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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1290 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1160 |
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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 | | Jason M. Lewis, (BY REQUEST) |
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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 providing for the improvement of required standards of Clerk Magistrates. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Vincent Dixon60 Lake St Apt N Winchester MA 01890 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1290 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1160 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Mr. Lewis (by request), a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1160) of Vincent Dixon, |
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| 19 | 19 | | for legislation to provide for the improvement of required standards of Clerk Magistrates. The |
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| 20 | 20 | | Judiciary. |
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| 21 | 21 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 22 | 22 | | SEE SENATE, NO. 1032 OF 2023-2024.] |
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| 23 | 23 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 24 | 24 | | _______________ |
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| 25 | 25 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 27 | 27 | | _______________ |
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| 28 | 28 | | An Act providing for the improvement of required standards of Clerk Magistrates. |
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| 29 | 29 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 30 | 30 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 31 | 31 | | 1 SECTION 1. The Massachusetts General Laws are hereby amended by inserting the |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2following new chapter: |
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| 33 | 33 | | 3 An Act to provide for the Improvement of Required Standards of Clerk Magistrates. |
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| 34 | 34 | | 4 1.) Massachusetts, having developed a unique system of Clerk Magistrates, has found |
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| 35 | 35 | | 5certain inconsistencies, in this system. While this system, under various reviews, may experience |
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| 36 | 36 | | 6significant alteration, few voices likely are opposed to the improvement of standards, held by |
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| 37 | 37 | | 7those individuals appointed to these positions. 2 of 2 |
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| 38 | 38 | | 8 2.) Therefore, this Statute, establishes, and encourages, a particular additional educational |
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| 39 | 39 | | 9standard: All Clerk Magistrates, appointed after the implementation of this Act, shall have proof |
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| 40 | 40 | | 10of graduation, with an earned degree, from an accredited graduate Law School. |
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| 41 | 41 | | 11 In addition, current Clerk Magistrates, shall be encouraged to earn a graduate Law |
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| 42 | 42 | | 12Degree, from an accredited Law School, if they do not have one. If they do so, within seven |
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| 43 | 43 | | 13years of the implementation of this statute, they may receive a ten-percent upward incentive |
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| 44 | 44 | | 14bonus, for having done so; since doing so, may benefit themselves, and the public respect for the |
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| 45 | 45 | | 15legal system. |
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| 46 | 46 | | 16 3.) All individuals, meeting the requirements of this Act, shall receive additional training, |
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| 47 | 47 | | 17and regular update training, on a yearly basis, as specified in such needed regulations, as the |
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| 48 | 48 | | 18Attorney General, shall create, and monitor, in conjunction with the relevant supervising justices, |
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| 49 | 49 | | 19of each appropriately defined judicial system, in the Commonwealth. |
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