AN ACT RELATIVE TO SAFETY AT THE JOHN ADAMS COURTHOUSE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 221 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 69, as appearing in the 2006 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following 2 sections:-
Section 69. Not more than 4 deputy sheriffs or court officers shall receive compensation for attendance upon a sitting of the superior court for civil business or for both civil and criminal business unless the presiding justice or the district attorney requests, in writing, that the chief justice for administration and management procure the attendance for the whole or a portion of any such sitting of an additional number. Not more than 6 deputy sheriffs, court officers or constables shall receive compensation for attendance upon a sitting of the superior court for criminal business unless the district attorney requests, in writing, that the chief justice for administration and management procure the attendance for the whole or a portion of any such sitting of an additional number.
Section 69A. (a) The chief justice of the supreme judicial court shall appoint, and may remove for cause, the chief court officer, the assistant chief court officer and the court officers of the supreme judicial court, who shall be responsible for security in all areas of the John Adams courthouse occupied by the supreme judicial court and in all areas of any other building occupied permanently by the supreme judicial court. The chief justice shall provide for the discipline, assignment and supervision of those court officers and define their duties.
(b) The chief justice of the appeals court shall appoint, and may remove for cause, the chief court officer, the assistant chief court officer and the court officers of the appeals court, who shall be responsible for security in all areas of the John Adams courthouse occupied by the appeals court and in all areas of any other building occupied permanently by the appeals court. The chief justice shall provide for the discipline, assignment and supervision of those court officers and define their duties.
(c) The chief justice for administration and management shall assign such associate court officers to the John Adams courthouse as are sufficient to meet the security needs of the John Adams courthouse, including those spaces not occupied permanently by the supreme judicial court or the appeals court.
(d) The chief court officer of the supreme judicial court shall be the senior person in charge of security for the John Adams courthouse. The chief court officer of the supreme judicial court shall coordinate the security of the John Adams courthouse with the chief court officer of the appeals court and the director of security of the administrative office of the trial court or other representative as the chief justice for administration and management may designate.
SECTION 2. Section 70 of said chapter 221, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-
If a trial court department shall locate to the John Adams courthouse, the chief justice for administration and management shall assign such security personnel, who may be court officers or associate court officers, as are sufficient to meet the security needs in the areas of the John Adams courthouse occupied by any such trial court department.
SECTION 3. Said chapter 221 is hereby further amended by striking out section 70A, as so appearing, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
Section 70A. Court officers and those authorized to act as court officers within the judicial branch may perform police duties and have police powers in or about the areas of the court to which they have been assigned when so designated by the chief justice for administration and management, the chief justice of the supreme judicial court or the chief justice of the appeals court, as appropriate.
SECTION 4. Section 71 of said chapter 221, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 4 and 5, the words “and one such court officer shall be designated to act as chief deputy sheriff for attendance on the appeals court in Suffolk county”.
SECTION 5. Said section 71 of said chapter 221, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 8, the words “supreme judicial and superior courts” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- superior court.
SECTION 6. Section 71A of said chapter 221, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the third sentence.
SECTION 7. Section 72 of said chapter 221, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “justice”, in line 5, the following words:- or, with respect to court officers of the supreme judicial court and the appeals court, their respective chief justices.
SECTION 8. Said section 72 of said chapter 221, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out the second sentence.
Approved August 4, 2008