SENATE DOCKET, NO. 131        FILED ON: 1/12/2009

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1727

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act relative to eliminating presumed personal recognizance for certain defendants..

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. Section 58 of chapter 276 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2000 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “court”, in line 13, the following sentence:- It shall be presumed that any person who has been admitted to bail on an offense and released, and failed on one or more occasion to appear at any court proceeding relating to that offense, without sufficient excuse, will not appear before the court if admitted to bail on personal recognizance without surety.

SECTION 2. Section 58 of Chapter 276 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2000 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “hours”, in line 76, the following sentence:- Said fees collected from the defendant, whom has failed to appear on the date specified before the court,  shall be administered to the town in which the said offense occurred..