Our People. Your Team.

I have been been defending people in the criminal courts of Massachusetts for almost 30 years. I've helped people in the District and Superior Courts, the Massachusetts Court of Appeals and Supreme Judicial Court, in the Federal Court, and in the Federal First Circuit Court of Appeals.

There are a few things that I believe in that guide me in representing people.  You can read about what I believe here.

The people I defend are going through the hardest, most painful time in their lives. They are scared, and feel like they have lost control of their lives. I try always to remember that, and to remember what that is like. Because I’ve had similar feelings and fears. I know what it is like to feel like you’ve lost control, that your future is in jeopardy, that your whole life is threatened.

In 2001, I thought my life was over, that I had lost control, and that everything I had worked for and dreamed of was going to be destroyed. Alcohol had taken me to depths I never thought I would go. My soul was dead and I had lost hope. I had that feeling of dread and helplessness that many of my clients have when I first meet them. I was so lucky that some great people helped me in my darkest times, and on September 1, 2001, I got sober, and began to heal. 

So when I'm working with good people whose lives are in turmoil, who are in the midst of the worst storm they can imagine, I remember that I’ve been there, too. It was a long time ago, but sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday. Now I understand my time of struggles and fear as a gift that lets me help others get safely through their own storms. 

Some are surprised that I would talk about my struggles and my recovery publicly.  Years ago I was told by a man much wiser than me that, “we recover loudly so that others may not die in silence.” I firmly believe that, and I try to live up to that ideal. So, I try to bring empathy and understanding to the people I have the great privilege of helping through their darkest days. I call our clients “our people”, because we see them as people, and treat them that way. Another wise person I know says, “We all matter, or none of us do.” All of our people matter.  

For those that care, I graduated from Middlebury College, and I got my law degree at Washington and Lee University School of Law, in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. I enjoyed living in Virginia, but was glad to come back home to Massachusetts after school. Virginia is beautiful, but I missed New England. This is home.

Finally, some defense lawyers advertise the fact that they are former prosecutors. I have never been a prosecutor. Since the beginning, I have wanted to represent and defend people, not the government.  The government has enough power, enough agents ready to do its bidding. I have never been one of them.

I want to help people get safely through the storm.

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Joanne, our Case Manager, is the liaison with "our people". They're her people, and she takes good care of them. She is the first, and continuing, point of contact for clients and their families. She is also a trained paralegal, and an invaluable part of the legal team. But she is and does so much more than that.  

She is the calm, friendly, comforting voice helping our people to understand the complex process they are going through, and to feel comfortable, protected and safe. She answers the questions, addresses the concerns, and provides emotional support and assistance throughout the course of their case, and beyond.

Joannne maintains and manages our relationships with other lawyers, therapists, doctors, treatment programs, and others who we call on to join our clients’ teams. She works with Ernie and others on the team to identify our peoples’ needs and to find the right fit, and makes the referral and onboarding processes frictionless.  

Joanne says: “Working with Attorney Stone is a very rewarding experience. He truly cares about each and every one of his clients. We go above and beyond to help our clients both during and after their case.”

Katherine had a whole career as an architect before she joined us. Now retired from architecture, she is our Practice Manager. She manages our business, but she is so much more. She is part of the team that helps our people get safely through the storm.

She brings all the experience of her first career to us, adding her special perspective and creativity to our team. She is involved in our brainstorming on cases, and is an invaluable resource as a “mock juror” as we craft defenses. Sometimes she is our voice of reason, sometimes our devil’s advocate. We value Katherine’s judgment and insights more than we can express.  

Katherine manages our HR matters, vendor/insurance management, and she works with clients to manage payment plans. She may not tell you, but she is also a highly accomplished clothing designer and seamstress who had her own clothing boutique. We also think she is the coolest member of the team.  

Katherine says: “I came here for a challenge and to learn new things, and I have learned so much. Knowing that we are helping people get their lives back on track is the most fulfilling part of my job.”

Janice does it all. She is the record sealing and expungement guru. She manages all of the sealing/expungement cases, and has developed connections and relationships at the agencies we work with. She is constantly learning and updating her knowledge base, and our success in those matters is due to her.  

But Janice does more than that here. She helps communicate with and support our clients. She is our in-house investigator, and we rely upon her evaluation and judgment of cases and people. She has become a master at investigating through databases and digital sources. She usually has some piece of evidence or information ready to hand to Ernie before he even thinks to ask for it.

Her job title is "Client Advocate”, and she is a great fighter for our people. But most importantly, she brings compassion and understanding for our people and their families.

Janice says, “I love working here. Helping people get a new start; working on cases to help good people get out of bad situations; plus I get to work with the best people I could ask for.”