Probably. I'm not a Massachusetts lawyer, but if your friend has been indicted, many states don't require a preliminary hearing because there has already been a finding of probable cause to hold him for trial.It's usually not the best idea to rely too heavily on what you hear about a court case from people who aren't lawyers or otherwise familiar with the process, and sometimes this can include newspaper, tv and internet stories as well.  Even someone without a bias or their own agenda can often misunderstand what is going on.