I was suspended for five years as a third offender for refusing the breath test. After an RMV Hearing which must occur within 15 calendar days of the arrest, we appealed their denial to a judge. The judge ordered the RMV to restore my license and I was able to drive legally for a year while the case worked its way towards trial.  

Cop stopped me because I went over the line twice. He said I had glassy, bloodshot eyes, a strong odor of alcohol, was unsteady on my feet and failed both field tests. Joe stressed they were done at 3:15 am in 27 degree weather and the cop never wrote in his report that my speech was slurred. Joe was thorough, professional, and hit every point.

See judge's order restoring license.

I googled MA OUI lawyers and saw Joe had won 75% of his trials. The officer testified he saw me swerve from lane to lane without signaling and measured me speeding 35 mph over the limit. He also said I failed all the sobriety tests: the ABCs, one leg stand and 9 step walk and turn test. Joe argued to the jury that he hadn't bothered to make a note that I was nervous (due to the presence of three cops and three cruisers) that it was 27 degrees out and that I was wearing high heels. 

See judge's order restoring license.

I told cops I’d taken 3 drugs. They videoed a drug expert testing me for 45 minutes. I looked totally out of it!  My urine sample showed 7 metabolites of those same 3 drugs. Joe made no promises and didn’t sugar coat anything. But be careful, this man will save your life! He did mine. I looked at his track record, client testimonials and checked with other lawyers and detective friends. I found he is highly respected by his peers. When in court, he worked it like an artist, First he noticed my Miranda form had not been done correctly and got all my statements thrown out. Then he wrote a Memorandum argung the urine test should be suppressed too. Incredibly, the judge agreed. The DA had so little evidence left he dropped all charges on the trial date.

Cop saw me throw a Hawaiian Punch bottle out the window and stopped me for littering. He then smelled marijuana and I admitted I had been smoking and gave him the blunt. He had me get out of the car and do 3 field tests and then arrested me for OUI Drugs. Joe brought the case along carefully with pretrial motions and Hearings (and must have done it all right) because on the day of trial the DA dropped all charges.

"I watched you operate in Court today: you observed, picked your times and targeted specific people you needed to connect with. Then you swooped in, handed off paperwork, said what needed to be said at the appropriate time and returned to your seat. It was impressive to see-- like a hunter seeking prey. The DA's arguments paled in comparison to your eloquence in summation while making your points to the Court.  

You are a consummate professional and there is no questioning your expertise. Thank you for your help. You saved my license and one man business and I would be glad to talk to prospective clients."

Charles' license was suspended 3 years for the refusal. I advised him how to fight this at the RMV in the required 15 day period and then appealed to a judge in court. The judge ordered the 3 year suspension lifted so he was able to drive while we proceeded to trial. There, I showed the jury medical records indicating he suffered a concussion in the crash and argued that even though it was his fault, the balancing tests were done at 11 PM after a workday on a ramp leading up to the highway.

CHARLES' TESTIMONIAL:

"From the second Joe took my 5 AM call to my acquittal at trial, he was on top of every detail. What could easily have been a 5 year license loss became a NOT GUILTY verdict. He was articulate and organized in court, systematically shredding the DA's claims one by one.  He convinced the jury there was insufficient evidence despite the testimony of 2 state troopers, 2 failed sobriety tests and an accident. "

See judge's order restoring license.

'It was really something to watch Joe argue his pretrial motions. He  was very clever and kept out lots of bad facts.  During a 2-day trial, when everybody went to lunch, he stayed at the defense table preparing his cross exam of the cop who said I almost hit a guardrail, had slurred speech and admitted drinking. But when he said I fell "face first" during the walk the line test, Joe showed the jury he never wrote that in his report. After the not guilty, he brought a motion to restore my license and convinced the judge to do so as well"

See judge's order restoring license.

Client smelled of alcohol, admitted drinking and had red, glassy and bloodshot eyes. He failed 2 field sobriety tests and 2 empty beer bottles were found within reach in the truck. At the barracks, the breathalyzer registered over the legal limit at 0.10. At trial I argued cop followed him for one mile and he committed no lanes violations, had no trouble producing his license and registration, getting out of the car and walking normally. Plus the breath test was done one hour after driving and they couldn't prove what his blood alcohol was at the time of driving  --- as required by law.

Client was measured by radar at 90 mph, had strong odor of alcohol, bloodshot, glassy eyes, admitted  drinking from 2 pm to 830 pm and could not recite alphabet correctly. On cross exam, trooper admitted speeding is not a recognized indicator of OUI, he committed no other moving violations in a 2.5 mile stretch and though he said client put his foot down "several times" during the one leg stand and walked "off the line" during the walk and turn test, neither of those observations had been recorded in his report.

Client drove completely across the road and struck a fire hydrant. Sergeant testified she was unsteady on her feet, admitted to "a few glasses of wine," had a strong odor of alcohol and in his opinion was "intoxicated." I stressed there was no slurred speech, no red, glassy or bloodshot eyes and that anyone would be unsteady after an accident. I also obtained the EMT records which did not even mention an odor of alcohol. Point: reasonable doubt.

Michael was arrested for his second OUI offense and refused to take the breath test at the station (the roadside breath test is inadmissible). We chose to fight the three year refusal suspension which must be begun within 15 calendar days of arrest.  After the RMV's denial, we appealed to a judge in court who reversed the RMV.

Client was a second offender who refused the breathalyzer. The RMV suspended his license for 3 years. This threatened his job as an auto mechanic. We recommended he fight the 3 year suspension at the RMV which must be done within 15 calendar days of arrest. The RMV denied reinstatement but we appealed to a judge in court who gave him back his license. He kept his job and was driving legally during the over one year period it took to get a trial date.

My client had been assigned to a DWI program out of state for Reckless Driving [which can count as a prior OUI in Mass] so the DA charged 2nd offense. I reviewed the statutes and produced a Memorandum showing that the DWI program had to be done as a result of a “like violation.” I convinced the DA Reckless Driving didn’t contain a per se or impairment element and thus didn’t suffice. She agreed and reduced the charge.

Dear Atty. Waldbaum,

My family would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for the way in which you handled our son's case. We greatly appreciate that you were able to give his matter your full attention on such extremely short notice. We could not have asked for a better outcome considering the dire circumstances. It was a pleasure to meet you and a privilege to employ your services.

With warm regards,

L. T.

"The Judge told Joe under Melanie's Law we couldn't tender a Plea at Arraignment. When Joe told her there was no such provision and asked her to cite it, she told him to look at the statute himself. After reviewing 23 pages and again telling her it's not in there, she angrily said she'd find it herself. Red-faced, she returned to the bench 20 minutes later saying 'You're right, Counselor, let's proceed as you requested.' "

Labeled as an "immediate threat," I faced a life-long loss of my Massachusetts driving privileges for driving under the influence of prescription narcotics. Joe successfully guided me through the overwhelmingly complex process both at the Registry and in Court, All I had to do was sit back and let him talk.