Lawyers for Violent Stabbings in Worcester
Serving Worcester, Middlesex and Hampden Counties
Stabbings represent the second most common cause of death in homicide cases in Massachusetts, behind only firearms. A stabbing defense attorney at Rudolf, Griffis, Ruggieri & Murray has experience defending clients in cases involving knives or other sharp objects, understanding the specific challenges these cases present at trial.
Why Stabbings Are Different From Gun Crimes
- Availability: Knives are far more readily available and harder to track or register than firearms.
- Effort required: Causing serious harm with a knife typically requires more effort than pulling a trigger.
- Nature of the crime: Stabbing crimes are statistically more likely to be considered crimes of passion.
Because most knives used in these cases are mass produced, it’s often possible to cast doubt on a direct link between a specific knife and the defendant, since many other people in the community could plausibly own an identical one.
Defense Strategy
Given the visceral nature of the evidence in stabbing cases, juries can be quick to turn against a defendant even when the evidence isn’t fully sound. A key defense strategy involves questioning the physical link between the weapon and the accused. In non-fatal stabbing cases without aggravating factors like sexual violence or harm to a child, penalties also tend to be somewhat less severe than comparable gun crimes.