H1848 • 2025

An Act relative to judicial discretion for probation

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: Kate Lipper-Garabedian
Last action: 2026-03-26
Official status: Accompanied a study order, see H5281 (under House Rule 27)
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act relative to judicial discretion for probation

An Act relative to judicial discretion for probation By Representative Lipper-Garabedian of Melrose, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

An Act relative to judicial discretion for probation By Representative Lipper-Garabedian of Melrose, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
1848) of Kate Lipper-Garabedian relative to judicial discretion for probation.
The Judiciary.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-03-26 House
Accompanied a study order, see H5281 (under House Rule 27)
2025-10-20 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 06/03/2025 from 01:00 PM-09:00 PM in A-2
2025-05-29 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 06/03/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2
2025-02-27 House
Referred to the committee on The Judiciary
2025-02-27 Senate
Senate concurred
House
Reported by committee to Clerk’s Office for processing, will accompany a study order

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to judicial discretion for probation
By Representative Lipper-Garabedian of Melrose, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1848) of Kate Lipper-Garabedian relative to judicial discretion for probation. The Judiciary.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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Bill H.1848

Section 87 of chapter 276 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-

“A judge may exercise discretion in placing a defendant on probation and consider the following:

(i) age;

(ii) nature of the defendant’s military service, if any;

(iii) education;

(iv) injuries or wounds sustained;

(v) military discipline record, if the defendant served in the military;

(vi) past and current medical status;

(vii) family and medical psychological reports;

(viii) nature of past criminal convictions, if any;

(ix) age of previous criminal convictions, if any;

(x) employment status;

(xi) arrest record;

(xii) nature of current criminal matter and, if violent, the nature and extent of any injuries to the victim and the relationship of victim to defendant;

(xiii) the availability of family and community support systems;

(xiv) the proposed probation terms; and

(xv) any other facts or circumstances having a bearing on pre-trial probation."

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