Your situation
What are you facing?
Arrested or charged with a crime?
An arrest is frightening, and what you say now can matter later. You have the right to stay silent and the right to a lawyer.
He will explain the charge, what happens next in court, and the choices you have. You decide with the full picture.
Stopped or charged with OUI (drunk driving)?
In Massachusetts, OUI (operating under the influence) is a criminal charge, and it can also affect your driver’s license.
He will explain the charge, your court dates, and what you can do about your license.
Is your first court date coming up?
In Massachusetts, the first court date is often an arraignment. The charge is read, a plea of not guilty is usually entered, and the judge may set bail or conditions and a next date.
It is usually short. He can be there with you and speak for you about bail and what comes next.
Do the police want to talk with you?
If officers call or come to your door with questions, you do not have to answer on the spot. You can say that you want to speak with a lawyer first.
He can talk with the police for you, and help you decide what, if anything, to say.
Was someone in your family arrested?
When someone you love is arrested, the first hours are confusing. He can explain how bail and the first court date work, in Vietnamese or English.
To defend them, he will need to speak directly with the person who was charged. You can call to start that conversation.
None of these? Call and tell him what happened: (617) 265-1767
What happens next
What to do after an arrest
Say that you want a lawyer
In many situations you do not have to answer questions from the police. Saying “I want to speak with a lawyer” is enough, and it is not an admission of anything.
Keep every paper
The summons, the bail slip, the charge sheet, any notice of a court date. Bring them all.
Do not contact the other person
If there is an alleged victim or a witness, do not call, text, or send messages through friends. It can become a new charge.
Tell him about your immigration status
If you are not a citizen, the way a case ends can affect your status. He needs to know at the start.
Show up
Missing a court date can lead to a warrant. If you cannot make it, call before, not after.
How it usually goes
How a criminal case usually goes
The charge
After an arrest, or by a summons in the mail. For some charges without an arrest, a clerk-magistrate’s hearing first decides whether a charge issues at all.
Arraignment
The charge is read, a plea of not guilty is usually entered, and the judge sets bail or conditions and the next date.
Pretrial
Evidence is exchanged, motions are argued, and the two sides talk. Many cases are resolved at this stage.
Trial
If there is no resolution, a judge or a jury decides. You choose which, with his advice.
Good to know
- Most cases never reach a trial
- They end earlier: dismissed, resolved by agreement, or continued without a finding. What you say and sign along the way is what matters.
- Sealing a record
- Massachusetts lets you ask to seal many records once enough time has passed: generally three years for a misdemeanor and seven for a felony, counted from the end of the case and any sentence. A case that ended without a conviction can often be sealed sooner. Not every record qualifies.Source: G.L. c. 276, §§ 100A and 100C (sealing) · as of November 2026
- Immigration
- A “continuance without a finding,” a common way district court cases end, is not a conviction under state law. Federal immigration law can treat it as one. Ask before you accept any deal.Source: 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(48)(A) (definition of “conviction”) · as of November 2026
- Clerk-magistrate’s hearings
- For many misdemeanor complaints where no one was arrested, you have the right to a hearing before a charge is issued. A case can end there.
General information about Massachusetts law, not legal advice for your case.
How fees work
- He explains how his fee works before he starts.
- We accept check, cash, Zelle or bank transfer, and installment plans. We do not accept credit cards.
- Consultations are by appointment only. A consultation fee applies, and it is credited toward your legal fees if you hire the firm.
Why choose him
Vy has worked on both sides of the courtroom.
A former prosecutor
At Dorchester District Court he handled a full docket of cases every year, from arraignment to the end of the case.
On the defense side since 2004
Since opening his office in 2004 he has represented people charged with crimes. Earlier, as a staff attorney for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, he represented inmates at bail appeals and parole hearings.
In your language
He explains every step in English or Vietnamese, so you understand your choices before you make them.
Want to talk it through?Call (617) 265-1767or send a message
Questions about criminal defense
Criminal Defense
Often yes, for a time. The RMV and the court act separately. The RMV suspends your license for 180 days if you refused the breath test (age 21 or older, no earlier OUI), or up to 30 days if you took it and registered 0.08 or higher. The court case then decides more: a first-offense conviction means one year, with a work or school license possible after three months. A first offender may instead be offered the 24D program (alcohol education and probation), with a 45 to 90 day suspension. Age and past record change these numbers. When you meet a lawyer, bring everything the police gave you. To contest a test refusal at the RMV, you have 15 days.
Sources: Mass.gov RMV: alcohol and drug suspensions; G.L. c. 90, § 24; G.L. c. 90, § 24D · as of November 2026
Criminal Defense
Do not talk about the case with the police or anyone else, and write down what you remember: where you were, what you drank and when, and what the officers said. Keep every paper you were given. An OUI can affect your license as well as your court case, so ask about both at your first appointment.
Criminal Defense
No. You have the right to stay silent and to talk with a lawyer before you answer. You can say, “I want to speak with a lawyer,” and then stop talking. Be polite, do not lie, and do not try to explain yourself.
Criminal Defense
Yes, it can. Some convictions, and some guilty pleas, can lead to deportation or block a green card or citizenship. Tell your lawyer about your immigration status at the start, so your defense can take it into account.
Criminal Defense
It depends on the charge and how the case ends. Massachusetts law lets some records be sealed later. He can tell you what may apply to your case.
Criminal Defense
Even a small charge can affect a job, housing, a license, or immigration status. A short conversation with a lawyer shows you what is at stake before your court date.
Criminal Defense
In Massachusetts, when someone is accused of certain crimes but not arrested, a clerk-magistrate may hold a hearing first to decide whether a criminal charge should be issued at all. A lawyer there can matter, because the case can sometimes end before a charge is filed.
Criminal Defense
A way many Massachusetts cases end. You admit there are enough facts for a finding, the case is continued for a period with conditions, and if you complete them it is dismissed. It is not a conviction under state law, but federal immigration law can treat it as one, so the choice needs care, ideally with an immigration lawyer’s review.
Source: 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(48)(A) (definition of “conviction”) · as of November 2026
Criminal Defense
Call a lawyer right away. The court may have issued a warrant, and going back on your own, with a lawyer, is better than being picked up on it.
General information, not legal advice for your case.
Prefer to listen? Watch Vy explain it: Criminal law and civil law: what is the difference?
Not your situation? Related practice areas
ImmigrationNeed a green card, or facing deportation?
Civil LitigationSued, or does someone owe you money?
Not sure which one fits? Call (617) 265-1767
Your first step
Tell Vy what happened.
Call, in English or Tiếng Việt
(617) 265-1767Or write to him with the formOr write to him with the form- Book an appointment (no walk-ins)By appointment only
- You talk with Vy himselfYou talk with Vy himself
- What you tell him is confidentialWhat you tell him is confidential
Bring what you have. Letters, notices, court papers, a photo ID. If you are not sure something matters, bring it. Coming without papers is fine too.
Bring what you have.
Letters, notices, court papers, a photo ID. If you are not sure something matters, bring it. Coming without papers is fine too.
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If it is urgent, call (617) 265-1767.
Sending a message does not make you a client, and the reply is not legal advice.