Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly reports the court will once again take up the issue of certifications by lab technicians being introduced into court without testimony by the technicians themselves.

Last year, the court ruled 5-4 in a Boston case that this was unconstitutional. Since then, the Massachusetts Appeals Court has overturned a number of convictions in cases where it said the certification played a key role in guilty findings.

Next week, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a Virginia case in which such documents helped convict somebody who had declined to seek testimony from the expert who prepared them. David Souter, one of the five justices who ruled against arguments by Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, retired after the Melendez-Diaz decision.

Some former state rep from Holliston who has conservatives all aswoon.

Got this e-mail from MBCR regarding a change in policy about exiting trains.

Customer Service Notice

Control Coach Changes

Monday, January 11, 2010!

Effective January 11, 2010, except in the case of emergency, customers will no longer be allowed to enter or exit from the “operating end” of the control coach. The engineer operates the train from this location on inbound trips. Upon arrival into Boston, there are mandatory safety duties for engineers to perform which do not allow for foot traffic through the operating end of these coaches.

Signs will be placed on the coach door on that end of all control cars to remind customers of this rule.

Please enter and exit only through a door that is attended by a crewmember.

We appreciate that there will be some inconvenience to our passengers that are accustomed to using the control car exit door, but for safety reasons we must enforce this new policy.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Given this has NEVER been an issue in the past, it sounds like the lawyers are dictating operating policy again. I've noted this week that they've already started placing "Authorized Personnel Only" decals on the internal cab car doors.

As I recall, MBCR tried enforcing a similar rule about eight or nine months ago - that lasted all of a week.