Budget Amendment ID: FY2023-S4-918

JUD 918

Relative to Fentanyl Arrests

Messrs. Fattman and Tarr moved that the proposed new text be amended by adding the following sections:-

“SECTION XX. Section 42 of chapter 276 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting in line 13, after the word “58A”, the following words:- ; and, provided further, that if a person is arrested for a violation of section 32 of chapter 94C for the manufacture, sale or distribution of fentanyl, subsections (c ½) or (c ¾) of section 32E of said chapter 94C or subsection (a) of section 32F of said chapter 94C for the manufacture, sale or distribution of fentanyl, any bail shall be assessed pursuant to sections 57 and 58.

SECTION XX. Section 57 of said chapter 276, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the sixth paragraph the following paragraph:-

Except where prohibited by this section, for any violation of (i) section 32 of chapter 94C for the manufacture, sale or distribution of fentanyl; (ii) subsections (c ½) or (c ¾) of section 32E of said chapter 94C; or (iii) subsection (a) of section 32F of said chapter 94C for the manufacture, sale or distribution of fentanyl, a person arrested, who has attained the age of 18 years, shall not be admitted to bail sooner than 6 hours after arrest, except by a judge in open court. The arrested person shall not be released out of court by a clerk of courts, clerk of a district court, bail commissioner or master in chancery. Any person authorized to take bail for such violation may impose conditions on a person's release in order to ensure the appearance of the person before the court and the safety of the person, any other individual or the community; provided, however, that the person authorized to take bail shall, prior to admitting the person to bail, modifying an existing order of bail or imposing such conditions, have immediate access to all pending and prior criminal offender record information, board of probation records and police and incident reports related to the person detained, upon oral, telephonic, facsimile or electronic mail request, to the extent practicable.

SECTION XX. Section 58 of said chapter 276, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the fifth paragraph the following paragraph:-

Except where prohibited by section 57, for any violation of (i) section 32 of chapter 94C for the manufacture, sale or distribution of fentanyl; (ii) of subsections (c ½) or (c ¾) of section 32E of said chapter 94C; or (iii) subsection (a) of section 32F of said chapter 94C for the manufacture, sale or distribution of fentanyl, a person arrested, who has attained the age of 18 years, shall not be admitted to bail sooner than 6 hours after arrest, except by a judge in open court. The arrested person shall not be released out of court by a clerk of courts, clerk of a district court, bail commissioner or master in chancery. Any person authorized to take bail for such violation may impose conditions on a person's release in order to ensure the appearance of the person before the court and the safety of the person, any other individual or the community; provided, however, that the person authorized to take bail shall, prior to admitting the person to bail, modifying an existing order of bail or imposing such conditions, have immediate access to all pending and prior criminal offender record information, board of probation records and police and incident reports related to the person detained, upon oral, telephonic, facsimile or electronic mail request, to the extent practicable."