November 22, 2013

• Steven Topazio wrote this May 5, 2014 at 4:28 am

The client, a 22 year old high school graduate and landscaper, was arrested by Millis Police and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon after getting into a fight with a group of males and observed trying to hit them with an aluminum bat, hired Boston Criminal Attorney Steven J. Topazio to defend him. The client maintained that he was attacked earlier and was only defending himself when the group confronted him a second time. Attorney Topazio investigated the matter and discovered video surveillance from a local establishment which captured the earlier event and showed the prior altercation where the other group of males confronted his client and tried to fight him. Attorney Topazio met with the Millis Police prosecuting officer and provided him with the contents of his investigation, arguing that his client was the victim and that his client’s version explains his actions. Attorney Topazio challenged the police characterization of his client unilaterally attacking the other group without provocation. Nevertheless, although Attorney Topazio argued that his client was acting in self-defense, he agreed that his client should have gone to the police first instead of taking matters into his own hands. By conceding that his client may have used too much force in defending himself and thus may have an imperfect right of self-defense, Attorney Topazio was able to persuade the Millis Prosecutor to agree to give his client pre-trial probation, with a condition that he complete an anger management program. Today, with the consent of the prosecutor, Attorney Topazio convinced the court to place his client on a term of pre-trial probation.