J. W. Carney, Jr.
J. W. Carney, Jr. is a criminal defense attorney who practices in the state and federal courts of Massachusetts. He is listed in the current edition of The Best Lawyers In America, and is one of only three Board Certified Criminal Trial Advocates in Massachusetts. He has been named one of the five best private criminal defense lawyers in Massachusetts by Boston magazine, and has received the highest rating for ability and integrity by the nationally-respected Martindale-Hubbell legal directory. In 2004 and 2005, he was selected by his peers as one of the 100 best lawyers in Massachusetts, in which 42,000 attorneys are members of the Bar.
Mr. Carney is skilled in all aspects of criminal defense, including pre-indictment investigations, arraignments, bail hearings, motion practice, plea bargain negotiations, jury trials, sentencing hearings, and appeals. He has handled thousands of cases over his career in the District, Superior, and Federal Courts, including one hundred and fifty jury trials of major felonies.
After graduating from Holy Cross College (1975) and Boston College Law School (1978), he began his career as a full-time public defender in Boston from 1978 to 1983. Mr. Carney was appointed an Assistant District Attorney for Middlesex County in 1983, where he remained until 1988. The District Attorney named him the team leader of a group of prosecutors who handled the most serious cases, including murder and manslaughter, sexual abuse of children and adults, domestic violence, major motor vehicle offenses, drug trafficking, and white collar prosecutions.
Mr. Carney co-founded the firm of Carney & Bassil in 1989, and currently represents clients at every stage of the criminal justice system. Many individuals are under investigation by the police or the grand jury, and Mr. Carney ensures that their rights are protected zealously. The majority of these clients are never formally charged with a crime.
A typical client of Mr. Carney has had minimal or no prior contact with the Courts, and is an adult or juvenile facing the most serious situation he or she has ever encountered. Mr. Carney prides himself on giving each one his personal attention, and limits his caseload to meet this goal. Moreover, he is able to employ a team of lawyers and support staff for each case, and draw on skilled investigators and experts to ensure that the client receives the very best defense. If a conviction to some of the charges is inevitable, Mr. Carney presents creative sentencing proposals to the Court which emphasize treatment, not incarceration.
Mr. Carney’s typical caseload includes allegations of homicide; white collar crimes; domestic violence; Federal mail and wire fraud; drug offenses; serious crimes of violence; bank, regulatory agency or government fraud; sexual abuse of children and adults; juveniles; arson; and major motor vehicle violations, including operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs and motor vehicle homicide. His practice before Regulatory Boards focuses on the suspension of professional licenses and other disciplinary proceedings against lawyers, doctors, and chiropractors, among others. Mr. Carney puts a special emphasis in his criminal cases on mental health defenses, expert witnesses, creative sentencing proposals, and the representation of professionals. He has handled many high-profile cases, including the first trial presented in its entirety in New England on cable television, proceedings involving an alleged religious cult in Attleboro, and the trial of John Salvi in the Brookline abortion clinic murders. Based on these experiences, Mr. Carney has been asked to address various lawyer’s groups on how to use enhanced media attention for the client’s benefit if publicity is a foregone conclusion, although his preference is to keep the client out of the spotlight.
J. W. Carney, Jr. is a contributing author to Massachusetts Criminal Practice, which is the leading authority on the defense of criminal cases in Massachusetts. Among the chapters he was asked to write are Opening Statements at trial, Closing Arguments, and Sentencing Advocacy. In addition, Mr. Carney is the co-editor with a State Supreme Court Justice and a Federal Judge of the treatise Massachusetts Evidence: A Courtroom Reference, which is relied upon by countless trial lawyers and judges. He also has contributed to Take the Witness: Essays On Cross-Examination, published in 2006. Mr. Carney frequently is asked to address continuing legal education programs for criminal defense lawyers, and is the Chairperson of the Annual Criminal Law Conference in Massachusetts. In addition, he recently made presentations to the annual educational conferences of the judges of the Superior Court and the Juvenile Court.
Mr. Carney is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, which is the most prestigious bar association in the United States. He is a past President of the Boston College Law School Alumni Association, has been appointed to the oversight Criminal Justice Act Board by the Federal judges of Massachusetts, and is a past officer of the 8,000 member Boston Bar Association. He is in his eleventh year of serving on the Judicial Nominating Commission, which is a 20-member group that advises the Governor on the appointment of judges in Massachusetts.
When an individual is accused of a crime, his freedom, reputation, and career are at stake. The single most important factor in determining the outcome is often the expertise of the lawyer who represents him. Experience, commitment to the client, and a 25-year record of success ensures that J. W. Carney, Jr. will provide the very best defense.
Please feel free to call Mr. Carney at 617-338-5566, or e-mail him at jcarney@CarneyBassil.com
