Skip to Content
December 21, 2024 Clouds | 28°F
The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Section 58B: Revocation of release and detention order following violation of release conditions

Section 58B. A person who has been released after a hearing pursuant to sections 42A, 58, 58A or 87 and who has violated a condition of his release, shall be subject to a revocation of release and an order of detention. The judicial officer shall enter an order of revocation and detention if after a hearing the judicial officer finds (1) that there is probable cause to believe that the person has committed a federal or state crime while on release, or clear and convincing evidence that the person has violated any other condition of release; and (2) the judicial officer finds that there are no conditions of release that will reasonably assure the person will not pose a danger to the safety of any other person or the community; or the person is unlikely to abide by any condition or combination of conditions of release.

If there is probable cause to believe that, while on release, the person committed a federal felony or an offense described in clause (1), a rebuttable presumption arises that no condition or combination of conditions will assure that the person will not pose a danger to the safety of any other person or the community. If the judicial officer finds that there are conditions of release that will assure that the person will not pose a danger to the safety of any other person or the community, and that the person will abide by such conditions, the judicial officer shall treat the person in accordance with the provisions of this section and may amend the conditions of release accordingly. Upon the person's first appearance before the judicial officer in the court which will conduct proceedings for revocation of an order of release under this section, the hearing concerning revocation shall be held immediately unless that person or the attorney for the commonwealth seeks a continuance. During a continuance the person shall be detained without bail unless the judicial officer finds that there are conditions of release that will reasonably assure that the person will not pose a danger to the safety of any other person or the community and that the person will abide by conditions of release. If the person is detained without bail, except for good cause, a continuance on motion of the person shall not exceed seven days, a continuance on motion of the attorney for the commonwealth or probation shall not exceed three business days. A person detained under this subsection, shall be brought to trial as soon as reasonably possible, but in the absence of good cause, a person so held shall not be detained for a period exceeding ninety days excluding any period of delay as defined in Massachusetts Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule 36(b)(2).