Massachusetts

Massachusetts General Laws — Part IV, Title I, Crimes and Punishments

768 sections, each with the official text and a plain-English explanation of what it means for you.

• § 263:1 — Nature of crime; right to be informed; penalty
• § 263:1A — Fingerprinting and photographing; contents of record; audits
• § 263:2 — Arrest on false pretense; penalty
• § 263:3 — False imprisonment; actions against officers
• § 263:4 — Prosecution of crimes; manner
• § 263:4A — Waiver of indictment; procedure
• § 263:5 — Counsel; right of accused
• § 263:5A — Driving while intoxicated; right to medical examination; notice
• § 263:6 — Conviction; manner; waiver of jury trial
• § 263:7 — Acquittal; effect on subsequent charges
• § 263:8 — Acquittal on defective pleadings; subsequent indictment
• § 263:8A — Acquittal on merits in district court or housing courts of city of Boston and county of Worcester; effect
• § 263:9 — Punishment; conditions precedent
• § 264:1 — Treason defined
• § 264:10A — Uniforms; penalty for unlawful use
• § 264:11 — Promotion of anarchy; prohibition
• § 264:14A — Educational activities; participation; exchange teachers; necessity of oath
• § 264:16 — Subversive organization defined
• § 264:16A — Communist Party
• § 264:17 — Subversive organizations; prohibition
• § 264:18 — Subversive organizations; actions to enjoin; duty of attorney general
• § 264:19 — Subversive organization; knowingly becoming or remaining member; penalty
• § 264:2 — Penalty for treason
• § 264:20 — Public office; ineligibility of certain persons; removal of disability
• § 264:21 — Subversive organizations; destruction or concealment of books; penalty
• § 264:22 — Subversive organization; knowingly permitting to use building; penalty
• § 264:23 — Subversive organizations; contribution; penalty
• § 264:3 — Misprision of treason; penalty
• § 264:4 — Treason; manner of conviction
• § 264:5 — Flag; penalty for misuse
• § 264:6 — Flag; use in print in certain cases
• § 264:7 — Foreign flags; misuse; penalty
• § 264:8 — Foreign flag; display; penalty; exception
• § 264:9 — National anthem; manner of playing
• § 265:1 — Murder defined
• § 265:10 — Prize fight; aiding or promoting; penalty
• § 265:11 — Prize fight; appointment within and fight without state; penalty
• § 265:12 — Boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts or other unarmed combative sporting matches or sparring exhibitions; penalty
• § 265:13 — Manslaughter; punishment; business organization as defendant
• § 265:13A — Assault or assault and battery; punishment
• § 265:13B — Indecent assault and battery on child under age of 14; penalties
• § 265:13C — Assault and battery to collect loan; penalty
• § 265:13D — Assault and battery upon public employees; attempt to disarm police officer; assault and battery upon a police officer; penalties
• § 265:13F — Indecent assault and battery on a person with an intellectual disability; assault and battery
• § 265:13G — Commission of a felony for hire; additional punishment
• § 265:13H — Indecent assault and battery on person fourteen or older; penalties
• § 265:13I — Assault or assault and battery on emergency medical technician, ambulance operator, ambulance attendant or health care provider
• § 265:13J — Assault and battery upon a child; penalties
• § 265:13K — Assault and battery upon an elderly person or a person with a disability; definitions; penalties
• § 265:13L — Wanton or reckless behavior creating a risk of serious bodily injury or sexual abuse to a child; duty to act; penalty
• § 265:13M — Assault or assault and battery on a family or household member; second or subsequent offense; penalty
• § 265:13N — Transmission of conviction information for misdemeanor offense having as element the use or attempted use of physical force or the threatened use of deadly weapon where victim or intended victim was family or household member to department of criminal justice information services
• § 265:14 — Mayhem; punishment
• § 265:15 — Assault; intent to murder or maim; penalty
• § 265:15A — Assault and battery with dangerous weapon; victim sixty or older; punishment; subsequent offenses
• § 265:15B — Assault with dangerous weapon; victim sixty or older; punishment; subsequent offenses
• § 265:15C — Assault by means of hypodermic syringe or needle; assault and battery by means of hypodermic syringe or needle
• § 265:15D — Strangulation or suffocation; penalty; aggravating factors; batterer's intervention program
• § 265:15E — Assault and battery by discharge of firearm; penalty
• § 265:15F — Attempt to commit assault and battery by discharge of firearm; penalty
• § 265:16 — Attempt to murder
• § 265:17 — Armed robbery; punishment
• § 265:18 — Assault with intent to rob or murder; weapons; punishment; victim sixty years or older; minimum sentence for repeat offenders
• § 265:18A — Dangerous weapon; assault in dwelling house; punishment
• § 265:18B — Use of firearms while committing a felony; second or subsequent offenses; punishment
• § 265:18C — Entry of dwelling place; persons present within; weapons; punishment
• § 265:19 — Robbery by unarmed person; punishment; victim sixty or older; minimum sentence for repeat offenders
• § 265:2 — Punishment for murder; parole; executive clemency
• § 265:20 — Simple assault; intent to rob or steal; punishment
• § 265:21 — Stealing by confining or putting in fear
• § 265:21A — Assault, confinement, etc. of person for purpose of stealing motor vehicle; weapons; punishment
• § 265:22 — Rape, generally; weapons; punishment; eligibility for furlough, education, training or employment programs; offenses committed by law enforcement officer against person in his or her custody
• § 265:22A — Rape of child; punishment
• § 265:22B — Rape of a child during commission of certain offenses or by use of force; penalties
• § 265:22C — Rape of a child through use of force by certain previously convicted offenders; penalties
• § 265:22D — False representation by health care provider or clergy to induce patient or client to engage in sexual intercourse
• § 265:23 — Rape and abuse of child
• § 265:23A — Rape and abuse of child aggravated by age difference between defendant and victim or by when committed by mandated reporters; penalties
• § 265:23B — Rape and abuse of child by certain previously convicted offenders; penalties
• § 265:24 — Assault with intent to commit rape; weapons; punishment; eligibility for furloughs, education, training or employment programs
• § 265:24A — Venue
• § 265:24B — Assault of child; intent to commit rape; weapons; punishment
• § 265:24C — Victim's name; confidentiality
• § 265:25 — Attempted extortion; punishment
• § 265:26 — Kidnapping; weapons; child under age 16; punishment
• § 265:26A — Kidnapping of minor or incompetent by relative; punishment
• § 265:26B — Drugging persons for kidnapping
• § 265:26C — Definition of ''entice''; enticement of child under age 16; punishment
• § 265:26D — Enticement of child under age 18 to engage in prostitution, human trafficking or commercial sexual activity
• § 265:27 — Kidnapping; venue
• § 265:27A — Kidnapping of minor or incompetent by relative; venue
• § 265:28 — Poison; use with intent to injure; punishment
• § 265:29 — Assault; intent to commit felony; punishment
• § 265:3 — Duel; wound without and death within state; venue
• § 265:30 — Gross negligence; persons having care of common carrier; penalty
• § 265:32 — Glass; throwing in public streets and beaches; penalty
• § 265:34 — Tattooing body of person by other than qualified physician; punishment
• § 265:35 — Throwing or dropping objects onto public way; punishment
• § 265:36 — Throwing or dropping objects at sporting events; punishment
• § 265:37 — Violations of constitutional rights; punishment
• § 265:39 — Assault or battery for purpose of intimidation; weapons; punishment
• § 265:4 — Accessory in duel
• § 265:40 — Causing serious bodily injury to participants in physical exercise training programs; punishment
• § 265:41 — Sentence not imposing imprisonment; specific reasons in record
• § 265:42 — Use of radios without earphones on public conveyances; punishment
• § 265:43 — Stalking; punishment
• § 265:43A — Criminal harassment; punishment
• § 265:44 — Coercion of child under eighteen into criminal conspiracy; penalties
• § 265:45 — Community parole supervision for life following imprisonment, probation or treatment center sentence; covered offenses
• § 265:46 — Taking from deceased victim's estate prohibited
• § 265:47 — Global positioning system device to be worn by certain sex offender probationers
• § 265:48 — Ice cream truck vending by sex offender prohibited
• § 265:49 — Definitions applicable to Secs. 49 to 57
• § 265:5 — Duel; conviction or acquittal in foreign state; effect
• § 265:50 — Trafficking of persons for sexual servitude; trafficking of persons under 18 years for sexual servitude; trafficking by business entities; penalties; tort actions brought by victims
• § 265:51 — Trafficking of persons for forced service; victims under 18 years; trafficking by business entities; penalties; tort actions brought by victims
• § 265:52 — Subsequent violations of Sec. 50 or 51; penalties; evidence of prior adjudication or conviction
• § 265:53 — Organ trafficking; victims under 18 years; penalties
• § 265:54 — Transmittal of fines to state treasurer
• § 265:55 — Forfeiture of funds used to facilitate violation of Sec. 50 or 51; victim restitution
• § 265:56 — Property subject to forfeiture resulting from violations of Secs. 50 or 51; procedure; exceptions; records; preliminary orders for seizure; referral to office of seized property management; homestead exemptions; recording of certificate of fact of final judgment
• § 265:57 — Victim of human trafficking as affirmative defense to charges of common night walking or common streetwalking
• § 265:58 — Possession of deceptive firearm device during commission of violent crime; penalty
• § 265:59 — Human trafficking victimization as affirmative defense to certain offenses; grounds to vacate conviction, adjudication of delinquency or continuance without finding and to withdraw guilty plea
• § 265:60 — Female genital mutilation; definitions; penalties; defenses
• § 265:9 — Prize fighting; engaging
• § 266:1 — Dwelling houses; burning or aiding in burning
• § 266:10 — Insured property; burning with intent to defraud
• § 266:100 — Libraries; mutilation or destruction of materials or property
• § 266:101 — Definitions applicable to Secs. 101 to 102D
• § 266:102 — Possession or control of incendiary device or material; possession of hoax device or material; penalty
• § 266:102A — Throwing, secreting, launching or placing of incendiary device; intent; punishment
• § 266:102B — Malicious explosion
• § 266:102C — Biological, chemical, or nuclear weapon or delivery system; possession; punishment
• § 266:102D — Notice of seizure of explosive or incendiary device resulting from a violation of Secs. 102 to 102C; restitution
• § 266:103 — Oil of vitriol, or other substances; throwing into building or vessel
• § 266:104 — Buildings; destruction or injury
• § 266:104A — Goal posts; penalty for destruction
• § 266:104B — Research animals; unauthorized removal
• § 266:105 — Stone walls or fences; unauthorized removal
• § 266:106 — Ice ponds; injury
• § 266:107 — Bridge or canal; injury
• § 266:108 — Vessel; destruction to injure or defraud owner or insurer; punishment; restitution
• § 266:109 — Vessel; fitting out with intent to destroy
• § 266:11 — Fire alarm, engine or apparatus; injury before fire
• § 266:110 — False invoice of cargo; intent to defraud insurer
• § 266:111 — False affidavit or protest; penalty
• § 266:111A — Insurance policies; penalty for fraudulent claims
• § 266:111B — Motor vehicle insurance policies; penalty for fraudulent claims
• § 266:111C — Fraudulently obtaining benefits under insurance contract; runners; punishment
• § 266:112 — Domestic animals; malicious killing or injury
• § 266:113 — Timber, wood and shrubs; wilful cutting and destruction on land of another
• § 266:114 — Trees and fences; malicious injury
• § 266:115 — Trespass in orchards and gardens
• § 266:116A — Protection of certain flowers
• § 266:117 — Orchards and gardens; entry with intent to injure or destroy
• § 266:118 — Domestic animals; trespass on land
• § 266:119 — Pests; bringing into state; penalty; exception
• § 266:12 — Fire alarm, engine or apparatus; injury during fire to prevent alarm or extinction of fire
• § 266:120 — Entry upon private property after being forbidden as trespass; prima facie evidence; penalties; arrest; tenants or occupants excepted
• § 266:120A — Motor vehicle; parking on private way; prosecution; evidence
• § 266:120B — Entry on land by abutting property owners not constituting trespass
• § 266:120C — Entry upon adjoining lands by surveyors not constituting trespass
• § 266:120D — Removal of motor vehicles from private ways or property; penalties; liability for removal and storage charges; release of vehicle
• § 266:120E — Obstructing entry to or departure from medical facilities; penalties; injunctive relief
• § 266:120F — Unauthorized access to computer system; penalties
• § 266:121 — Entry on land with firearms
• § 266:121A — Trespasses involving motor vehicles and other powered devices
• § 266:122 — Notice against trespassers; defacement; penalty
• § 266:123 — State land; public institutions; trespass; penalty
• § 266:123A — Willful trespass upon public source of water, water supply facility or land
• § 266:124 — Legal notice; penalty for malicious injury
• § 266:125 — Show bill or advertisement; penalty for malicious injury
• § 266:126 — Natural scenery; penalty for defacement
• § 266:126A — Defacement of real or personal property; penalties
• § 266:126B — Tagging; penalties; suspension of driver's license
• § 266:127 — Willful, malicious or wanton destruction or injury to personal property, dwelling house or building of another
• § 266:127A — Destruction of place of worship, etc.; threats; punishment
• § 266:127B — Actions for civil rights violations; liability
• § 266:128 — Milk cans; defacement
• § 266:129 — Correctional institutions; injury to property
• § 266:13 — Fire engines; wanton or malicious injury
• § 266:130 — Penal institutions; injury to property
• § 266:131 — Sunday trespassers; arrest and detention without warrant
• § 266:132 — Pigeons; killing or frightening
• § 266:133 — Humane society; injury to property
• § 266:135 — Vessels; mooring the buoy, beacon or floating guide; penalty
• § 266:137 — Injury to mill by raising water
• § 266:138 — Dams or reservoirs; malicious injury
• § 266:138A — Irrigation equipment; malicious injury
• § 266:139 — Motor vehicles or trailers; defacement, etc., of identifying numbers; penalties; arrests
• § 266:139A — Machines, electrical or mechanical devices; alteration or obliteration of identifying numbers; possession; sale; punishment
• § 266:13A — Duty of hotel manager to notify fire department and sound alarm; penalty
• § 266:14 — Burglary; armed; assault on occupants; weapons; punishment
• § 266:140 — Sale or offer for sale of master keys; penalty
• § 266:141 — Tampering with odometer of motor vehicle; intent to defraud; civil remedy; treble damages; costs and fees; unfair competition; repair or replacement excepted
• § 266:141A — Misrepresentation of mileage of motor vehicle by turning back or readjusting speedometer or odometer; criminal penalty
• § 266:142 — Record of purchases by dealers in scrap copper wire; inspection; penalty
• § 266:142A — Gold, silver and platinum dealers; records; penalty
• § 266:143 — Definitions applicable to Secs. 143A to 143H