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MA Teen with minor hit-and-run offense

Teenager who caused minor damage to another vehicle, left and was pulled over by police and given criminal citation. Awaiting hearing date from court. Police say we shouldn't file accident report with police office. We have spoken with owner of the damaged vehicle. What is the line of defence here? Will filing reports with the police & insurance screw up defense at the hearing? We want to do the right thing. But police officer made it sound like we should "let sleeping dogs lie".

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Attorney answers (3)

Reputation Level 16
You need to contact a criminal defense attorney with the specific events so that you can get the necessary assistance.

If you need such help, contact me.
1 person marked this answer as good

Avvo Pro

Reputation Level 13
Hi,

Whatever you do, if there are criminal charges pending, do not give any information to the police. It sounds like the police are trying to be helpful (at least a little) by telling you not to file a report. You really should consider hiring a lawyer, in cases like this it can make all the difference.

Jessica

Reputation Level 20
Hit and run laws all over are being taken very seriously and that is rightfully so. While the rules in MA where this happened are likely very specific (I do not practice in MA), as a general matter, leaving the scene after an accident is - at a minimum - frowned upon and is not a good practice and is very likely criminal or quasi-criminal conduct. In this particular you say criminal charges are pending. So.....

Contact a lawyer as soon as you read this. The specifics of the situation should be discussed with all the protections of an attorney client relationship in place.

Good luck to you.

NOTE: This answer is made available by the lawyer for educational purposes only. By using or participating in this site you understand that there is no attorney client privilege between you and the attorney responding. This site should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state. The law changes frequently and varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. The information and materials provided are general in nature, and may not apply to a specific factual or legal circumstance described in the question

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