what you are thinking. The law? Lawyers? I’d rather try to convince a Sox fan that... More

Lawsuit over guacamole dip?

Lawsuit claims guacamole dip ‘just didn’t taste avocadoey’ A Los Angeles woman has filed a class-action lawsuit claiming that Kraft’s guacamole dip doesn’t have enough avocado in it. “It just didn’t taste avocadoey,” complained plaintiff Brenda Lifsey, who used Kraft Dips Guacamole to make an ill-fated three-layer dip in 2005. Lifsey is seeking unspecified damages and a court order barring Kraft from calling its product guacamole. Kraft claims that... More

Who’s got tickets?

david.frank@exhibitAnews.com Although tickets for opening day at Fenway Park sold out minutes after they became available at the box office, a quick look on the Internet shows there are still plenty of good seats to be had — assuming, of course, you’re willing to shell out big bucks to get them. On Craigslist, for instance, a ticket broker informed an Exhibit A reporter posing as a prospective buyer that two $23 bleacher seats for the much-anticipated Red Sox home opener on April 10 against... More

Learning to cut up bodies all in day’s work for public defender

A book on how to cut up a body. A skeleton with removable organs. Postcards from Alcatraz. A souvenir newspaper headline asking, “Where are all the boy toys?”  If you didn’t know what Stephanie Page does for a living, these office accoutrements might make you queasy. But for a public defender, such unique and often gruesome items build the four walls in which you live your life. Of course, there’s the occasional inspirational quote from Amelia Earhart to add some balance ... More

What drunk driving will get you in Massachusetts

david.frank@exhibitAnews.com So, you had one cocktail too many before heading home, and now there are blue lights flashing in your rearview mirror. You fear — for good reason — that you’re in trouble. But the question is: how much trouble?  The laws on drunk driving are complicated, particularly following the October 2005 passage of “Melanie’s Law” — the controversial bill named after Melanie Powell, a 13-year-old girl killed by an intoxicated driver. Although... More

What should the punishment be — if any — for first-time drunk-driving offenders?

“They should have to serve a lot of community service for half a year.”— Carson Shelton - Boston “I supported the full Melanie’s Law [which called for doubling the length of the license suspension for first-time offenders who refuse a breath test]. They call them drunk-driving accidents, but they aren’t accidents — they’re crimes against other people.”— Jane Hallinan - Randolph “A heavy fine.”— Richard Francis  - London,... More

Legal Briefs

Ex-Patriot scores in workers’ comp caseIn Massachusetts, all workers are covered by a workers’ compensation law for injuries suffered on the job, but a verdict involving a former New England Patriots player serves as a reminder that, at least for some people, playing football is “work,” too. Andy Katzenmoyer, the Ohio State standout who was drafted by the Patriots in 1999, suffered a career-ending neck injury early in his professional career. He was subsequently cut by the... More

Look back in time (1973)

Bostonians nicknamed it the “Plywood Palace.” Designed by world-famous architect I.M. Pei, the striking 60-story, 800-foot-tall glass-encased John Hancock Tower was still under construction in the early ’70s when a number of its 10,000-plus windows began cracking. Worse yet, some of the 500-pound panes blew out altogether, shattering onto the sidewalk below. When high winds hit downtown Boston on Jan. 20, 1973, the building’s flaws were clear for all to see. By the following... More

Ruling on dog witnesses, bad guys and what to wear under the robe

Suzanne V. DelVecchio was named a Superior Court judge in 1985. She retired last year to begin a career in mediation. She recently spoke to Exhibit A about her experiences on the bench. Q. What was the best part of being a judge?A. Problem-solving. Every day you are presented with problems; the best part of the job was solving those problems. Q. What was it like determining the fate of criminals who had committed some pretty awful acts?A. I really thought the only thing I had to be concerned with... More

A panel of experts selects … The State's 10 Most Notorious Criminals

Notorious: no·to·ri·ous. (adj.) “generally known and talked of; especially: widely and unfavorably known.” Although the word “notorious” has a clear definition, its meaning can get murky when applied to criminals. Those entangled in the criminal justice system can gain notoriety through their brutality, through the media sensationalism surrounding their trials and even, sometimes, through their perceived innocence. In determining the state’s most... More

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