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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 871 FILED ON: 1/18/2023 |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1135 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | John C. Velis |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act establishing penalties for the filing of false reports against police officers. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :John C. VelisHampden and Hampshire 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 871 FILED ON: 1/18/2023 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1135 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Mr. Velis, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1135) of John C. Velis for legislation |
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| 19 | 19 | | to establish penalties for the filing of false reports against police officers. The Judiciary. |
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| 20 | 20 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 21 | 21 | | SEE SENATE, NO. 1152 OF 2021-2022.] |
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| 22 | 22 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 23 | 23 | | _______________ |
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| 24 | 24 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2023-2024) |
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| 26 | 26 | | _______________ |
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| 27 | 27 | | An Act establishing penalties for the filing of false reports against police officers. |
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| 28 | 28 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 29 | 29 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 30 | 30 | | 1 SECTION 1. Chapter 268 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after |
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| 31 | 31 | | 2section 32B the following new section:— |
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| 32 | 32 | | 3 Section 32C. Every person who files any allegation of misconduct against any police |
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| 33 | 33 | | 4officer, knowing the report to be false, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for |
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| 34 | 34 | | 5not more than twenty years or by a fine of not more than $1000 or by imprisonment in jail for not |
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| 35 | 35 | | 6more than 2 ½ years, or by both such a fine and imprisonment in jail. For the purposes of this |
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| 36 | 36 | | 7section, “police officer” shall mean an employee of a city, town, county, the Commonwealth or |
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| 37 | 37 | | 8the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority authorized to make arrest.Any law enforcement |
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| 38 | 38 | | 9agency accepting an allegation of misconduct against a police officer shall require the |
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| 39 | 39 | | 10complainant to read and sign the following information advisory, all in bold-face type: 2 of 2 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 11 YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE A COMPLAINT AGAINST A POLICE |
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| 41 | 41 | | 12OFFICER FOR ANY IMPROPER CONDUCT. THIS AGENCY MAY FIND THERE IS NOT |
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| 42 | 42 | | 13ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO SUBSTANTIATE YOUR ALLEGATION AND WARRANT |
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| 43 | 43 | | 14ACTION ON YOUR COMPLAINT: EVEN IF THIS IS THE CASE, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT |
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| 44 | 44 | | 15TO MAKE THE COMPLAINT AND HAVE IT INVESTIGATED IF YOU BELIEVE AN |
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| 45 | 45 | | 16OFFICER BEHAVED IMPROPERLY.PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT IT IS ILLEGAL TO |
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| 46 | 46 | | 17MAKE A COMPLAINT YOU KNOW TO BE FALSE. IF YOU MAKE A COMPLAINT |
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| 47 | 47 | | 18AGAINST AN OFFICER KNOWING IT IS FALSE, YOU MAY BE PROSECUTED ON A |
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| 48 | 48 | | 19FELONY CHARGE. I HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD THE ABOVE STATEMENT. I |
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| 49 | 49 | | 20FURTHER REALIZE THIS COMPLAINT IS SIGNED UNDER THE PAINS AND |
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| 50 | 50 | | 21PENALTIES OF PERJURY. |
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