OPEN & GROSS DEFENDANT CATCHES BREAK IN LAWRENCE DISTRICT COURT

It was a nice warm September day and JT was driving home in his car. He pulled into a parking lot in a State Forest in North Andover and began to masturbate in the car. A woman in an SUV pulled into the parking space next to JT. She looked over towards his car and he looked over at her. He continued to masturbate. She got out her cell phone and dialed 911. He backed his car up quickly and spead away, but not before she got his license plate. The police investigated. The police spoke to him and although he denied being in the parking lot he did tell the police he was the only person using his car that day. The woman ID’d his photo in a photo array as the man she saw masturbating. The North Andover PD charged JT with Open & Gross Lewdness (a felony). When the North Andover Police ran their data base they discovered that JT had a similar uncharged event from several years prior. This posed a major problem for JT – who is married and has a child. Two Open & Gross convictions requires Sex Offender Registration for 20 years and if he was placed on Probation the law mandates that he wear a GPS Tracking device during the term of his probation. JT retained Attorney Robert Lewin. Attorney Lewin met with the North Andover Police to see if prosecution for the old uncharged event could be avoided. Attorney Lewin also met with the Assistant District Attorney to try to work out a favorable plea bargain in the case. On November 29, 2012, Attorney Lewin and JT appeared in Lawrence District Court. After a full plea hearing the Judge ordered that JT’s case be continued without a finding for one year. JT agreed to have a mental health evaluation and comply with any recommendations for outpatient treatment. In one year if JT stays out of trouble the charge will be dismissed and JT will be eligible to request that the court record be sealed. Because the case was continued without a finding JT was not convicted and he does not have to register as a convicted sex offender and he does not have to wear a GPS Tracking bracelet. JT left the court very relieved