Grace Edwards

Admissions

• Massachusetts
• United States Patent and Trademark Office Registration #52852 (2003)

Education

• J.D. Massachusetts School of Law
• M.B.A. Suffolk University
• B.S., Chemistry, Regis College

 2023 – Not Guilty Verdict – Sexual Assault

The client was charged with a sexual assault on a minor in the Salem District Court.  If found guilty, the client would be facing 2.5 years in the house of correction and have to register as a sex offender.  It is alleged that the client slapped the buttocks of a young girl who worked with him at a local grocery store.

The alleged offense was not captured on video and there were no witnesses.  The Defense argued that it was physically impossible for the client to have performed the act based on the physical layout of the area.  

After a two-day trial, the jury deliberated for 25 minutes and found the client not guilty.

2023 – Not Guilty Verdict – Animal Cruelty Charge

The client was charged with animal cruelty in the Salem District Court.

At trial, the government witnesses included a forensic veterinary pathologist who testified that the cat’s injuries were not consistent with being hit by a car or truck, given that the only injuries were to the cat’s head, including skull fractures, bleeding and an eye that was dislocated from its socket.

Grace argued the cat, who was first seen by the sidewalk next to a utility pole, wrapped in a towel, had likely been hit by a passing vehicle and left by the side of the road.  She cross-examined the government witness and was able to get one government witness to admit that the defense theory was possible.

After a two-day trial, the jury spent 90 minutes deliberating before returning their verdict finding the client not guilty of the charges.

2023 – Not Guilty Verdict – Strangulation and Assault and Battery

The client was charged and charged with Assault and Battery and Strangulation of his ex-girlfriend in the Salem District Court.

After a trial where Grace tenaciously cross-examined the ex-girlfriend, the jury returned a not guilty verdict on all charges.

2023 – Charges Dismissed – OUI Drugs

The client was charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs and colliding head-on with an ambulance carrying a patient in the Salem District Court.

The government’s witness was a Drug Recognition Expert who would testify that the client was under the influence of Suboxone and other drugs when he was driving.  After a hearing, where Grace cross-examined the Drug Recognition Expert, the Court ruled the Drug Recognition Expert could not testify at trial.  As a result, the government could not proceed and dismissed the case before trial.

2022 – Not Guilty Verdict – Gun and Ammunition Charges

The client was charged and charged with illegal possession of a loaded handgun and ammunition without a valid FID card in the Gloucester District Court.

The government witnesses included police officers and a ballistics expert.  During a vigorous cross-examination of the police officers, Grace exposed that the police did not follow proper procedure.

After a three-day trial, the client was found not guilty of the gun charges.

2022 – Charges Dismissed – Gun Charges

The client was charged with improper storage of a firearm, possession of ammunition without an FID card, and possession of a firearm without an FID card in the Salem District Court.

Before a trial was scheduled, Grace argued the search warrant that was issued allowing police officers to search the client’s home was based on stale information should not have been issued.  The Court agreed and all charges were dismissed.

2022 – Not Guilty Verdict – Intimidation of a Witness

The client was charged with intimidating a witness in the Salem District Court.

The government alleged the client intimidated his girlfriend when he called her from the Middleton House of Correction and made suggestive statements which the government said was evidence of his intent to prevent her from testifying at his previous trial.  During trial, the government played the jail calls and after cross-examination of the girlfriend, Grace was able to convince the Court that these calls were not intimidating or coercive.

At the conclusion of trial, the Court found the client not guilty of this felony charge.

2021 – Alternative Verdict – First Degree Murder

The client and his co-defendant, were charged with first degree premeditated murder after a street fight where the client was alleged to have punched and kicked a man to death. Grace sat as second-chair trial counsel on this nine-day murder trial in Bristol County Superior Court.

The defense argued that the man was so intoxicated at the time of the incident that he fell backwards, hitting his head on the sidewalk, and he died from blunt force trauma when his head hit the sidewalk. The defense used enhanced video obtained from a building across the street to show the movements of the client, his co-defendant, and the man during the alleged incident. Both the government and the defense presented expert testimony that supported their theory of how the man died and the trial included the jury traveling to the scene of the incident.

After the jury deliberated, they found the client was responsible for the death of the man but without premeditation. The client was found guilty of second-degree murder and after his sentence the client has the possibility of parole.

2020 – Not Guilty – OUI, Fourth Offense

The client was charged with a fourth offense of OUI which carries mandatory jail time of 1 year and up to 5 years in the House of Correction.  He was also charged with leaving the scene of an accident with property damage.

The government argued that a white mark on the damaged vehicle was white paint that had transferred from the client’s car to the damaged vehicle during the accident and this mark proved the client was impaired and responsible for the accident.  Grace then cross-examined the police officer who admitted they did not test the white mark to determine if it was paint and matched paint from the client’s vehicle and they were unable to determine when the white mark was transferred to the damaged vehicle. 

After the government concluded their portion of the trial, Grace successfully convinced the Court to dismiss the leaving the scene of an accident with property damage charge and the jury was only to deliberate on the fourth offense OUI.

During cross-examination of the police officer, Grace was able to elicit testimony that the police officer did not consider pre-existing injuries to the client’s leg when he evaluated the client’s performance on field sobriety tests.

After a brief deliberation, the client was found not guilty of an OUI, Fourth Offense.

2019 – Alternative Verdict – First Degree Murder

The client was charged in Essex County Superior Court with first degree premeditated murder after it was alleged the client repeatedly stabbed his neighbor to death with a machete after a fight about money.

Grace sat as second-chair trial counsel and her role was to prepare the client to testify on his behalf at trial.  She also drafted requests to the Court to exclude certain government evidence and statements which were successfully argued at trial.

After the jury deliberated, they found the client responsible for the death of his neighbor but without premediation.  The client was found guilty of second-degree murder and client is eligible for parole after his sentence is finished. 

2019 – Not Guilty Verdict – Assault and Battery on an Elderly Person

The client was charged with Assault and Battery on an elderly person who lived in the same rooming house after they had an argument about stolen medication.

After a trial, the jury found the client not guilty of all charges.

• 2018 Essex County Bar Association
• 2018-2024 Super Lawyers Rising Star

Memberships

• Essex County Bar Advocate Program
• Greater Cape Ann Bar Association
• Massachusetts Association for Trial Attorneys
• Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• National College for DUI Defense