Criminal defense

A criminal conviction in Massachusetts or federal court can mean prison, deportation, professional disbarment, and permanent loss of firearms and licensing rights. Prosecutors and agents build cases during the investigative phase—before you ever see an indictment—and early missteps in interviews or document production often become the evidence at trial. The window to shape charging decisions, preserve suppression issues, and coordinate parallel regulatory exposure closes quickly once the government commits to a theory. Federal cases in Boston follow the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, pretrial detention under the Bail Reform Act, and discovery obligations that differ materially from state practice. Wire fraud, public corruption, narcotics conspiracies, and firearms charges often arrive with voluminous electronic evidence and parallel regulatory investigations. Early counsel coordinates with state proceedings, licensing boards, and civil exposure. Preservation for First Circuit appeal begins at the plea colloquy and sentencing hearing—not after judgment enters. Denner Lamanna follows a disciplined process—Immediate intake & privilege review: We assess exposure, identify parallel civil and licensing consequences, and establish attorney–client protocols before any government contact or internal investigation proceeds. Investigation response: Grand jury subpoenas, search warrants, target letters, and agent interviews are handled with document preservation, witness strategy, and proffer evaluation where appropriate. Pretrial motion practice: Suppression, discovery, and evidentiary motions define what a jury will hear—especially in white-collar, firearms, and public-corruption matters with complex records. Trial or negotiated resolution: We staff for jury trial in Massachusetts Superior Court, District Court, and the District of Massachusetts—with sentencing and restitution planning integrated from the first case conference. Sentencing, appeal & collateral: Guidelines advocacy, First Circuit and Massachusetts appellate review, and coordination with licensing, immigration, and civil proceedings that outlast the criminal case. Institutional defendants and opposing counsel deploy delay, denial, and resource advantages. Criminal defense matters deserve trial-ready counsel from Boston who builds for courtroom advocacy—not volume docket management.