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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1696 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1760
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Russell E. Holmes
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act to provide equitable sentencing for felony murder.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Russell E. Holmes6th Suffolk1/15/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1696 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1760
By Representative Holmes of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1760) of
Russell E. Holmes relative to sentencing for felony murder. The Judiciary.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3945 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act to provide equitable sentencing for felony murder.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 265 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section
21 and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
3 Section 1. (a) Murder committed with deliberately premeditated malice aforethought, or
4with extreme atrocity or cruelty is murder in the first degree. Murder which does not appear to be
5in the first degree is murder in the second degree. Petit treason shall be prosecuted and punished
6as murder. The degree of murder shall be found by the jury.
7 (b) Whenever a death occurs in the commission or attempted commission of a crime
8punishable with death or imprisonment for life, unless there is a showing of deliberately
9premeditated malice aforethought, extreme atrocity or cruelty, whoever is found to have 2 of 2
10committed or attempted to commit such crime shall be punished by imprisonment in the state
11prison for a term of no less than 15 years nor more than 25 years to life.
12 SECTION 2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, subsection (b) of section 1
13shall apply to any person charged or convicted with murder in the first degree prior to, on or after
14the effective date of this act.