John A. Amabile
LEGAL EXPERIENCE
July, 1988 to present Amabile & Burkly, P.C., Boston, MA
Principal in a general practice firm that concentrates in civil and criminal litigation.
July 1986 to June 1988 Law Office of John A. Amabile, Boston, MA.
Sole practitioner with a concentration in criminal defense matters and plaintiff's tort litigation.
July 1982 to July 1986 Massachusetts Department of the Attorney General, Criminal Bureau, Boston, MA.
Assistant Attorney General. Represented the Commonwealth in criminal cases concentrating in environmental crime, public corruption and white-collar crime.
September 1978 to July 1982 Roxbury Defenders Committee, Inc.
Superior Court Staff Attorney. Represented indigent clients in Roxbury District Court and Suffolk Superior Court on serious felonies including aggravated rape, armed robbery, attempted murder, arson, narcotics, and weapons charges.
EDUCATION
May 1978 J.D., Boston College Law School
Newton Centre, Massachusetts
May 1975 B.A., University of Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
BAR MEMBERSHIPS
December 1978 Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts
February1979 U.S. District Court, District of MA
March 1979 U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
March 2001 U.S. District Court, Colorado
July 2001 U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
December 2002 U.S. Supreme Court
BIOGRAPHY AND CASE PROFILES
In his thirty years in practice, Attorney John Amabile has handled and tried hundreds of cases in State and Federal Courts, primarily in the Boston metropolitan area, but also having appeared in every Massachusetts County, and at all levels from District Court, through appeals to the Supreme Judicial Court. He has handled both civil and criminal cases from minor traffic and small personal injury matters to 1st degree murder and multi million dollar personal injury cases. He has represented both plaintiffs and defendants. He has represented litigants in Probate Court on will contests and divorce cases, and Land Court on matters involving real estate disputes. He has also advocated for clients before administrative agencies like the Industrial Accident Board, the Department of Employment and Training, the Ballot Law Commission, the Commission against Discrimination, and local boards and agencies.
He has provided personal service to clients on matters large and small, and has a demonstrated capability to both litigate and negotiate matters to a successful conclusion. He has represented people of all economic levels and backgrounds, and has demonstrated an ability to be patient and respectful to his clients, many of whom have come to him with very serious problems.
PERSONAL INJURY CASES
During his career, he has handled literally hundreds of personal injury cases, primarily for the claimant, but also numerous cases for the defendant. These include auto accident cases, medical malpractice, and premises liability matters.
CRIMINAL CASES
Attorney Amabile has defended and prosecuted criminal cases over a thirty year career. He has handled hundreds of cases, including traffic matters, operating under the influence of alcohol, drug charges, domestic and sexual assault cases, robbery, firearms violation, arson, environmental crimes, theft and embezzlement, conspiracy, commercial bribery, internet copyright infringement, and homicide matters. Some highlights follow.
First Degree Murder Cases
Since 2001, attorney Amabile has tried eight first degree murder cases, with six resulting in verdicts of not guilty. Four of the cases were in Boston, two in Brockton, and two in New Bedford.
Operating under the influence of Alcohol
Dozens of cases, both negotiated and tried to judges and juries, including a recent case where a defendant wit a .17 breathalyzer reading was found not guilty.
Vehicular Homicide
Defense of a truck driver involved in a fatal accident, alleged to have driven with defective brakes. Found not guilty by a jury.
Defense of a student involved in a fatal accident alleged to have been driving at 30 mph over the speed limit found not guilty.
Embezzlement Cases
Case involving the alleged theft of in excess of $25,000,000.
Case involving the alleged theft of in excess of $250,000.
Attorney Amabile was born in New York City on Valentine's Day, 1954. He has also lived in Colorado and California, and moved to Massachusetts, where he has lived since the start of law school in 1975. He is married with one son in college. He enjoys skiing, motor cycle riding (1974 Harley Sportster) and sailing.