The conference committee, appointed by the House and Senate last year, reached an agreement on a wide-sweeping criminal justice reform package last week.
“The MBA has been a longtime advocate for criminal justice reform,” said Martin W. Healy, the MBA's chief legal counsel. “This bill will make a tremendous difference in the lives of many people in Massachusetts. We are grateful to the conference committee, the House and Senate leadership and in particular Joint Judiciary Committee Chairs Rep. Claire Cronin and Sen. Will Brownsberger for their hard work and commitment to criminal justice reform,” he continued.
The bill contains many provisions supported by the Massachusetts Bar Association, including:
- A reduction in the waiting period to seal certain records
- Allowing the sealing of resisting arrest convictions
- An increase in the felony larceny threshold
- Reform of bail conditions and determinations
For a full summary of the bill, click here. For the full bill, click here.
Conference committee reports are voted up or down, without debate. The bill is expected to be voted on in the Senate next week and will head to the House shortly thereafter.