Bill > S1276

This bill makes several significant changes to Massachusetts law regarding criminal proceedings and pretrial detention. First, it expands the list of offenses for which the Commonwealth can request a dangerousness hearing, including various felonies, domestic violence-related crimes, certain drug offenses, and specific violations related to weapons and animal abuse. The bill establishes that if a court finds by clear and convincing evidence that no release conditions can ensure public safety, a defendant must be detained before trial. The legislation introduces an annual requirement for the Secretary of Public Safety to analyze prosecutorial and judicial decisions in dangerousness hearings, examining potential disparities by race, gender, and ethnicity. Additionally, the bill creates a voluntary system for defendants to provide cell phone numbers to receive automated court date reminders, mandates that courts and probation services share information about non-financial release conditions with law enforcement, and establishes criminal penalties for individuals who tamper with court-imposed monitoring devices like geolocation trackers. The bill also specifies that a previous violation of tampering with monitoring devices can be used as evidence in future detention hearings, potentially making it more difficult for such individuals to be released pretrial.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S1276