Top Boston Criminal Defense Lawyers

Criminal defense lawyers in Boston often do their best work before a case becomes public. If the police did not arrest you, a clerk magistrate hearing can prevent the complaint from being issued. No complaint means no arraignment and no CORI entry. The attorneys below handle these hearings across the Boston Municipal Court.

We research each listing using public records, verified reviews, and direct evaluation. Our rankings reflect reputation, reliability, and results.

  • Bar standing and public disciplinary history review
  • Documented case results and courtroom trial experience
  • Peer recognition within the legal community
  • Client reviews, communication, and responsiveness
  • Overall online reputation and verified user feedback

Rankings are determined independently based on public information and editorial research.

Best-Rated Boston Criminal Lawyers for State & Federal Charges

Screenshot of the Law Office of Matthew W Peterson Website
55 Union St Suite 400, Boston, MA 02108, USA

The Law Office of Matthew W. Peterson is a criminal defense firm in Boston, MA, with a second office in Salem. Matthew W. Peterson and his trial team bring more than 15 years of combined experience to felony and misdemeanor cases in state and federal court.

Firearms work sets the practice apart. The office handles License to Carry applications, license denial appeals, and restoration of gun rights after a conviction, alongside drug, assault, and sex offense charges.

Recent wins include a new trial in a Lowell shooting case and a not-guilty verdict on an OUI charge at a bench trial in Cambridge District Court. The firm also covers clerk magistrate hearings, restraining orders, and RMV hearings.

Screenshot of the Law Offices of Stephen Neyman Criminal Lawyers Website

Stephen Neyman has defended people accused of crimes across Massachusetts for over 38 years. Before moving to the state in 1990, he served as a Deputy District Attorney in Los Angeles County, prosecuting cases ranging from drug offenses to murder.

That background shapes how he reads a prosecution file. Neyman has taken more than 400 cases to trial and argued roughly 50 appeals in state and federal court, so a matter can move from arraignment through appellate review without changing hands.

The Tremont Street office covers assault and battery, drug trafficking, sex offenses, and clerk's hearings, with a second location in North Andover. This Boston criminal defense attorney takes client calls around the clock.

Screenshot of the Law Offices of Rosemary Curran Scapicchio Website

Few practices are built around undoing wrongful convictions. Rosemary Curran Scapicchio's is. Her work freeing Sean Ellis after decades in prison became the Netflix series Trial 4.

Attorney Scapicchio and associate Jillise McDonough won reversal of Julio Baez's first-degree murder conviction at the SJC in 2024, with findings of not guilty entered on all charges. She has also secured acquittals in a double homicide case and a Bristol County Superior Court murder trial.

Her Union Wharf office sits at the serious end of criminal defense in Boston, taking homicide, firearms, and drug conspiracy charges, post-conviction appeals, and Title IX matters for university students.

Screenshot of the Yannetti Criminal Defense Law Firm Website

Former prosecutors staff the Yannetti Criminal Defense Law Firm. David Yannetti started as an assistant district attorney in Middlesex County in 1989, tried hundreds of cases, and reached senior prosecutor before opening his own practice in 1999.

He has served as lead counsel in 12 murder cases and has appeared on the New England Super Lawyers list every year since 2007. Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, CNN, and Fox News call on him for commentary. The team works from Boston, Salem, and Dedham and offers free phone consultations.

Screenshot of the Brad Bailey Law Website
44 School St Suite 1000B, Boston, MA 02108, USA

Five decades of courtroom work stand behind Brad Bailey Law. Bailey prosecuted in the Manhattan and Middlesex County DA's offices, then served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney where he never lost a federal trial and earned the office's Outstanding Prosecutor ranking.

Educated at Harvard and UVA School of Law, he has handled more than 100 superior court and federal trials. The School Street firm takes homicide, RICO, healthcare fraud, and securities cases, and its associate attorneys hold Super Lawyers and Rising Stars honors of their own.

Screenshot of the Toland Law, LLC Website
2 Oliver St #701, Boston, MA 02109, USA

Immigration status and criminal charges collide constantly, and Toland Law works both sides of that problem. The Oliver Street practice defends homicide, drug, sex offense, and operating under the influence charges while handling asylum, green card, and removal cases.

Managing attorney Paul J. Toland has practiced in Massachusetts since 2012 and is joined by Juan C. Congote and Abrafi Osei-Kofi. Staff speak Spanish and Portuguese, and consultations cost nothing.

Screenshot of the Simons Law Office Website
53 State St Suite 500, Boston, MA 02109, USA

Simons Law Office takes complex state and federal matters, with results that include acquittals on aggravated rape, carrying a loaded firearm, and assault with a dangerous weapon.

Joseph B. Simons leads a five-attorney team covering sex offenses, theft and larceny, violent crimes, and the collateral consequences that outlast a sentence. The firm keeps offices in Boston and Salem and answers calls at any hour.

Screenshot of the Law Office of William J. Barabino Website

An Excellence in the Law award from the Massachusetts Bar Association and Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly went to William J. Barabino in 2010, one of twenty given statewide that year.

A former U.S. Army officer and paratrooper, he is admitted before the U.S. Supreme Court and the First Circuit. His Medford office, in the old Lawrence Light Guard Armory, handles OUI, juvenile offenses, gun charges, and Encore casino cases.

Screenshot of the Law Office of Patrick J. Murphy Website

Patrick J. Murphy defends motor vehicle offenses, drug crimes, assault and battery, and abuse-related charges from an office near North Station. Student cases and pretrial diversion petitions are a regular part of the docket.

He also files warrant-removal and CORI-sealing motions. Murphy appears in courts across Suffolk, Middlesex, Essex, Bristol, Barnstable, Hampden, Hampshire, and Dukes Counties, and the office serves Spanish speakers.

Screenshot of the Serpa Law Office | Criminal Defense & DUI Website

Joe Serpa has practiced criminal law exclusively since 1995, and much of his best work ends a case before it formally exists. The office has won hundreds of complaint denials at clerk magistrate hearings, leaving no CORI entry behind. Licensed professionals, students, and visa holders make up much of the caseload. Quincy office as well.

Screenshot of the Coughlin Law Group Website
98 N Washington St Suite B3, Boston, MA 02114, USA

Ex-prosecutors staff the Coughlin Law Group, which puts more than 15 years of experience behind DUI, assault, sex offense, and federal charge defense. Attorney Chris Coughlin answers his own phone and handles cases personally. The office sits near TD Garden.

Screenshot of the Law Offices of Steven J. Topazio Website
44 School St #1000c, Boston, MA 02108, USA

Steven J. Topazio has run a private practice on School Street for over 30 years. Professionals, executives, and high-profile defendants make up much of his caseload, which runs from domestic violence and weapons charges to white-collar matters. He charges flat fees rather than hourly rates.

Screenshot of the Bellotti Law Group, P.C. Website
529 Main St #128, Boston, MA 02129, USA

Peter V. Bellotti founded this Charlestown practice in 1989, and it now reports results such as $7.98 million for a workplace injury and $3.1 million in a wrongful death claim. Criminal work sits alongside personal injury, family law, and civil litigation. Cambridge and Quincy offices round out the coverage.

Screenshot of the Zalkind Duncan & Bernstein LLP Website
2 Oliver St #200, Boston, MA 02109, USA

For over 50 years, Zalkind Duncan & Bernstein has represented individuals rather than institutions. Acquittals in first-degree homicide trials sit beside a nearly $11 million race discrimination verdict against the City of Boston and a $7.6 million retaliation verdict against the MBTA.

The firm also handles Title IX and student rights matters, employment disputes, and appeals in state and federal courts.

Screenshot of the Criminal Defense Attorney Michelle L. Hubbard Website

Michelle L. Hubbard counts more than 640 dismissed charges, and the tally keeps climbing. Her Boylston Street office defends violent crime, sex offense, drug, and operating under the influence cases. Clients get her direct cell number, and a Newburyport office serves the North Shore.

Screenshot of the Rachel M. Self, P.C. Website
6 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02108, USA

Rachel M. Self pairs criminal work with immigration law from downtown Boston, which matters when a conviction puts someone's status at risk. Attorney Self appears regularly as a legal analyst on Fox News and CNN and holds a perfect Avvo rating.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a clerk magistrate hearing in Massachusetts?

A private hearing before charges. A clerk magistrate decides whether a criminal complaint should issue at all. People who were not arrested on a misdemeanor usually have a right to one. If the application is denied, nothing reaches the public record.

How much does a criminal defense lawyer in Boston cost?

Flat fees are standard. Most criminal defense firms quote a flat fee based on the charge and its complexity. Some bill by the hour for long trials or appeals. Contingency fees do not apply to criminal work, so expect to pay up front.

How long does a criminal case take in Suffolk County?

Months, not weeks. A district court misdemeanor may resolve in a few months. Felony cases indicted into Suffolk Superior Court often run a year or longer. Discovery disputes, expert review, and the court calendar drive most of the delay.

What happens at arraignment in the Boston Municipal Court?

The charge becomes public. You are formally charged, enter a plea of not guilty, and are given bail conditions. A CORI entry is created that day. That entry stays visible to employers and licensing boards while the case is open.

Can a Massachusetts criminal record be sealed?

Yes, after a waiting period. Misdemeanor convictions become eligible three years after the finding or release, whichever is later. Felonies take seven years. Dismissals and not guilty findings can often be sealed sooner by petition.

Does a criminal charge affect immigration status?

It can, well before conviction. Federal law treats some Massachusetts dispositions as convictions even when state law does not. A continuance without a finding is the common example. Non-citizens should raise status with a lawyer at the first meeting.

Do I need a private lawyer if I qualify for a public defender?

Only you can weigh that. Court-appointed counsel is available to people who meet income limits, and the bar is experienced. Private counsel usually means smaller caseloads and more direct contact. Note that no court-appointed counsel is provided for a clerk magistrate hearing.

Types of Criminal Cases Handled in Boston

OUI and Motor Vehicle Offenses. Stops on Storrow Drive, I-93, and Route 1 feed a steady OUI docket. Defense work turns on the legality of the stop and the breath test records. Criminal citations carry a four-day window to request a hearing.

Drug Charges. Possession, distribution, and trafficking cases run under Chapter 94C. Trafficking weights trigger mandatory minimum sentences. Most defenses start with a motion challenging the search that produced the evidence.

Assault and Domestic Violence. Suffolk County prosecutors do not drop these cases when a complainant asks. The case proceeds on police reports and 911 audio. A parallel restraining order hearing often runs at the same time.

Firearms Offenses. Carrying without a license carries a mandatory minimum under Chapter 269. Out-of-state travelers stopped at Logan Airport make up a share of these cases. The 2024 firearms law added new exposure for unserialized weapons.

Sex Offenses. A conviction can bring sex offender registration on top of any sentence. Cases often hinge on DNA evidence and complainant credibility. Registration consequences shape plea decisions from the first meeting.

Federal Charges. Fraud, RICO, and drug conspiracy cases go to the U.S. District Court on Northern Avenue. Federal sentencing guidelines and pretrial detention rules work differently from state practice. Ask whether a firm actually tries cases there.

Student and Campus Cases. Boston has one of the densest student populations in the country. A charge triggers a school disciplinary process that runs on its own clock. Both proceedings need handling together.

Appeals and Post-Conviction Work. Trial skill and appellate skill are not the same thing. Motions for a new trial, appeals to the Appeals Court, and SJC review each follow separate rules. Wrongful conviction work sits in this category too.

How to Choose a Criminal Defense Lawyer in Boston

Ask about clerk magistrate experience. This is the stage where a case can end quietly. A lawyer who treats the hearing as a formality wastes your best chance.

Check which courts they actually appear in. The Boston Municipal Court has eight divisions, and the Suffolk Superior Court handles indicted cases. Familiarity with a specific courthouse matters more than a general Massachusetts practice.

Confirm state and federal coverage. Federal court is a separate system with its own procedure and sentencing rules. Not every criminal lawyer practices in both.

Raise collateral consequences early. Immigration status, a professional license, a security clearance, or a CDL can be at more risk than the sentence itself. The right disposition depends on which of these applies.

Get the fee in writing. Ask what the flat fee covers and what it does not. Trial, appeals, expert witnesses, and investigators are often billed separately.

What Affects the Outcome of a Boston Criminal Case

Outcomes vary widely, and no lawyer can promise one. The strength of the search-and-seizure issue often matters more than the underlying facts. Prior record drives sentencing exposure, and mandatory minimums remove judicial discretion entirely in some drug and firearms cases. A dismissal at the clerk magistrate stage leaves no record at all. A continuance without a finding avoids a conviction under state law but counts as one federally. A lawyer who knows the assigned session and the prosecutor can give you a realistic read on where a case is likely to land.

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