Philip G. Cormier has been practicing law since 1989. Mr. Cormier’s litigation practice in the state and federal courts is concentrated in the areas of criminal defense, the First Amendment, and students’ rights.

Criminal cases he has defended have involved individuals and organizations charged with white collar offenses and street crimes, including tax evasion, FDA and EPA regulatory offenses, money laundering, larceny, embezzlement, fraud, drug offenses, motor vehicle homicide, firearms offenses, and murder. He regularly represents students in academic and disciplinary proceedings in secondary schools, colleges and universities, as well as in court-related proceedings. He also represents attorneys and other licensed professionals who have been charged in disciplinary proceedings and related matters.

Mr. Cormier’s First Amendment work involves a variety of cases in which the government and other authorities have attempted to censor individuals or limit their rights to free speech and expression, including attempts to censor locally produced television shows, restrictions on commercial advertising, and censorship of students, teachers and faculty members.

Mr. Cormier has extensive experience with the use of DNA testing, forensic investigation, and crime scene

reconstruction in the defense of criminal cases. He is responsible for overseeing the DNA testing for the defense in United States v. Jeffrey R. MacDonald, M.D., in which he and his firm are seeking to re-open Dr. MacDonald’s case and overturn his convictions for murder. Mr. Cormier and his firm were successful in re-opening Dr. MacDonald’s habeas corpus proceedings and obtained one of the first post-conviction DNA testing orders issued by a federal court. In 2003, Mr. Cormier obtained the reversal by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts of the conviction of his client Kareed Baker for first-degree murder, involving the death of Mr. Baker’s infant son, based on DNA and other forensic testing that was conducted post-trial. Commonwealth v. Kareed Baker, 440 Mass. 519 (2003). He regularly represents clients in appellate and post-conviction matters that require forensic, medical and mental health investigations. Mr. Cormier and his firm also have extensive experience in the defense of computer crimes and computer forensic investigations, and have used such expertise to uncover exculpatory evidence beneficial to their clients.

 
Illustrative Cases:

• Prevention of prosecution for unlawful possession of a firearm based on innocent mistake as to licensing requirements.

• Successfully persuaded authorities not to indict young client for motor vehicle homicide involving the death of a pedestrian by proving to authorities that the client was not negligent or reckless in his driving.

• Successfully prevented prosecution of clients investigated by the IRS for alleged gift/estate tax fraud.

• Persuaded authorities not to prosecute individuals and organization that received state development grants by demonstrating that the clients’ project had failed due to unforeseen expenses and lack of expected private funds.

• Successfully defended at trial, and subsequently prevented reprosecution of the former COO of Enterasys Systems Networks, Inc, in alleged securities fraud charges.

• Prevented college student from being expelled and obtained his readmission and his degree after university falsely charged him with academic misconduct (cheating).

• Prevented medical school from punishing and expelling student who had legitimate medical disability.

• Obtained dismissal of date-rape charges made against college student by university on the eve of graduation by demonstrating that the complainant’s accusations were false.

• Prevention of prosecution of Norwegian Cruise Lines ship’s engineer for alleged federal environmental violations involving oil contaminated discharges at sea.

• Successfully litigated numerous dispositions on behalf of students and other clients resulting in the dismissal of felony charges that included armed robbery, larceny, mayhem resulting in disfigurement, illegal betting, possession of firearms without a license, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and distribution of drugs in a school zone.

• Represented professional blackjack players charged with offenses involving the use of aliases.

• Successfully persuaded public school authorities not to punish student who exercised his First Amendment rights and obtained written apology for the student and his family from administrators and faculty.

• Obtained dismissal of reckless driving charges and assault and battery lodged by city fireman by demonstrating, through video evidence, that the client never struck the fireman with his car.

• Prevented federal indictment of individual investigated for alleged participation in multi-million dollar fraud involving F.W. Woolworth’s real estate department.

• Represented private investigator against government’s attempt to compel the investigator to testify before a grand jury about the defense investigation in a murder case.

• Obtained dismissal of charges lodged against restaurant manager for alleged embezzlement.

 

Mr. Cormier is a 1989 graduate of Northeastern University School of Law (J.D.) and a 1983 graduate of

Bates College (B.A Political Science).  He is a member of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal

Defense Lawyers and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.  He is admitted to practice

In Massachusetts, the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the United States Court

of Appeals for the First Circuit, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.