On March 6, 2017, Attorney Wood and a team of attorneys from Ropes & Gray filed a brief in the Supreme Court on behalf of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in Weaver v. Massachusetts, No. 16-240. They argue that the Court should not shy away from vindicating the treasured right to a public trial. The government's argument that vindicating the right to a public trial would "open up the floodgates" is both factually incorrect and diverts attention from the real issue: whether our Constitution entitles everyone to a public trial. Read the brief here.
On November 8, Attorney Nathanson convinced the Supreme Judicial Court to reduce his client’s sentence of first degree murder to second degree murder. He had been sentenced to life without parole, but Attorney Nathanson uncovered a series of childhood brain injuries impacting the client’s mental state. Because of this decision, the client will be eligible for parole.