Bill > S1041

This bill aims to enhance the rights of crime victims in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It makes several key changes to existing laws: 1. It expands the definition of "victim" to include grandparents and persons with whom the victim lived in a relationship similar to marriage. 2. It allows prosecutors to provide services under the law to any person who suffers direct or threatened harm from a crime or delinquency offense, even if no complaint or indictment has been issued. 3. It gives victims the right to be present and heard at sentencing or the disposition of the case, and to submit a victim impact statement to the parole board. 4. It requires the court to delay sentencing by at least one business day if the victim is unavailable or not present when the defendant pleads or is found guilty, to give the victim the opportunity to be present and heard. 5. It gives victims the right to be notified by the probation officer of any violation of probation hearing, sentencing after a finding of violation, or motion to modify the probation sentence. The bill also establishes a special commission to evaluate policies and procedures related to the current bail system and recommend improvements to notification services for victims and their families when an offender is released from custody.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S1041