An Act requiring only a justice to remove a trial default of a defendant who fails to appear at trial
Generates a plain-language summary of the bill text and history.
| Date | Branch | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 3/26/2026 | House | Accompanied a study order, see H5281↗ (under House Rule 27) |
| — | House | Reported by committee to Clerk’s Office for processing, will accompany a study order |
| 10/20/2025 | Joint | Hearing scheduled for 07/29/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:10 PM in A-2 |
| 7/29/2025 | Joint | Hearing rescheduled to 07/29/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:10 PM in A-2 and Virtual — Hearing updated to New End Time |
| 7/29/2025 | Joint | |
| 7/16/2025 | Joint | |
| 2/27/2025 | Senate | Senate concurred |
| 2/27/2025 | House | Referred to the committee on The Judiciary |
No additional cosponsors.
| Committee | Recommendation | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| J19 | Accompanied | — |
Chapter 276 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended in section 29, after paragraph 3 by adding the following paragraph:- "A person who is arrested as a result of a trial default warrant, shall only be subject to bail by a justice in the issuing court or a justice in the district in which such warrant was executed, and prior to any release such person may be required to pay all or a portion of any cost imposed by the issuing justice, unless remitted by the presenting justice. Such type of trial default warrant shall be distinctly and separately identified as “Trial Default Warrant” on the docket sheet and in Criminal Offender Registration Index, and in the Massachusetts Warrant System (MWS). A “Trial Default Warrant” is a default warrant issued by a justice, on the day a person is scheduled to appear in court for a trial and such person fails to appear for trial, and the Commonwealth provides a list of witnesses who have appeared with a certification that the Commonwealth was ready for trial, and such failure to appear is without justifiable excuse. Such certification of the Commonwealth must be placed with the clerk on the day of the warrant is issued."
Chapter 276 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended in section 29, after paragraph 3 by adding the following paragraph:- "A person who is arrested as a result of a trial default warrant, shall only be subject to bail by a justice in the issuing court or a justice in the district in which such warrant was executed, and prior to any release such person may be required to pay all or a portion of any cost imposed by the issuing justice, unless remitted by the presenting justice. Such type of trial default warrant shall be distinctly and separately identified as “Trial Default Warrant” on the docket sheet and in Criminal Offender Registration Index, and in the Massachusetts Warrant System (MWS). A “Trial Default Warrant” is a default warrant issued by a justice, on the day a person is scheduled to appear in court for a trial and such person fails to appear for trial, and the Commonwealth provides a list of witnesses who have appeared with a certification that the Commonwealth was ready for trial, and such failure to appear is without justifiable excuse. Such certification of the Commonwealth must be placed with the clerk on the day of the warrant is issued."