The Massachusetts State Police have announced that a “sobriety checkpoint” will be implemented on a secondary state highway on Saturday, April 23, 2010 into Sunday, April 24, 2010. The roadblock will take place on a secondary state highway in Middlesex County. Middlesex County is the largest county in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, consisting of numerous cities and towns including Cambridge, Newton, Somerville, Lowell, and Framingham.
The State Police often team up with local law enforcement when operating these checkpoints, which may utilize over a dozen officers at a time as well as mobile breath testing equipment. Many of these roadblocks are part of the nationwide “Over The Limit, Under Arrest” mobilization, for which state and federal grant money is used to fund police overtime, equipment and education.
In 2009, the constitutionality of these checkpoints was again called into question, but the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rejected the challenge. However, the police must strictly comply with the many requirements that the Court has outlined, and the failure to do so may result in the exclusion of all evidence obtained against a defendant.
If you are arrested following a roadblock or “sobriety checkpoint,” contact an attorney who knows how to defend these cases successfully. Call Brooks & Crowley LLP at 781-251-0555.
