Top Boston Criminal Defense Lawyer

Carjacking in Massachusetts

Carjacking can conjure up images of Hollywood car chases and serious career criminals running from the police. But it is a serious offense and it is important to hire a lawyer for carjacking in Boston with experience defending carjacking cases. During the early 90s, public fear revolving around news incidents about carjacking led to laws being passed that cracked down on carjacking. In Boston, a recent report of a carjacking made the news when police apprehended a suspect who failed to stop then crashed into two cars, subsequently fleeing the scene.

For defendants facing a carjacking charge, the prosecution might want to paint it as something dramatic. If you have been charged with carjacking in Massachusetts, the penalties can be extremely serious, up to 20 years in prison. But on the other hand you might face less severe punishments. It all depends whether the case is prosecuted as a felony in the Superior Court or in District Court. Carjacking can also be a federal crime under certain specific circumstances.

Proving Carjacking

To prove that carjacking took place, the prosecution has to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant:

Intended to permanently deprive (steal) a motor vehicle. (Joyriding doesn’t count).
Assaulted, confined, maimed or put anyone in fear for the purpose of stealing a motor vehicle

Carjacking can be convicted even if the person isn’t successful in stealing the vehicle.

Aggravated carjacking is an even more serious crime. It involves using a dangerous weapon such as a knife or a gun to threaten someone.

If carjacking is treated as a less serious crime and tried in the District Court it can result in imprisonment of up to two and half years in a house of correction and a fine of no less than $1000.

If carjacking is treated as a more serious crime it can be charged as a felony and can result in fifteen years in jail and a fine of up to $15000. Aggravated carjacking is when carjacking involves a dangerous weapon and is punishable by no less than one year in a jail or house of correction or imprisonment in state prison for up to 20 years. If the weapon involved is a firearm, it is punishable by imprisonment in state prison for no less than 7 years.

Why You Need A Good Criminal Defense Lawyer

Carjacking is not a crime to be taken lightly. You don’t know how severe your punishments will be. It all depends on how the prosecution views your situation. An experienced Boston lawyer for Carjacking will fight the prosecution when they attempt to make your story more dramatic than it actually is. Not all criminal charges are simple car chases — the reality is often much more complicated. At Dhar Law, we believe in the right to a fair trial. We have decades of experience defending the most serious criminal law cases in the courts. If you have been accused of carjacking, please don’t hesitate to contact us at (617) 880-6155 our experienced Boston Criminal Defense Attorneys as soon as possible.

Arrested?

Have you or a family member been charged or arrested? It’s important not to make mistakes early on in your case. Download our PDF on the top 3 things to do to help your defense or if you have been arrested by the State Police or FBI or you are the subject of an FBI Arrest Warrant.

Get Dhar Law

Heading up the firm, Vikas Dhar is widely recognized as a leader in the New England legal community. An accomplished business litigator and a “Top 40 Under 40” criminal defense attorney, he has also been honored as a New England Super Lawyer/Rising Star in the area of White-Collar Criminal Defense for each of the past six years by Boston Magazine.

I have the power and the skill to be able to save people from themselves. I can be your guide during the darkness. I can hold your hand and navigate you out of the darkness into the light.

— Vikas Dhar
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