PRO

Licensed for 30 years

Criminal defense Lawyer at Providence, RI
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, Immigration, DUI & DWI ... +2 more

Virtual Consultation Available

About John

Biography

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

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer

Contact for Details

Awards

2025 2024 2023

...

+ 9

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

Overall Rating
This is an aggregated review score of Avvo and Lawyers.com reviews.

5.0 /5.0

111 Client Reviews

Avvo

5.0

(110)

Lawyers.com

5.0

(1)

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5 star

(110)

4 star

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1 star

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Showing 1 - 5 of 110 client reviews from Avvo

Posted by Jane | February 4, 2026 | Hired Attorney

Outstanding legal representation

I am incredibly grateful for John’s dedication and expertise. He went above and beyond, always made time for my questions, and treated my case as if it was his own. An exceptional lawyer and an even better human. He took the time to truly listen and explained every step clearly. I felt supported an...d confident throughout the entire process. If you want someone who genuinely cares and delivers results, look no further. His level of professionalism and care was exceptional. Extremely knowledgeable, responsive, and results-driven. Highly recommended

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Posted by Ed | January 23, 2026 | Hired Attorney

Best Defense Lawyer in Rhode Island

My son was falsely charged with a serious crime and held without bail. Our family was in an unfamiliar and terrifying situation. I contacted the law office of John MacDonald. John promptly returned my call and calmed our fears as he explained what he could do to help us. He acted immediately by vis...iting our son at the facility and started working on his case. After being denied bail, John immediately scheduled a bail hearing for later the same week. John’s expert knowledge of the law, commanding presence and quick thinking in the courtroom made all the difference in getting our son released on bail. John showed our family incredible compassion during one of the most difficult times of our life. He is still there for us by keeping us updated and informed as the case moves forward. I highly recommend John Macdonald, he has been a tremendous asset and comfort to our family during this most difficult time.

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Posted by Glendon Goldsboro Jr | November 6, 2025 | Hired Attorney

10/10

John Macdonald is more than a lawyer—he is a dedicated friend and advocate (10/10) To anyone looking for a lawyer, a friend, and someone who will do their due diligence to make sure you come out on top, this is the lawyer you want.I was arrested for felony assault with a deadly weapon and two coun...ts of felony assault. What I thought was self-defense quickly turned into a nightmare. My father reached out to John Macdonald, and he got right to work. He was incredibly informative about every move he was making on my behalf, describing every possible scenario for whichever way I decided to go. John helped me get the charges reduced to one count of felony assault, and instead of facing jail time, I received a 5-year suspended sentence. Throughout the years, he stayed in contact with my family and me, making sure every step of the way was handled with ease. The Ultimate Second Chance Now, at 35, I reached out to him again to have my record expunged and explained my goal to become a Federal Police Officer. After a few short weeks, I received the email I had been looking forward to for half my life: my record is expunged! I am now a free citizen, acting as one, and I have taken the initiative to give back to the community and help others in similar situations. I am now on my way to join the January Academy to become a Federal Police Officer within a detention center. I can't thank John enough for all the hard work and dedicated time he put into my case, and into my life, still to this day! Sincerely, from a true friend and client: Thank you, John Macdonald. I highly recommend him for any criminal case you are facing. 10/10.

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Posted by Jay | October 22, 2025 | Hired Attorney

A man of character.

John Macdonald is an outstanding attorney and an even better person. From day one, he treated me with honesty, professionalism, and compassion. John guided me through an incredibly difficult and stressful time with clarity and confidence, always making sure I understood every step of the process. He... was fully prepared, thoughtful in his approach, and deeply committed to the truth. I’m grateful for how he stood by me, believed in me, and represented me with integrity. If you ever find yourself in need of a lawyer who truly cares about his clients and fights for fairness, I can’t recommend John MacDonald highly enough.

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Posted by David | August 6, 2025 | Hired Attorney

Attourney John E. MacDonal authored the book, Rhode Island Criminal Defense.

Attorney John E. MacDonald is an expert criminal defense attorney who made me feel comfortable, putting my mind at ease within the first few minutes of his cost free initial consultation. Mr. MacDonald's responsiveness to my call for help was immediate. My initial contact with his office w...as on a Saturday. Mr. MacDonald returned my call that same day during his non business hours and listened to my concerns. He took his time to to gather information specific to my situation and answer my questions. His responsiveness to my need for help was outstanding. Mr. MacDonald gave me his cell phone from the get go to ensure his availability at any time during the process. Mr. MacDonald always made time to explain the process I would go through and the options available to me. He is compassionate, nonjudemental and clearly dedicated to providing his clients with a top notch defense. In the court room he is quick on his feet and clearly well respected by clerks, prosecutors and judges. Thanks to Mr. MacDonald's expert knowledge of criminal defense, my case was resolved expeditiously with great leniency from the court. I am sincerely thankful to have found John, as he gave me back my pre-court peaceful life. John has my strongest recommendation and my greatest appreaciation.

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John E MacDonald's Lawyer Endorsements

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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