Have you or your loved one been charged with the above-reference offense? If so, call Attorney Scambio for a free consultation at 508-796-5737.
The Massachusetts Legislature defines Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 90 §24(2)(a) as follows:
section 24(2) (a) Whoever upon any way or in any place to which the public has a right of access, or any place to which members of the public have access as invitees or licensees, operates a motor vehicle recklessly, or operates such a vehicle negligently so that the lives or safety of the public might be endangered, or upon a bet or wager or in a race, or whoever operates a motor vehicle for the purpose of making a record and thereby violates any provision of section seventeen or any regulation under section eighteen, or whoever without stopping and making known his name, residence and the register number of his motor vehicle goes away after knowingly colliding with or otherwise causing injury to any other vehicle or property, or whoever loans or knowingly permits his license or learner’s permit to operate motor vehicles to be used by any person, or whoever makes false statements in an application for such a license or learner’s permit, or whoever knowingly makes any false statement in an application for registration of a motor vehicle or whoever while operating a motor vehicle in violation of section 8M, 12A or 13B, such violation proved beyond a reasonable doubt, is the proximate cause of injury to any other person, vehicle or property by operating said motor vehicle negligently so that the lives or safety of the public might be endangered, shall be punished by a fine of not less than twenty dollars nor more than two hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not less than two weeks nor more than two years, or both; and whoever uses a motor vehicle without authority knowing that such use is unauthorized shall, for the first offense be punished by a fine of not less than fifty dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not less than thirty days nor more than two years, or both, and for a second offense by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than five years or in a house of correction for not less than thirty days nor more than two and one half years, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by both such fine and imprisonment; and whoever is found guilty of a third or subsequent offense of such use without authority committed within five years of the earliest of his two most recent prior offenses shall be punished by a fine of not less than two hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not less than six months nor more than two and one half years in a house of correction or for not less than two and one half years nor more than five years in the state prison or by both fine and imprisonment. A summons may be issued instead of a warrant for arrest upon a complaint for a violation of any provision of this paragraph if in the judgment of the court or justice receiving the complaint there is reason to believe that the defendant will appear upon a summons.
The model jury instructions for use in the District Court requires the Commonwealth to prove the following in order for the Commonwealth to prove each element of the offense. The Commonwealth must prove each of the following elements beyond a reasonable doubt at trial:
First: That the defendant operated a motor vehicle;
Second: That the defendant did so (on a way) (or) (in a place where the public has a right of access) (or) (in a place where members of the public have access as invitees or licensees); and
Third: That the defendant did so in a negligent manner so that
the lives or safety of the public might have been endangered.
The third thing the Commonwealth must prove beyond a reasonable doubt is that the defendant drove negligently in a manner that might have endangered the lives or safety of other people. A person acts negligently when they fail to use due care, that is, when they act in a way that a reasonable person would not act. This can happen either by doing something that a reasonably prudent person would not do under those circumstances, or by failing to do something that a reasonably prudent person would do. The defendant acted negligently if they drove in a way that a reasonable person would not have, and by doing so created an unnecessary danger to other people, a danger that they could have avoided by driving more carefully.
If you have been charged with this offense and need a trial attorney with real trial experience and trial solutions, or if you have any questions related to this criminal offense, call Attorney Scambio today at 508-796-5737. Remember, before you decide whether to make any statements to law enforcement, discuss that decision with a competent attorney. Attorney Scambio is available six (6) days a week and will take your call to discuss assisting you in your criminal matter.