John E. MacDonald is a trial attorney practicing criminal defense, immigration law and post-conviction relief in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Mr. MacDonald represents clients in state and federal court in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. He has aggressively and successfully defended clients charged in every type of criminal case, including capital murder, child molestation, sexual assault, felony assault, domestic assault, patient abuse, bank fraud, mail fraud and wire fraud. He is the former president of the Rhode Island Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. For a review of the prior criminal cases, see Cases.

Mr. MacDonald is the author of Rhode Island Criminal Defense, A Practice Manual (4th Edition), a top rated trial manual used by criminal defense attorneys throughout Rhode Island. See below.

Mr. MacDonald represents clients seeking permanent residence and naturalization. He practices before the Providence Immigration Office and the Boston Immigration Court. For many clients facing deportation, the only recourse is post-conviction relief; that is, vacating the original conviction in state or federal court. Mr. MacDonald has successfully vacated convictions in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. For a review of prior immigration and post-conviction results, see Cases.

Mr. MacDonald is an honors graduate of Suffolk University Law School (1995) and a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Rhode Island (1990). He is admitted to practice in all state courts in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. He is also admitted to practice in the United States District Courts for the Districts of Rhode Island, Massachusetts as well as the First Circuit Court of Appeals.

Criminal Defense

The criminal defense lawyers here have the expertise and experience to successfully represent the accused for crimes from a simple traffic stop to a murder charge. We have represented aggressively and successfully clients facing felony or misdemeanor charges in the state and federal courts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts for cases such as:
- Drug Possession
- Domestic Assault
- Assault and Battery
- Sexual Assault
- DUI
- Molestation
- Criminal Fraud

Immigration

The immigration lawyers of The Law Office of John E. MacDonald, Inc. successfully represent clients at the Boston Immigration Court and Providence Immigration Office. We successfully terminate deportation cases in the Boston Immigration Court. We also help our clients obtain permanent residence through adjustment of status in the United States or consular processing abroad. Clients seeking US citizenship obtain our services to ensure that their petition is filed and approved quickly.

Post Conviction Relief

Attorney John MacDonald works with many clients whose immigration status requires vacating a criminal conviction or modifying the sentence. If you or a family member or friend requires post-conviction relief representation in Massachusetts or Rhode Island for the purpose of ameliorating adverse immigration consequences, contact us today to schedule your free consultation.

Practice Areas

Criminal Defense 30%

Mr. MacDonald represents clients in state and federal court in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. He has aggressively and successfully defended clients charged in every type of criminal case, including capital murder, child molestation, sexual assault, felony assault, domestic assault, patient abuse, bank fraud, mail fraud and wire fraud. Mr. MacDonald is the author of the Rhode Island Criminal Defense Manual (7th Edition), a top-rated manual used throughout the state by criminal defense attorneys.

31 years | 5,000 cases

30%

Immigration 25%

POST CONVICTION RELIEF AND IMMIGRATION: Mr. MacDonald represents clients seeking permanent residence and naturalization. He practices before the Providence Immigration Office and the Boston Immigration Court. For many clients facing deportation, the only recourse is post-conviction relief; that is, vacating the original conviction in state or federal court. Mr. MacDonald has successfully vacated convictions in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. For a review of prior immigration and post-conviction

31 years | 1,500 cases

25%

DUI and DWI 15%

31 years

15%

Domestic Violence 15%

31 years

15%

Sex Crime 15%

31 years

15%

Fees and Rates

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Awards

2025 2024 2023

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+ 9

Avvo Client's Choice Awards

The Avvo Client's Choice Award Badge is granted to attorneys with a significant number of 4+ star reviews in a given year.

Licenses

Licensed in Massachusetts for 23 years

State: Massachusetts

Acquired: 2002

Active

No misconduct found

Licensed in Rhode Island for 30 years

State: Rhode Island

Acquired: 1995

Active

No misconduct found

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Location

Law Office of John E. Macdonald, Inc.

One Turks Head Place, Suite 1440, Providence, RI, 02903

aggressivelegalservices.com/

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John E MacDonald's Reviews

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5.0 /5.0

112 Client Reviews

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5 stars 111

4 stars 0

3 stars 0

2 stars 0

1 star 0

Practice Areas

Criminal Defense (46) Immigration (18) Lawsuits & Disputes (17) Expungement (14) Violent Crime (3) Litigation (2) Sex Crime (2) Civil Rights (1) DUI & DWI (1) Domestic Violence (1) Family (1) Federal Crime (1) Juvenile (1)

What Clients Mention

Case Results (71) Advocacy (49) Recommendation (47) Professionalism (36) Communication Style (30) Practice Area Knowledge (30) Character & Conduct (26) Responsiveness (26) General Knowledge (23) Trustworthiness (18) Compassion (13) Cost of Services (9) Staff & Support (6) Punctuality (3) Free Consultations (1)

Showing 26 - 30 of 30 reviews | Practice Area Knowledge

Posted by anonymous | March 17, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Expungement

Astonishing Results and Honored the Retainer Fee.....

Lawyer John McDonald did a great job representing me in my expungement case , there were several items and conditions that were very important for me to keep, and I was told by two previous lawyers I had an unrealistic expectation of an expungement. When I met with John he told me my expectations wer...e possible with some non-typical strategies. John kept his original price and in the end my expungement case exceeded my expectations. If you need a clever, seasoned, honest, hardworking attorney John McDonald is your man.

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Posted by Mike | February 10, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

John MacDonald - An Exceptional Attorney in Every Way!

Less than 3 months ago (and perhaps like you), I was restlessly searching on line for the best lawyer that I could find to defend my case. I methodically selected one, contacted one, met with one, hired one, proceeded through the court system with one, and recently closed my case with one... And tha...t was John MacDonald. True leadership qualities, a great listener, charismatic, and smart - knows the law and the system. Bottom line, just do it! My misdemeanor charges were importantly reduced, w/zero probation, and a one year filing (meaning off the record in one year... Gone!). In my most wishful imagination, I would have never thought of / or expected such a satisfying result (truly amazing!). Oh BTW, "gone in one year", that expungement to be completed by John as part of our written agreement... Head to Toe, worth every penny! His 20 years of experience in the RI court system is invaluable. John is a man of his word, and fulfilled every expectation of my most ideal lawyer. He has that sort of presence that makes you, the process, and the system feel very comfortable. He also closes with results! His client service is exceptional. As a very concerned and inquisitive person, John always patiently and respectively answered all of my questions. He was always there to respond; via office, email, text, or phone. Important to me, someone by my side at all times. Enough said, you will not be disappointed. I feel so at ease with the outcome of my case. My Family and I are truly happy! Best!

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Posted by Mike | June 30, 2015 | Criminal Defense

Post-Conviction Relief Success

John was successfully able to vacate, dismiss, and expunge my case 1.5 years early via post-conviction relief. I had a Misdemeanor on my record, originally a Felony charge, that was preventing me from entering the workforce. John came up with a legitimate plan with my father and I, gathered all the d...etails and information needed from me, and executed the plan flawlessly. With the odds against us, he came out with a huge victory that changed my life and allowed me to start a career. In fact, my original lawyers on the case both told me it was too early to do anything. John explained the post-conviction relief process to me and said that there was something we could do about it. John is confident, well-spoken, organized, and communicates very well with his clients. He always got back to me in a timely manner and kept me informed of the situation. It is clear that John is a true professional by his words, but more importantly by his actions. From day one, he was honest with me about all potential outcomes. Additionally, he answered every question my father and I had (we had many questions for him). There is no guarantee for your case with any lawyer you choose, however; you want to know that your lawyer is doing everything they can for the best possible outcome. John really does work hard to do everything he can to get the best outcome for his clients. I highly recommend John MacDonald for any post-conviction relief matter as you will be in the hands of a great lawyer with 20+ years of experience.

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Posted by Sadiq Davies | June 04, 2015 | Criminal Defense

Great Lawyer

John was a great guy to deal with. If you looking to vacate your case or want an amazing criminal lawyer you should definitely give John a call. Everything about him is direct and straight-forward. I was caught in a bind with ICE (immigration) and I sort out John for assistance. Luckily before my app...rehension with ICE I retained him as a lawyer. At first I was not sure what lawyer I should select but my gut feeling told me to select John McDonald out of all the candidates I was looking for. If it wasn't for the reviews and his assistant assuring me that John is really good at what he does I probably wouldn't have selected him. To make a long story short, My sister worked with John on my case as I was in ICE custody. John kept her and my family informed with my situation. ICE custody is not a place where no one deserves to be in but in order to fight and be with your family...

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Posted by Matt | June 10, 2013 | Criminal Defense

A first class professional lawyer

After looking around for a lawyer to have a post conviction relief petition filed I had no luck until I came across John MacDonald who not only knew exactly my situation, he had gone through process before and could guarantee results. Thank you John you saved my life...

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John E MacDonald's Lawyer Endorsements

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Given

Endorse John

Brett Beaubien

Criminal defense lawyer | Aug 01

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Ali Ebrahimzadeh

Unknown lawyer | Jan 24

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Monique Kornfeld

Criminal defense lawyer | Dec 19

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"John is an expert in criminal defense and post conviction relief in MA and RI. He serves hiss clients with integrity, intelligence and dedication. I unequivocally recommend him for criminal defense cases."

Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington

Criminal defense lawyer | Oct 13

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Kara Hoopis Manosh

Criminal defense lawyer | May 14

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"John is the expert- he is a mentor to new lawyers and a consummate professional. You are in good hands with this attorney."

Frank Orabona

Criminal defense lawyer | Nov 24

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse Attorney MacDonald. I have tried several cases with Attorney John MacDonald. John is an excellent attorney with a command of the law second to none. He works tirelessly to achieve the best possible results for his clients. Moreover, he is always willing to lend his expertise and assist fellow attorneys."

Joseph Torri

Unknown lawyer | Sep 24

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Anthony Tuorto

Criminal defense lawyer | Jul 03

Relationship: Other

"I endorse this lawyer."

Richard Rosenstein

Unknown lawyer | Jun 05

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Mr. MacDonald is a skilled and respected member of the legal community. He is a zealous advocate for the rights and interests of his clients."

Michael Waddington

Criminal defense lawyer | Jun 05

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse John. He is a highly skilled attorney that is well respected in the legal community."

John Pensa

Criminal defense lawyer | Mar 25

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"John is one of the most experienced criminal defense attorneys in Rhode Island and arguably the best attorney on the market. He has paved the road for success and has excelled in ways that most attorneys can only imagine. I endorse John MacDonald."

Neville Bedford

Immigration lawyer | Oct 06

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"Reliable attorney"

Lawrence Signore

Criminal defense lawyer | Feb 19

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. John cares about his clients and getting them the results they deserve. You would be well served to consult with Mr. MacDonald."

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