In 2021, KH, a 41 year old woman, and her husband separated. After the separation, KH moved to Florida. After KH moved to Florida, she began a campaign of harassing her husband. The Husband went to Haverhill District Court and was given an Harassment Prevention Order against KH. The order was served on KH in Florida and the order ordered her not to contact her husband. For a number of days after being served with the order, KH violated the order by repeatedly texting and calling her husband. The Haverhill Police took out three criminal charges of Violating the Order against KH. The Haverhill District Court issued three warrants for KH’s arrest. KH remained in FL.
As the years passed, KH and her husband got divorced and the harassing behaviors by KH stopped. KH wanted to get the warrants cleared and the cases resolved, but was worried that if she came to Massachusetts she would be locked up. KH contacted and retained Attorney Robert Lewin from Andover. Most of the courts in eastern Massachusetts will not even put a criminal case that is in warrant status on the court calendar for a hearing before a judge if the person is not present.
Attorney Lewin contacted the DA’s Office; the DA said they would object to any attempt to deal with KH’s cases until she came in person to Haverhill District Court to clear the warrants. Attorney Lewin filed a Motion to Clear the warrants and allow KH to appear remotely in court via zoom. The DA objected to the Motion and in early January of 2026 a Judge in Haverhill District Court denied the request to cancel the warrants without KH coming into court in person.
Attorney Lewin contacted KH’s now ex-husband. He told Attorney Lewin that he had no interest in seeing his ex-wife prosecuted and he had absolutely no objection to the cases being dismissed. Attorney Lewin then went back to the Assistant DA and asked the DA’s office to speak with the ex-husband. In addition, Attorney Lewin explained to the DA that KH had mental health issues, was not working, and coming to Massachusetts presented a real hardship for her. Attorney Lewin just refused to give up.
On Friday. February 6, 2026, Attorney Lewin went over to Haverhill District Court and spoke again directly with the Assistant DA. The DA was coming around to Attorney Lewin’s position and suggested putting the cases on the criminal list again. On Monday, February 9, 2026, Attorney Lewin appeared in Haverhill District Court. KH was on the Zoom. (The Assistant Clerk-Magistrate in the session told Attorney Lewin that KH had to be there in person to clear the warrants. Attorney Lewin was not deterred.) The case was called. Attorney Lewin explained to the Judge the entire situation. That KH lived in FL; that KH’s now ex-husband wanted the cases dismissed; that the harassing behavior had stopped four years ago; that KH had mental health issues for which she had been hospitalized; and that it would present a real hardship for KH to come to Massachusetts. The Judge then adopted Attorney Lewin’s request. The judge ordered the three warrants cancelled and the Judge ordered all three criminal complaints against KH DISMISSED, prior to arraignment.
The significance of the cases being dismissed prior to arraignment is that the cases do NOT get entered into the Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) system. These three cases which were in warrant status will never appear in KH’s criminal record.
This was a very unusal result. Most Massachusetts District Courts will not even allow a case in warrant status to be put on the court list until the accused physically comes to court and appears in person. But – as he always does – Attorney Lewin persevered. The worst the Judge could say is no. But in this rare case the Judge said yes.
Attorney Robert Lewin began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in the Middlesex County D.A.’s office. He left the DA’s Office in 1974 and for the last 52 years has limited his practice to criminal defense. There are very few criminal lawyers who bring the years of experience and knowledge of the law and just plain fight and persistence to every case and client that Attorney Lewin brings.