Assault & Crimes of Violence at MGM Springfield and Boston Encore Harbor

The highly-anticipated Encore Boston Harbor Casino opens this week in Everett, which means locals are already voicing concerns about the casino’s possible repercussions on the community. One of their main concerns is that the casino and its generous alcohol policies will lead to more violent crime in the area.

Research has indicated that non-casino-goers often perceive casino-goers as violent criminals who will steal to feed their habit, but these fears often do not come to fruition – with several studies reporting no significant relationship between violent or property crime rates and the presence of a casino. Plus, crime statistics over such a short period of time are often unreliable or unrepresentative of actual criminal activity because police are hyper-vigilant in response to pubic concerns. Despite these misplaced fears, local police and casino security staff will likely want to appear “tough on crime” in the subsequent months. If you have been accused of a violent crime while at Boston Encore or MGM Springfield, you should speak to a qualified and experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as possible.

A casino can present an aggravating scenario. More often than not, there is an excess of alcohol, accompanied by frustration at losing money. The most common types of violent crime at casinos include:

• Assault
  • Attempted Battery
  • Immediately Threatened Battery
• Assault and Battery
  • Intentional
  • Reckless

If they have good reason to, the casino security staff may detain you. Their primary purpose in any detention is to obtain incriminating statements from you. Casino security staff are privately employed, which means they are not bound the United States Supreme Court decisions under the Fifth and Sixth Amendments, including Miranda v. Arizona, that you have the right to remain silent, and so on and so forth. You are not required to speak to casino security staff.

Security staff are often poorly trained, and resort to intimidation tactics to obtain information. If you have been detained at the casino and accused of breaking the law, you should (1) assert your right to remain silent, and (2) calmly request to leave, (3) if your request is denied, tell the staff you’d like them to call the police, and (4) if questioning continues, inform the staff that you will not answer any questions without an attorney present.

It may seem counterintuitive to request the police, but the last place you want to find yourself if alone with casino security staff and subject to hours of grueling interrogation. There have been thousands of lawsuits against casinos for false imprisonment and wrongful detention.

Don’t fall prey to their tactics – assert your rights and obtain counsel as soon as possible.

If you are facing an assault / casino-related charge from Encore Boston, MGM Springfield, or any other casino in the state, you should speak with an experienced criminal defense lawyer immediately. The Law Office of Patrick J. Murphy has over twenty-five years of experience defending people accused of violent crimes, like assault and battery. Attorney Patrick J. Murphy's law office is located at One South Market Street, Fourth Floor in downtown Boston, less than a fifteen-minute drive from the Encore Boston Harbor Casino. If you need to discuss your casino charge, Attorney Murphy provides a free and confidential consultation. You can reach the Law Office of Patrick J. Murphy at (617) 367-0450 any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or you can use our online form to set up an appointment.