Earlier this month, the Supreme Judicial Court held that retirees who engage in certain criminal activity post-retirement may be subject to the pension forfeiture provisions of G.L. c.32, §15(3) and 15(4). The decision, Mahan v. Boston Retirement Board, clarifies that when a retiree is convicted of a crime involving misappropriation of public funds or violation of laws applicable to his former public position, it can result in the loss of retirement benefits even if the indi

G.L. c. 149, § 148B states that a person who provides services is an employee unless three criteria are met – they are not under the control or direction of the person for whom they are providing services, the services are outside the regular scope of the employer’s business, and the engaged person is independently in the trade or business similar to that of the services being provided. IT services are commonly provided to municipalities by workers categorized as independent

Editor’s Note: Please enjoy our guidance from the September 2019 issue concerning First Amendment Audit best practices. There is a well-established right, protected by the First Amendment, to film government officials engaged in their duties in a public place. Glik v. Cunniffe, 655 F.3d 78, 82 (1st Cir. 2011). Pursuant to that right, you may soon have visitors appear at your Town or City Hall, or perhaps your public library, and begin videotaping throughout the space. The vid

Cybersecurity Grants The Department of Homeland Security will distribute over $1 billion over the next four years to assist and protect governmental information systems. The states must apply for the grants, but 80% of the funding must be passed through to local governments. The first deadline for applications is November 15, 2022. If your municipality is interested, you should contact the Governor’s office to inform it of your needs. Clean Energy Grants The Department of Ene