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.
- § 268:29 — Delivery, or permission of delivery, by officers, of alcoholic beverages, to prisoners; keeping together prisoners of different sexes or classes
- § 268:3 — Attempt to procure another to commit perjury
- § 268:30 — Disturbing correctional institutions or jail; attracting attention of, or communicating with, inmates
- § 268:31 — Delivery or receipt of articles to or from inmates
- § 268:32 — Interference or tampering with police or fire signal systems, or motorist highway emergency aid call boxes; false alarms or calls
- § 268:32A — Interference with fire fighting operations
- § 268:32B — Resisting arrest
- § 268:33 — Falsely assuming to be justice of the peace or other officers
- § 268:33A — Engaging in lead paint inspection without a license
- § 268:34 — Disguises to obstruct execution of law, performance of duties, or exercise of rights
- § 268:34A — Furnishing false name, Social Security number or other information establishing identity to law enforcement officer or official; penalty; restitution
- § 268:35 — Unauthorized use of town seal; making or possessing badge of town officer
- § 268:36 — Compounding or concealing felonies
- § 268:39 — Perjury; statements alleging motor vehicle theft; penalty; subsequent offenses
- § 268:4 — Testimony creating presumption of perjury; commitment; recognizance; witnesses bound over; notice
- § 268:40 — Reports of crimes to law enforcement officials
- § 268:5 — Presumption of perjury; papers, books and documents detained for prosecution
- § 268:6 — False reports or testimony before state departments, board or commissioner; false entries in company books or statements; aiders or abettors
- § 268:6A — False written reports by public officers or employees
- § 268:6B — Process servers; false statements; penalty
- § 268:8B — Compulsion or coercion to refuse appointment or promotion
- § 268:9A — Public officers or employees; solicitations regarding testimonial dinners
- § 268A:1 — Definitions
- § 268A:10 — Opinions of state ethics commission
- § 268A:11 — County employees; receiving or requesting compensation from, or acting as agent or attorney for other than county agency
- § 268A:12 — Former county employees; acting as attorney or receiving compensation from other than county; partners of employees or former employees or legislators
- § 268A:13 — Financial interest of county employee, relatives or associates; disclosure
- § 268A:14 — County employees; financial interest in contracts of county agency
- § 268A:15 — Avoiding, rescinding or canceling county agency actions resulting from violations of chapter; restitution and damages
- § 268A:15A — Members of county commission or board; restrictions on appointments to certain positions
- § 268A:17 — Municipal employees; gift or receipt of compensation from other than municipality; acting as agent or attorney
- § 268A:18 — Former municipal employee; acting as attorney or receiving compensation; from other than municipality; partners
- § 268A:19 — Municipal employees, relatives or associates; financial interest in particular matter
- § 268A:2 — Corrupt gifts, offers or promises to influence official acts; corruption of witnesses
- § 268A:20 — Municipal employees; financial interest in contracts; holding one or more elected positions
- § 268A:21 — Avoiding, rescinding or canceling municipal action resulting from violations of chapter; restitution and damages
- § 268A:21A — Members of municipal commission or board; restrictions on appointments to certain positions
- § 268A:21B — Prospective municipal appointees; demanding undated resignations prohibited
- § 268A:22 — Opinions of corporation counsel, city solicitor or town counsel
- § 268A:23 — Supplemental provisions; standards of conduct
- § 268A:23A — Trustees of public institutions of higher learning; prohibited positions
- § 268A:24 — Disclosures and certifications; form; public inspection
- § 268A:25 — Suspension of persons under indictment for misconduct in office; notice; compensation and fringe benefits; temporary replacements; reinstatement
- § 268A:26 — Penalty for violations of clause (b)(2) or (b)(4) of Sec. 23
- § 268A:27 — Publication of summaries of Chapter 268A; filing of acknowledgment by employees
- § 268A:28 — Online training programs
- § 268A:29 — Municipal liaisons to state ethics commission
- § 268A:3 — Gifts, offers or promises for acts performed or to be performed; corruption of witnesses; solicitation of gifts; witness fees; regulations
- § 268A:4 — Other compensation; offer, gift, receipt or request; acting as agent or attorney for other than state; legislators; special state employees
- § 268A:5 — Former state employees; acting as agent or attorney or receiving compensation; partners of state employees or legislators
- § 268A:6 — Financial interest of state employee, relative or associates; disclosure
- § 268A:6A — Conflict of interest of public official; reporting requirement
- § 268A:6B — Candidates for employment as state employee; disclosure of relation to state employee
- § 268A:7 — Financial interest in contracts of state agency; application of section
- § 268A:8 — Public building or construction contracts
- § 268A:8A — Members of state commissions or boards; prohibited appointments to other positions
- § 268A:8B — Members of commonwealth utilities commission; prohibited lobbying activities
- § 268A:9 — Avoiding, rescinding or canceling state agency actions resulting from violations of chapter; restitution and damages
- § 268B:1 — Definitions
- § 268B:2 — State ethics commission
- § 268B:3 — Powers and duties of the commission
- § 268B:4 — Investigations by the commission
- § 268B:5 — Statements of financial interests
- § 268B:6 — Gifts from executive or legislative agents; exclusions to be established by state ethics commission
- § 268B:7 — Penalties for violation of confidentiality and for perjury
- § 268B:8 — Retribution for engaging in commission proceedings
- § 269:1 — Dispensing and suppressing unlawful assembly; arresting persons
- § 269:10 — Carrying dangerous weapons; possession of machine gun or sawed-off shotguns; possession of large capacity weapon or large capacity feeding device; punishment
- § 269:10A — Selling, giving or using silencers; confiscation and destruction
- § 269:10C — Tear gas; use in commission of crimes
- § 269:10D — Body armor; use in commission of crime
- § 269:10E — Firearms sales, distributions or transfers; penalties; eligibility for probation, parole, furlough or work release
- § 269:10F — Illegal sale, gifts or transfer of large capacity weapons or large capacity feeding devices; punishment
- § 269:10G — Violations of Sec. 10 by persons previously convicted of violent crimes or serious drug offenses; punishment
- § 269:10H — Carrying loaded firearm while under influence of liquor, marijuana, narcotic drugs, depressants, stimulant or toxic vapor substances; punishment
- § 269:10I — Transporting firearm into commonwealth for use in commission of criminal activity or to unlawfully distribute, sell or transfer possession to prohibited person; penalty
- § 269:10J — Breaking and entering building, ship, vessel or vehicle to steal firearm; penalty
- § 269:10K — Breaking and entering building in which firearm retailer, wholesaler or manufacturer conducts business; unlawfully obtaining or distributing firearm, rifle, shotgun, machine gun or ammunition; punishment
- § 269:11 — Printing statutes for posters; display
- § 269:11A — Definitions
- § 269:11B — Possession or control of untraceable firearm while committing or attempting a felony; destruction; punishment
- § 269:11C — Manufacture, assembly, import, sale or transfer ownership of an untraceable firearm; prima facie evidence; punishment; destruction
- § 269:12 — Manufacturing and selling knives, slung shots, swords, bludgeons and similar weapons
- § 269:12A — Air rifles; sale to minors
- § 269:12B — Air rifles; possession by minors; shooting
- § 269:12D — Rifle or shotgun loaded with shells or cartridges; unloaded rifle or shotgun; carrying on public way prohibited; exceptions; punishment
- § 269:12E — Discharge of a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling or other building in use; exceptions
- § 269:12F — Airport secure areas; possession or placement of a cutting device or prohibited weapon; punishment
- § 269:12G — Intentional or reckless discharge of a firearm that strikes a dwelling or other building; punishment; exceptions
- § 269:13 — False alarms of fire
- § 269:13A — False reports to police officers
- § 269:14 — Deadly weapons, explosives, chemical or biological agents, or other deadly device or substance; threatened use or presence; threat to hijack; disruption of school, public building or transport; punishment; restitution
- § 269:14A — Annoying telephone calls or electronic communication
- § 269:14B — Willful and malicious communication of false information to public safety answering points; penalty; restitution
- § 269:15 — Stink bombs; sale
- § 269:16 — Arrowheads used for hunting; sale
- § 269:17 — Hazing; organizing or participating; hazing defined
- § 269:18 — Failure to report hazing
- § 269:19 — Copy of Secs. 17 to 19; issuance to students and student groups, teams and organizations; report
- § 269:2 — Refusing or neglecting to depart or to assist in suppressing assembly or in arresting persons
- § 269:3 — Neglect or refusal to exercise authority to suppress assembly
- § 269:4 — Requiring aid; dispersing and suppressing assembly; seizure of persons
- § 269:5 — Armed forces obeying orders for suppressing riot and dispersing and arresting persons
- § 269:6 — Person killed or wounded as result of an assembly; guilt and responsibility
- § 269:7 — Injury to building or vessel by persons unlawfully assembled
- § 269:8 — Destruction of or damage to property by persons riotously assembled; liability of town
- § 270:1 — Adulterating liquor; sale; forfeiture
- § 270:10 — Toys or confectionery containing or coated with material containing arsenic
- § 270:11 — Arsenic; samples for analysis
- § 270:12 — Fabric or paper containing arsenic
- § 270:13 — Water; refusal or neglect to furnish
- § 270:14 — Spitting
- § 270:15 — Arrest without warrant for spitting
- § 270:16 — Disposal of rubbish, etc. on or near highways and coastal or inland waters; penalties; enforcement; park rangers
- § 270:16A — Alternative noncriminal disposition of violations of Sec. 16
- § 270:17 — Garbage or refuse; disposal in containers placed along highways
- § 270:18 — Substance having property of releasing toxic vapors
- § 270:19 — Glue or cement; sale to minors; smelling deterrent ingredients
- § 270:1A — Eyeglasses or sunglasses; specifications; flammable frames; sales
- § 270:20 — Burning of refuse, etc. within marine or shoreline boundaries
- § 270:22 — Smoking in public places
- § 270:23 — Flea markets; smoking prohibition; penalty
- § 270:24 — Mercury thermometers; sale or supply; instructions regarding breakage
- § 270:25 — Ice cream truck vending; permit requirements
- § 270:26 — Use of employee restroom by customer suffering from eligible medical condition or using ostomy device; non-liability; penalty for violation
- § 270:27 — Liquid nicotine containers and liquid or gel substances containing nicotine; use of child restraint packaging
- § 270:28 — Sale of flavored tobacco products; definitions; penalties; exceptions; rules and regulations
- § 270:29 — Sale of electronic nicotine delivery systems; definitions; exceptions; penalties
- § 270:3 — Drugs or other substance injurious to users; distribution
- § 270:3A — Poison for rodents; placement where it may cause injury
- § 270:4 — Wood alcohol contained in food or drink; sale or possession
- § 270:5 — Alcoholic beverages or drugs; sale or delivery to hospital patients
- § 270:6 — Sale or provision of tobacco product to person under 21 years of age
- § 270:6A — Sale of tobacco rolling papers to person under 21 years of age
- § 270:7 — Posting copy of Secs. 6 and 6A; signage for smoking cessation resources
- § 270:8 — Candy containing alcohol; sale
- § 270:8A — Foods containing foreign injury causing substances; distribution or sale
- § 270:9 — Feeding garbage or refuse to animals
- § 271:1 — Gaming or betting; forfeiture
- § 271:10 — Subsequent offenses within five years of conviction
- § 271:10A — Arrest without warrant
- § 271:11 — Lottery tickets; advertising
- § 271:12 — False lottery tickets; creation, sale, or possession
- § 271:13 — Lottery tickets, tokens or shares deemed false
- § 271:14 — Forfeiture of money, prizes, or other property disposed of by chance; recovery
- § 271:15 — Lottery for money drawn out of commonwealth; aiding or promoting
- § 271:16 — Tickets of lottery described in Sec. 15; sale or possession
- § 271:16A — Organizing or promoting gambling facilities or services
- § 271:17 — Place for registering bets or dealing in pools; owner or occupant; custodian or depository
- § 271:17A — Telephones, internet or other communications technology; use for gaming
- § 271:17B — Use of electronic communications records in ongoing criminal investigations; subpoena of records
- § 271:18 — Policy lotteries or shops; production, sale or possession of lottery tickets or tokens
- § 271:19 — Production, advertisement or delivery of tickets; receipt of money; prima facie evidence
- § 271:1A — ''House'', ''building'' and ''place'' including ship or vessel
- § 271:2 — Gaming or betting in public conveyance or place or while trespassing in private place; arrest without warrant
- § 271:20 — Tickets, memoranda, books and sheets; nuisance; possession; concealment
- § 271:21 — Words, figures or characters referring to game or contest; prima facie evidence; proof
- § 271:22 — Delivery to or from a person engaged in a lottery or other illegal gaming
- § 271:22A — Whist or bridge for charitable and similar purposes
- § 271:22B — Beano; sale of lottery tickets
- § 271:23 — Oath and warrant to enter gaming or lottery place, arrest persons and seize implements and materials; disposal of articles
- § 271:24 — Race tracks; owners, proprietors of, or persons present
- § 271:25 — Obstructions barring access to gaming places; removal; lien of expenses
- § 271:26 — Subsequent obstructions; removal; punishment; lien
- § 271:27 — Judicial notice of methods and character of lotteries, policy games, pools and betting; prima facie evidence
- § 271:28 — Lotteries or illegal gaming; complaints and indictments
- § 271:29 — Sale, exchange or disposition of property; misrepresentation
- § 271:3 — Innholders and others keeping or suffering implements to be used for gaming
- § 271:30 — Trading stamps or similar devices; sale or delivery
- § 271:31 — Racing horses for bets or stakes
- § 271:31A — Racing results or information; transmission for unlawful purposes
- § 271:32 — Horse racing; fraud
- § 271:33 — Race grounds in towns
- § 271:34 — Race grounds as nuisance; abatement
- § 271:35 — Definition of words and phrases used in Secs. 35 to 38
- § 271:36 — Bucketing contracts; keeper of shop; domestic and foreign corporations
- § 271:37 — Prohibited contracts; price quotations
- § 271:38 — Purchases and sales of securities or commodities; written statement
- § 271:39 — Gifts to influence business affairs; threats
- § 271:39A — Gifts to influence action of participants in, and others connected with, a game or contest
- § 271:4 — Gaming in inns and other occupied places; use of billiard table, bowling alley or other implement for gaming
- § 271:40 — Appointment, reinstatement or discharge of employee of public service corporation or racing licensee on recommendation of public officer, officer elect or candidate
- § 271:41 — Offices not public offices under Sec. 40
- § 271:42 — Boxing matches or exhibitions; betting or selling pools
- § 271:43 — Solicitation, disclosure, receipt or use of information concerning public assistance
- § 271:44 — Hospital or sanitarium patient; settlement, release or statement; admissibility
- § 271:46 — Discarded containers originally used for refrigerative purposes; removal of doors
- § 271:47 — Telephones; gambling convictions; approval for installation; notices of convictions and removals
- § 271:48 — Civil service preparatory courses; advertisement
- § 271:49 — Criminal usury
- § 271:5 — Gaming, lottery, pool or betting houses; tables or apparatus for gaming
- § 271:50 — Sale of research papers, etc.; taking of examinations for another at educational institutions
- § 271:51 — Photos taken outside of first responder's official duties; penalties
- § 271:5A — Gambling devices; forfeiture; antique slot machines
- § 271:5B — Unlawful possession of electronic machine or device for conducting or promoting sweepstakes through entertaining display; lawful exceptions; penalty
- § 271:6 — Gaming relative to cattle shows, military muster or public gathering; arrest without warrant
- § 271:6A — Plans under which purchasers agree to obtain more purchasers; injunction; receivers
- § 271:6B — Skilo and similar games
- § 271:7 — Lotteries; disposal of property by chance
- § 271:7A — Raffles and bazaars; conduct by certain organizations