Tuesday, January 29, 2013
A proposal would prevent, in most cases, juveniles convicted of first-degree murder from being locked up behind bars with no possibility of parole.
Should an individual convicted of first-degree murder she or he committed as a juvenile be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole? A proposed plan would prohibit offenders from automatically being sentenced to life in prison without parole, but parole boards could still keep them jailed for life. The news comes as several local cases, such as the Benjamin Peirce case, have encountered the issue. See details of the governor's proposed plan in the PDF to the right. The plan would require approval from state lawmakers, but would do you think? In the comment box below, tell us what you think of the sentencing plan.
Benjamin Peirce, a 19-year-old Newton man, recently pleaded guilty to manslaughter and firearms charges and was sentenced to state prison for a crime he committed when he was 17.
Most juveniles convicted of first-degree murderwould no longer automatically be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility parole under a bill Gov. Deval Patrick filed Monday. Under the proposal, some offenders would be eligible for parole hearings 15 years into their sentence, according to a report Sunday in the Boston Globe. Others who participated in murders but did not perform the actual murder could get hearings sooner. Parole boards, however, would still be able to keep the offender behind bars for life. The proposal comes in response to a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling (Miller vs. Alabama) in which the court decided that the mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole is unconstitutional for defendants under the…
Friday, December 21, 2012
The defendant helped kill Adam Coveney of Waltham.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
The defendant helped kill Adam Coveney of Waltham.
A Newton man pleaded guilty on Dec. 20 to manslaughter in the murder of a Waltham man in 2010, according to the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office. Benjamin Peirce, 19, of Newton, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and illegal possesion of a firearm, according to the DA's office. Middlesex Superior Court Judge Kathe Tuttman, during a change of plea hearing, sentenced Peirce to 17 - 20 years in state prison for the mansluaghter charge and four to five years for the firearm charge. The prison terms will run concurrently. He was also sentenced to 10 years of probation to be served after he is released from prison. “This defendant, frustrated after a failed robbery attempt, decided to conspire with three others to rob the victim, who …
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Miss a Waltham headline this week? Catch up with the best headlines of the week.
The city is looking into expanding its use of social media to communicate with residents. A Newton teen accused of killing a Waltham man caught a break in his potential sentence. A new restaurant on Moody Street opened. Massachusetts Senator John Kerry is reportedly under consideration to become the Secretary of Defense.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Benjamin Peirce is accused of killing Adam Coveney of Waltham.
A judge has ruled out sentencing the alleged killer of a Waltham man to life in prison without parole, according to court documents. Bejamin Peirce, 18, of Newton, is facing murder charges for his role in the killing of Adam Coveney in the fall of 2010. Jury selection for his trial is set to begin on Jan. 14, 2013. Middlesex Superior Court Judge Kathe Tuttman, in a written ruling dated Nov. 7, ruled that only life in prison with the possibility of parole can be imposed on Peirce, if he is convicted of murder. Massachusetts state law requires anybody convicted of first degree murder receive a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. However, a federal Supreme Court ruling requires convicts be 18 at the time of crime …
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Benjamin Peirce is facing murder charges for allegedly helping to kill Adam Coveney of Waltham.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Benjamin Peirce is facing murder charges for allegedly helping to kill Adam Coveney of Waltham.
Jury selection for the murder trial of Benjamin Peirce will begin on Jan. 14, according the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office. Also, a Middlesex Superior Court Judge, during an Oct. 26 hearing, said she would take Peirce's previous motion under advisement. The motion is intended to avoid an automatic sentence of life in jail without the possibility of parole. The motion could eventually go to a state appeals court or the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Peirce, a Newton resident, is facing murder charges for allegedly helping to kill Adam Coveney, of Waltham, during a 2010 encounter in Waltham. Shaquan Jacobs and Daniel Louis have already been sentenced in the case.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
The case of Benjamin Peirce could end up at state Supreme Court.
Friday, October 12, 2012
The case of Benjamin Peirce could end up at state Supreme Court.
The case of one of the defendants accused of killing a Waltham man could reach the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. The attorney for Benjamin Peirce, who is accused of killing Adam Coveney, of Waltham, has filed a motion he said is intended to have his his client avoid automatically being sentenced to life in jail without parole if convicted at trial. Peirce's attorney, John Salsberg, and Middlesex County District attorneys discussed the issue during a Friday, Oct. 12 hearing at Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn. Salsberg told Waltham Patch that the motion would have an appeals court review the issue of whether Peirce can be sentenced to life in prison without the possiblity of parole since the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that …
Rusty
1:04 pm on Thursday, January 3, 2013
Wait, how did Ben, the person they said was the "mastermind" behind this only get manslaughter and 17-20, yet Mr. Jacobs got Life when he was neither the mastermind nor the shooter?? How the heck did that happen? more ›