GOAL's Mike Harris is joined by Attorney Dan Hagan. Dan is one of the go-to Second Amendment attorneys in Massachusetts and has been involved in a number of important recent 2A cases including representing Kyle Culotta and the Doran v. Pacunas suitability case. Most importantly, per this video, is Commonwealth v. Santana-Rodriguez where Dan successfully argued to the MA SJC that self-defense be a defense in a transferred intent case. See less

This coming Halloween, next Friday, October 31, 2025, the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security is holding a hearing on 59 firearms-related bills. The hearing will be held in Gardner Auditorium starting at 11:30 AM. 

On October 10, 2025, the Massachusetts Court of Appeals released their opinion on Commonwealth v. Erler which held that criminal defense counsel, even if court appointed, have no duty to warn their client about the 2A implications of a guilty plea if they are charged with a DUI. Meaning that your lawyer has no responsibility to protect ALL of your rights...opening the door to ideological differences to cause potentially serious harm. Attorney Bill Smith laid out the details of the opinion in a recent blog post.

"We conclude that a defendant’s lawful self-defense against an assailant may excuse the killing of an unintended victim, such as an innocent bystander...

Gun Owners’ Action League (GOAL) is thrilled to announce a historic victory in the Commonwealth v. Santana-Rodriguez case. In a tragic turn of events, a man was attacked in the Holyoke Mall and was forced to use his legally possessed handgun for self-defense. Sadly, he missed his target, killed an innocent bystander and was charged with first-degree murder. In the momentous opinion, the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) held that when a person acts in lawful self-defense...

On September 26, 2025 Attorney Dan Hagan went before a district court judge in yet another attempt to get Kyle out on bail. Kyle has been detained in the Worcester County jail since June 24, 2025 for mere possession of firearms without a license while traveling through Massachusetts. He has no criminal record and there were no underlying circumstances other than expired auto insurance.

This is a review of all of the court actions GOAL is currently involved in. 

Commonwealth v. Culotta Update

Kyle Culotta has been held by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for 87 days without bail under the state’s “dangerousness” statute for simply possessing a firearm without a license. As you likely know, GOAL has retained legal counsel for Kyle to both attempt to remedy his unfair circumstance and challenge the validity and harshness ...

I had the incredible honor of joining the Second Amendment Institute (SAI) for the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier...

GOAL has been made aware that the Massachusetts web-based systems for registration and serialization mandates should be online sometime in October 2025. When the systems come online, that will set the compliance timeline in motion.

Legislation would mandate that MassWildlife surrender 30% of lands to be managed by a new “Reserves Scientific Advisory Council”

Gun Owners’ Action League (GOAL) is beyond pleased to hear that the New Hampshire Attorney General is seeking clarification of the Commonwealth’s new gun laws for non-residents in an Amicus Curiae brief regarding the petition for a writ of certiorari in the Commonwealth v. Marquis case. GOAL has also submitted a brief in this case as well.

Gun Owners’ Action League has submitted an Amicus Curiae brief in support of the United States Supreme Court granting a writ of certiorari for Commonwealth v. Marquis. An “Amicus Curiae brief” is a legal argument filed by a “friend of the court,’ or, a third party not directly involved in the case but has a strong interest in the outcome. A “writ of certiorari” is an order from a higher court to a lower court to send up the records of a case for the higher court’s review.

The simple answer is – this case goes to the deep core of the Second Amendment. 

Many in the 2A community have expressed some concern over GOAL’s involvement in Kyle Culotta’s legal case. Kyle, an Air Force veteran with no criminal record is being detained without bail for mere possession of a firearm without a license following a routine traffic stop. He is also facing mandatory minimum prison time if found guilty.

Gun Owners’ Action League (GOAL) along with The National Rifle Association (NRA) have filed a challenge to the Commonwealth’s restrictions on so-called “assault-style” firearms...