Bill > H4313

This bill amends existing Massachusetts law concerning the interception of wire and oral communications, which refers to the legal process of monitoring phone calls or conversations. Specifically, it allows law enforcement officials to use modern electronic surveillance methods, such as wiretaps, under strict judicial supervision, when investigating certain illegal acts. This is permitted only after demonstrating that normal investigative procedures have been tried and failed or are unlikely to succeed, and it applies to specific crimes, including those related to organized crime and certain serious offenses not necessarily linked to organized crime, such as first-degree murder and human trafficking. The bill clarifies that the use of these surveillance devices is limited to investigating these "designated offenses" and must be overseen by a judge.