ATTORNEY GERALD J. NOONAN GETS CRIMINAL CHARGES OF LARCENY FROM A BUILDING, POSSESSION OF CLASS D SUBSTANCE, AND POSSESSION OF CLASS E SUBSTANCE DROPPED AGAINST HIGHLY-DECORATED U.S. ARMY COMBAT VETERAN.

Defendant was charged with Larceny from a Building (G.L. c. 266, §20), Possession of Class D Substance (Prozac), and Possession of Class D Substance (Marijuana). See G.L. c. 94C. Back in 2005, when the Defendant was 17 years-old, Defendant was charged with these crimes stemming from allegations that he stole cash and Prozac pills from the home of a family friend in Marblehead, Massachusetts. While the charges were pending in the Lynn District Court, the client enlisted in the U.S. Army when he turned 18 years-old and left Massachusetts while his criminal case was still active. The client served 11 years in the U.S. Army. He served in combat in places, such as Afghanistan. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant. He was medically retired due to permanent physical injuries he sustained in combat. He earned countless awards for his service. The client was happily married with a young son in Oklahoma. One day, the client went to the military base in Oklahoma where he was informed that he had a warrant and he was not permitted to enter the military base. The client realized that the old warrant was from his criminal case back in 2005 when he was 17 years-old. The client did not have the money to come back to Massachusetts to clear up the warrant because he was disabled and was trying to support his family. The client intended to get a job on the military base, as a firearm’s instructor, but he couldn’t get on the military base because of the warrant.

Result: The client tried, unsuccessfully, to clear up the warrant himself while living in Oklahoma. The client was told that he had to return to Massachusetts and appear in court in order to remove the warrant. Fearing that he was out of options, the client contacted Attorney Gerald J. Noonan. Attorney Noonan obtained all the records from the client’s 2005 case. Attorney Noonan made a written request to the District Attorney’s Office to remove the warrant and to dismiss the criminal charges. In his request, Attorney Noonan pointed out that his client was only 17 years-old at the time of the charges and he would have been charged as a juvenile under today’s laws. Attorney Noonan explained the circumstances of his client’s failure to appear in court because he mistakenly believed that his court case was resolved. Lastly, Attorney Noonan described the client’s military service, in detail, and provided the District Attorney’s Office with all his awards and medals. After reviewing Attorney’s Noonan request and arguments, the Commonwealth entered a Nolle Prosequi, a written statement to the court that they were dropping the case “in the interest of justice.”