Civil Litigation
Administrative Appeals
Strategic Advocacy in Massachusetts Administrative Appeals
When a state agency issues a final decision, it isn’t always the final word. At M. Koes Law, LLC, we navigate the complex administrative appeal process to protect your business, your professional license, and your rights from arbitrary government action.
Why Professional Counsel Matters:
- Strict 30-Day Deadlines: Missing a filing window by a single day can permanently bar your right to appeal.
- Record-Based Review: Unlike a trial, these appeals rarely allow for new evidence. You need a lawyer who knows how to find the “reversible error” in the existing transcript.
Technical Mastery: We understand the “Substantial Evidence” and “Arbitrary and Capricious” standards that judges use to overturn agency rulings.
If you have exhausted your options with a state agency, your next step is a Complaint for Judicial Review in the Massachusetts Superior Court.
The Massachusetts administrative state is vast and intimidating. Our firm has the experience to protect your rights.
Police and Government Misconduct
Your Rights Aren’t Just Words.
We Make Them Count.
When the system fails you, we stand up to it. M. Koes Law, LLC is dedicated to holding law enforcement and government agencies accountable for misconduct and civil rights violations.
We hold power accountable. If you have been the victim of police overreach, the path to justice can feel uphill. We provide the legal muscle to level the playing field.
What We Handle:
- Excessive Force: Cases involving unnecessary physical violence, taser misuse, or shootings.
- False Arrest & Imprisonment: Detention without probable cause or legal justification.
- Malicious Prosecution: When legal proceedings are initiated without grounds and for an improper purpose.
- Wrongful Conviction: Massachusetts allows individuals to seek compensation if their conviction was overturned by a court on grounds that tend to show innocence.
- Illegal Search and Seizure: Violations of your Fourth Amendment rights regarding your home, person, or property.
Criminal Defense Focus Areas
Appeals & Post-Conviction Motions
The Fight Doesn’t End at the Verdict.
A conviction is a chapter, not the end of the story. M. Koes Law specializes in challenging unjust outcomes, correcting legal errors, and fighting for the freedom of those who were unfairly convicted.
Why Choose Us for Post-Conviction?
- Deep Procedural Knowledge: We navigate the complex timelines and strict filing requirements of appellate courts.
- Fresh Perspective: We look at your trial record with a “fine-tooth comb” to find what the original defense may have missed.
- Persistent Advocacy: We pursue every available avenue, from state appeals to motions for new trial and federal habeas corpus petitions.
Post-conviction criminal defense is a highly specialized area of law. Unlike a standard defense trial, post-conviction work is about identifying legal errors, new evidence, or constitutional violations that occurred during the original trial or sentencing.
Sex Offender Registry
Navigating the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board (SORB)
A conviction shouldn’t define the rest of your life. The Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry law is a highly technical field governed by the Sex Offender Registry Board (SORB).
At M. Koes Law, LLC, we provide aggressive, strategic representation to help you lower your classification, protect your privacy, and, when possible, terminate your obligation to register.
Why Our Firm?
- Deep Board Knowledge: M. Koes Law, LLC is one of the preeminent law firms in Massachusetts in the field of sex offender registry law. He has successfully persuaded the Board to lower the classification level or terminate registration obligations for dozens of his clients.
- Aggressive Litigation Strategy: M. Koes Law, LLC also aggressively litigates SORB matters in court. Our strategy and litigation efforts have not only achieved positive results of our own clients, but our legal victories have fundamentally changed the system itself.
- A Scientific Approach: We utilize modern actuarial research and forensic experts to prove that your risk of re-offense is lower than the state’s assessment.
- Total Confidentiality: We handle these sensitive matters with the highest level of professional discretion.
SORB Reclassifications
If you were classified as a Level 2 or Level 3 offender years ago, you have the right to petition for a reduction in your level. Massachusetts law allow for reclassification petitions after three years of final classification if you can show a “decreased risk of re-offense.”
SORB Termination
Many people do not realize that their registration requirement isn’t always for life. In Massachusetts, if you were sentenced to a 20-year registration period, you may be eligible to petition for termination after just 10 years.
SORB Appeals
If the Hearing Examiner has already issued a final decision that you believe is “arbitrary or capricious,” we file Chapter 30A appeals in the Massachusetts Superior Court and/or the Massachusetts Appeals Court to protect our clients’ rights.
Parole Release and Revocation
Strategic Representation for Massachusetts Parole Hearings
Our goal is to maximize our clients’ chances of release. A parole hearing is your opportunity to prove that you can be “managed in the community” without posing a risk to public safety. We ensure that the Board sees the person you are today, not just the crime you committed years ago.
Preparation is the key to re-entry. The difference between an “unfavorable” decision and a release date often hinges on the preparation that occurs before you ever step into the hearing room. M. Koes Law, LLC specializes in helping incarcerated individuals and their families navigate the complexities of the Massachusetts Parole Board.
What We Offer:
- Comprehensive Advocacy: From initial reviews to life-sentence hearings (Lifer Hearings).
- Parole Plan Development: We help build credible housing, employment, and treatment plans that address the Board’s concerns.
- Support Network Coordination: We gather letters of support and coordinate testimony from family members and community leaders.
- Hearing Preparation: We conduct mock interviews to ensure the candidate can articulate their remorse, growth, and re-entry goals.
M. Koes Law, LLC also represents clients at parole revocation hearings. A “Notice of Violation” is not an automatic ticket back to prison for the remainder of your sentence. You have the right to a Preliminary Hearing and a Final Revocation Hearing. If you have been re-detained for a technical violation or a new charge, we fight to keep your parole status intact.
