Bill > H1519

This bill amends existing law to enhance courthouse security by establishing new penalties for possessing firearms in courthouses. Specifically, it adds a new subsection to Chapter 269, Section 10 of the General Laws, which defines a "firearm" as any pistol, revolver, rifle, or smoothbore arm capable of discharging a shot, bullet, or pellet. Under this new provision, any person who is not a law enforcement officer on duty and carries a firearm, loaded or unloaded, into a courthouse without written authorization from the trial court administrator and chief justice will face a fine of up to $1,000, up to one year in jail, or both. Furthermore, if the firearm is carried with the intent to use it during the commission of a crime, the penalty increases significantly to imprisonment in state prison for up to five years, or up to two and a half years in jail or a house of correction, or a fine of up to $5,000, or a combination of these penalties. The bill also mandates that notices about these provisions must be clearly posted at every public entrance to courthouses.