In OneLaw’s March newsletter, Attorney Peter Hahn discusses trial experiences.
Read the full March 2024 newsletter HERE.
The text version is below.
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Some people say there are only two seasons around here (winter and summer), but lately it’s felt like spring with the sun and warmer temperatures. Lilies and daffodils are right around the corner!
Attorney Chris Connolly recently achieved a Not Guilty in a criminal case in the Dorchester Division of the Boston Municipal Court. Congratulations to Chris and his client. It also got me thinking about my own trial experiences, some of which I explore below in this newsletter.
My monthly virtual seminar series for special education advocates is well under way. I’ve already discussed school attendance and school-based anxiety as well as best practices for special education advocates. Next up is a primer on the Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA). Please reach out if you are an education advocate and want to be added to the invitation list.
With the weather warming up and the potential for interest rates stabilizing, there will be more activity in the residential real estate market. Reach out to Attorney Chiara LaPlume if you need help buying or selling a home.
As always, OneLaw is dedicated to serving the personal legal needs of families and individuals across a variety of practice areas. Let us know how we can help you. Visit our website (https://www.one-law.us) or give us a call at 617-831-4355.
Peter A. Hahn, Esq.
Founder & Owner of OneLaw
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On Trial: Experiences from the Courtroom
by Peter A. Hahn, Esq.
Not all attorneys are litigators. Those that are know the ins and outs – and the ups and downs – of trials and other evidentiary hearings.
In litigation, you have to be the ultimate multi-tasker. Preparing your case. Filing motions. Questioning witnesses. Making objections. Communicating with you client. Reading the room (including the jury). Opening statements. Closing Arguments. The list goes on. You need a mastery of the law and the facts so you can respond expertly in-the-moment to whatever gets thrown at you and make it look like you knew it was coming all along. Then there’s the verdict. What a rush of victory when you here those words of vindication for your client.
I’ve had a few juvenile cases where my clients have testified. When you are accused, the Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination means you do not have to testify at trial. The government has to prove the case against you, you do not have to prove you are innocent. Even if a client wants to testify, often there are too many risks. But there are times when it makes sense. Preparing any witness in advance of trial or a hearing is absolutely necessary, and a trusting relationship helps, too, especially with adolescents. When executed right, the approach can work, as I have experienced with juvenile clients in cases involving charges of attempted bank robbery, sexual assault, and possession of a firearm. In each of those cases, the jury came back Not Delinquent.
Though the type of case is different at the Bureau of Special Education Appeals, all the same skills are necessary. My BSEA hearing experience emphasized how you have to be ready for anything. On the morning of the hearing, I received a motion to dismiss from the school’s attorney. I was fully prepared for the hearing, to call and question witnesses, and present an overview of the legal arguments in the matter. Though I did not know until the last minute I had to address the motion to dismiss, I was ready to do it. You have to be ready for anything. I argued against the motion to dismiss, and since the hearing officer did not rule on the motion immediately, I went forward with the hearing without missing a beat. The motion to dismiss by the school was later denied, and my clients won the hearing.
Attorney Peter A. Hahn represents clients in education, civil rights, juvenile, child welfare, and related matters. He founded OneLaw in 2022.
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OneLaw in the News
“A father did everything he could to protect his son. Until he couldn’t. … A year and a half later, he’s still seeking justice.“
Attorney Hahn represented the family.
Read the article (https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/02/22/metro/father-did-everything-he-could-protect-his-son-until-he-couldnt/) .
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Attorney Peter A. Hahn presents A Primer on the Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA) as part of his monthly virtual seminar series for special education advocates
Monday, April 1, 2024 2:30-3:00 PM by Zoom