General Laws of Massachusetts - Chapter 265 Crimes Against the Person
- Massachusetts General Laws - Murder defined - Chapter 265, Section 1
Murder committed with deliberately premeditated malice aforethought, or with extreme atrocity or cruelty, or in the commission or attempted commission of a crime punishable with...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Punishment for murder; parole; executive clemency - Chapter 265, Section 2
Whoever is guilty of murder committed with deliberately premeditated malice aforethought or with extreme atrocity or cruelty, and who had attained the age of eighteen...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Duel; wound without and death within state; venue - Chapter 265, Section 3
An inhabitant or resident of this commonwealth who, by previous appointment or engagement made within the same, fights a duel outside its jurisdiction, and in...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Accessory in duel - Chapter 265, Section 4
An inhabitant or resident of this commonwealth who, by previous appointment or engagement made within the same, becomes the second of either party in such...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Duel; conviction or acquittal in foreign state; effect - Chapter 265, Section 5
A person indicted under either of the two preceding sections may plead a former conviction or acquittal of the same crime in any other state...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1962, 285, Sec. 2 - Chapter 265, Section 6 to 8
Repealed, 1962, 285, Sec.
- Massachusetts General Laws - Prize fighting; engaging - Chapter 265, Section 9
Whoever, except as provided in sections thirty-two to fifty, inclusive, of chapter one hundred and forty-seven, by previous appointment or arrangement, engages in a fight...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Prize fight; aiding or promoting; penalty - Chapter 265, Section 10
Whoever, except as provided in sections thirty-two to fifty, inclusive, of chapter one hundred and forty-seven, is present at such fight as an aid, second...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Prize fight; appointment within and fight without state; penalty - Chapter 265, Section 11
An inhabitant or resident of this commonwealth who, by previous appointment or engagement made in the same, leaves the same and engages in a fight...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts or other unarmed combative sporting matches or sparring exhibitions; penalty - Chapter 265, Section 12
Whoever directly or indirectly, except as provided in sections 32 to 50A, inclusive, of chapter 147, gives, promotes or engages in a public boxing, kickboxing,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Manslaughter; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 13
Whoever commits manslaughter shall, except as hereinafter provided, be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than twenty years or by a...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Punishment for manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle - Chapter 265, Section 131/2
Whoever commits manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle in violation of paragraph (a) of subdivision (1) of section 24 of chapter 90 or section 8A...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Assault or assault and battery; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 13A
(a) Whoever commits an assault or an assault and battery upon another shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than 21/2 years in a...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Indecent assault and battery on child under age of 14; penalties - Chapter 265, Section 13B
Whoever commits an indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14 shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Commission of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14 during commission of certain offenses or by mandated reporters; penalties - Chapter 265, Section 13B1/2
Whoever commits an indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14 and: (a) the indecent assault and battery was committed during...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Commission of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14 by certain previously convicted offenders; penalties - Chapter 265, Section 13B3/4
Whoever commits an indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14 and has been previously convicted of or adjudicated delinquent or...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Assault and battery to collect loan; penalty - Chapter 265, Section 13C
Whoever commits an assault and battery upon another for the purpose of collecting a loan shall for the first offense be punished by imprisonment in...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Assault and battery upon public employees; penalty - Chapter 265, Section 13D
Whoever commits an assault and battery upon any public employee when such person is engaged in the performance of his duties at the time of...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Firefighters, injuries resulting from criminal offenses; penalty - Chapter 265, Section 13D1/2
Whoever commits an offense set forth in section one, two, five or seven of chapter two hundred and sixty-six where said offense results in injury...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1971, 1011, Sec. 2 - Chapter 265, Section 13E
Repealed, 1971, 1011, Sec.
- Massachusetts General Laws - Indecent assault and battery on a person with an intellectual disability; assault and battery - Chapter 265, Section 13F
Whoever commits an indecent assault and battery on a person with an intellectual disability knowing such person to have an intellectual disability shall for the...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Commission of a felony for hire; additional punishment - Chapter 265, Section 13G
Whoever, for the payment of consideration or for the promise of the payment of such consideration, commits a felony, shall be punished by imprisonment in...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Indecent assault and battery on person fourteen or older; penalties - Chapter 265, Section 13H
Whoever commits an indecent assault and battery on a person who has attained age fourteen shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Assault or assault and battery on emergency medical technician, ambulance operator, ambulance attendant or health care provider - Chapter 265, Section 13I
Whoever commits an assault or an assault and battery on an emergency medical technician, an ambulance operator, an ambulance attendant or a health care provider...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Assault and battery upon a child; penalties - Chapter 265, Section 13J
(a) For the purposes of this section, the following words shall, unless the context indicates otherwise, have the following meanings:— “Bodily injury”, substantial impairment of...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Assault and battery upon an elderly or disabled person; definitions; penalties - Chapter 265, Section 13K
(a) For the purpose of this section the following words shall, unless the context requires otherwise, have the following meanings:— “Abuse”, physical contact which either...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Wanton or reckless behavior creating a risk of serious bodily injury or sexual abuse to a child; duty to act; penalty - Chapter 265, Section 13L
For the purposes of this section, the following words shall have the following meanings:— “Child”, any person under 18 years of age. “Serious bodily injury”,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Assault and battery on a family or household member; second or subsequent offense; penalty - Chapter 265, Section 13M
[Text of section effective until August 8, 2014. For text effective August 8, 2014, see below.] Whoever is convicted of a second or subsequent offense...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Mayhem; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 14
Whoever, with malicious intent to maim or disfigure, cuts out or maims the tongue, puts out or destroys an eye, cuts or tears off an...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Assault; intent to murder or maim; penalty - Chapter 265, Section 15
Whoever assaults another with intent to commit murder, or to maim or disfigure his person in any way described in the preceding section, shall be...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Assault and battery with dangerous weapon; victim sixty or older; punishment; subsequent offenses - Chapter 265, Section 15A
(a) Whoever commits assault and battery upon a person sixty years or older by means of a dangerous weapon shall be punished by imprisonment in...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Assault with dangerous weapon; victim sixty or older; punishment; subsequent offenses - Chapter 265, Section 15B
(a) Whoever, by means of a dangerous weapon, commits an assault upon a person sixty years or older, shall be punished by imprisonment in the...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Assault by means of hypodermic syringe or needle; assault and battery by means of hypodermic syringe or needle - Chapter 265, Section 15C
(a) Whoever commits an assault upon another, by means of a hypodermic syringe, hypodermic needle, or any instrument adapted for the administration of controlled or...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Attempt to murder - Chapter 265, Section 16
Whoever attempts to commit murder by poisoning, drowning or strangling another person, or by any means not constituting an assault with intent to commit murder,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Armed robbery; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 17
Whoever, being armed with a dangerous weapon, assaults another and robs, steals or takes from his person money or other property which may be the...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Assault with intent to rob or murder; weapons; punishment; victim sixty years or older; minimum sentence for repeat offenders - Chapter 265, Section 18
(a) Whoever, being armed with a dangerous weapon, assaults a person sixty years or older with intent to rob or murder shall be punished by...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Dangerous weapon; assault in dwelling house; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 18A
Whoever, being armed with a dangerous weapon, enters a dwelling house and while therein assaults another with intent to commit a felony shall be punished...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Use of firearms while committing a felony; second or subsequent offenses; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 18B
Whoever, while in the commission of or the attempted commission of an offense which may be punished by imprisonment in the state prison, has in...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Entry of dwelling place; persons present within; weapons; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 18C
Whoever knowingly enters the dwelling place of another knowing or having reason to know that one or more persons are present within or knowingly enters...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Robbery by unarmed person; punishment; victim sixty or older; minimum sentence for repeat offenders - Chapter 265, Section 19
(a) Whoever, not being armed with a dangerous weapon, by force and violence, or by assault and putting in fear, robs, steals or takes from...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Simple assault; intent to rob or steal; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 20
Whoever, not being armed with a dangerous weapon, assaults another with force and violence and with intent to rob or steal shall be punished by...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Stealing by confining or putting in fear - Chapter 265, Section 21
Whoever, with intent to commit larceny or any felony, confines, maims, injures or wounds, or attempts or threatens to kill, confine, maim, injure or wound,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Assault, confinement, etc. of person for purpose of stealing motor vehicle; weapons; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 21A
Whoever, with intent to steal a motor vehicle, assaults, confines, maims or puts any person in fear for the purpose of stealing a motor vehicle...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Rape, generally; weapons; punishment; eligibility for furlough, education, training or employment programs - Chapter 265, Section 22
(a) Whoever has sexual intercourse or unnatural sexual intercourse with a person, and compels such person to submit by force and against his will, or...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Rape of child; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 22A
Whoever has sexual intercourse or unnatural sexual intercourse with a child under 16, and compels such child to submit by force and against his will...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Rape of a child during commission of certain offenses or by use of force; penalties - Chapter 265, Section 22B
Whoever has sexual intercourse or unnatural sexual intercourse with a child under 16, and compels such child to submit by force and against his will...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Rape of a child through use of force by certain previously convicted offenders; penalties - Chapter 265, Section 22C
Whoever has sexual intercourse or unnatural sexual intercourse with a child under 16, and compels such child to submit by force and against his will...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Rape and abuse of child - Chapter 265, Section 23
Whoever unlawfully has sexual intercourse or unnatural sexual intercourse, and abuses a child under 16 years of age, shall be punished by imprisonment in the...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Rape and abuse of child aggravated by age difference between defendant and victim or by when committed by mandated reporters; penalties - Chapter 265, Section 23A
Whoever unlawfully has sexual intercourse or unnatural sexual intercourse, and abuses a child under 16 years of age and: (a) there exists more than a...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Rape and abuse of child by certain previously convicted offenders; penalties - Chapter 265, Section 23B
Whoever unlawfully has sexual intercourse or unnatural sexual intercourse, and abuses a child under 16 years of age and has been previously convicted of or...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Assault with intent to commit rape; weapons; punishment; eligibility for furloughs, education, training or employment programs - Chapter 265, Section 24
Whoever assaults a person with intent to commit a rape shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than twenty years...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Venue - Chapter 265, Section 24A
If, in connection with the alleged commission of a crime described in section thirteen B, 13B1/2, 13B3/4, thirteen F, thirteen H, twenty-two, twenty-two A, 22B,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Assault of child; intent to commit rape; weapons; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 24B
Whoever assaults a child under sixteen with intent to commit a rape, as defined in section thirty-nine of chapter two hundred and seventy-seven, shall be...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Victim’s name; confidentiality - Chapter 265, Section 24C
That portion of the records of a court or any police department of the commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions, which contains the name...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Attempted extortion; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 25
Whoever, verbally or by a written or printed communication, maliciously threatens to accuse another of a crime or offence, or by a verbal or written...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Kidnapping; weapons; child under age 16; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 26
Whoever, without lawful authority, forcibly or secretly confines or imprisons another person within this commonwealth against his will, or forcibly carries or sends such person...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Kidnapping of minor or incompetent by relative; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 26A
Whoever, being a relative of a child less than eighteen years old, without lawful authority, holds or intends to hold such a child permanently or...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Drugging persons for kidnapping - Chapter 265, Section 26B
Whoever applies, administers to or causes to be taken by a person any drug, matter or thing with intent to stupefy or overpower such person...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Definition of “entice”; enticement of child under age 16; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 26C
(a) As used in this section, the term “entice” shall mean to lure, induce, persuade, tempt, incite, solicit, coax or invite. (b) Any one who...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Enticement of child under age 18 to engage in prostitution, human trafficking or commercial sexual activity - Chapter 265, Section 26D
(a) As used in this section, the term “entice” shall mean to lure, induce, persuade, tempt, incite, solicit, coax or invite. (b) As used in...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Kidnapping; venue - Chapter 265, Section 27
A crime described in section twenty-six may be tried in the county where committed or in any county in or to which the person so...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Kidnapping of minor or incompetent by relative; venue - Chapter 265, Section 27A
A crime described in section twenty-six A may be tried in the county where committed or in a county in or to which the person...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Poison; use with intent to injure; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 28
Whoever mingles poison with food, drink or medicine with intent to kill or injure another person, or wilfully poisons any spring, well or reservoir of...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Assault; intent to commit felony; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 29
Whoever assaults another with intent to commit a felony shall, if the punishment of such assault is not hereinbefore provided, be punished by imprisonment in...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Gross negligence; persons having care of common carrier; penalty - Chapter 265, Section 30
Whoever, having the management or control of or over a steamboat or other public conveyance used for the common carriage of persons, is guilty of...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1962, 285, Sec. 2 - Chapter 265, Section 31
Repealed, 1962, 285, Sec.
- Massachusetts General Laws - Glass; throwing in public streets and beaches; penalty - Chapter 265, Section 32
Whoever throws or drops glass on a public way, or on or near a bathing beach, or on a public way, sidewalk or reservation in...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1962, 285, Sec. 2 - Chapter 265, Section 33
Repealed, 1962, 285, Sec.
- Massachusetts General Laws - Tattooing body of person by other than qualified physician; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 34
Whoever, not being registered as a qualified physician under section two of chapter one hundred and twelve, or corresponding provisions of earlier laws, marks the...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Throwing or dropping objects onto public way; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 35
Whoever willfully or negligently drops, throws or otherwise releases any object, missile or other article onto any way as defined in section one of chapter...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Throwing or dropping objects at sporting events; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 36
Any person who willfully drops, throws or otherwise releases any object, missile or other article at any sporting event with the intent to injure any...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Violations of constitutional rights; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 37
No person, whether or not acting under color of law, shall by force or threat of force, willfully injure, intimidate or interfere with, or attempt...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 2004, 501, Sec. 9 - Chapter 265, Section 38
Repealed, 2004, 501, Sec.
- Massachusetts General Laws - Assault or battery for purpose of intimidation; weapons; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 39
(a) Whoever commits an assault or a battery upon a person or damages the real or personal property of a person with the intent to...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Causing serious bodily injury to participants in physical exercise training programs; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 40
Whoever, having the direct management or direct control over the conduct of physical exercise as part of a course of study or training program at...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Sentence not imposing imprisonment; specific reasons in record - Chapter 265, Section 41
In sentencing a person for a violation of any provision of this chapter, the penalty for which includes imprisonment, a judge sitting in superior court...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Use of radios without earphones on public conveyances; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 42
Whoever uses a radio or boom box, so-called, or similar broadcasting equipment without the use of earphones or other apparatus on a public conveyance used...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Stalking; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 43
(a) Whoever (1) willfully and maliciously engages in a knowing pattern of conduct or series of acts over a period of time directed at a...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Criminal harassment; punishment - Chapter 265, Section 43A
(a) Whoever willfully and maliciously engages in a knowing pattern of conduct or series of acts over a period of time directed at a specific...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Coercion of child under eighteen into criminal conspiracy; penalties - Chapter 265, Section 44
Whoever commits an assault and battery on a child under the age of eighteen for the purpose of causing or coercing such child to join...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Community parole supervision for life following imprisonment, probation or treatment center sentence; covered offenses - Chapter 265, Section 45
Any person who commits indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 under section 13B, indecent assault and battery on a mentally retarded person...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Taking from deceased victim’s estate prohibited - Chapter 265, Section 46
The court shall prohibit any person charged with the unlawful killing of the decedent from taking from the decedent’s estate through its distribution and disposition,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Global positioning system device to be worn by certain sex offender probationers - Chapter 265, Section 47
Any person who is placed on probation for any offense listed within the definition of “sex offense”, a “sex offense involving a child” or a...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Ice cream truck vending by sex offender prohibited - Chapter 265, Section 48
A sex offender, as defined by section 178C of chapter 6, who engages in ice cream truck vending, as defined in section 25 of chapter...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Definitions applicable to Secs. 49 to 57 - Chapter 265, Section 49
As used in sections 50 to 51, inclusive, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings: “Commercial sexual activity”,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Trafficking of persons for sexual servitude; trafficking of persons under 18 years for sexual servitude; trafficking by business entities; penalties; tort actions brought by victims - Chapter 265, Section 50
(a) Whoever knowingly: (i) subjects, or attempts to subject, or recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides or obtains by any means, or attempts to recruit, entice,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Trafficking of persons for forced service; victims under 18 years; trafficking by business entities; penalties; tort actions brought by victims - Chapter 265, Section 51
(a) Whoever knowingly: (i) subjects, or attempts to subject, another person to forced services, or recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides or obtains by any means,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Subsequent violations of Sec. 50 or 51; penalties; evidence of prior adjudication or conviction - Chapter 265, Section 52
(a) Whoever, after having been convicted of or adjudicated delinquent by reason of a violation of section 50 or 51, commits a second or subsequent...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Organ trafficking; victims under 18 years; penalties - Chapter 265, Section 53
(a) Whoever: (i) recruits, entices, harbors, transports, delivers or obtains by any means, another person, intending or knowing that an organ, tissue or other body...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Transmittal of fines to state treasurer - Chapter 265, Section 54
The court shall transmit fines collected pursuant to sections 50 and 51 to the state treasurer. The treasurer shall deposit such fines into the Victims...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Forfeiture of funds used to facilitate violation of Sec. 50 or 51; victim restitution - Chapter 265, Section 55
All monies furnished or intended to be furnished by any person in exchange for forced labor or services or sexual servitude, and all monies used...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Property subject to forfeiture resulting from violations of Secs. 50 or 51; procedure; exceptions; records; preliminary orders for seizure; referral to office of seized property management; homestead exemptions; recording of certificate of fact of final judgment - Chapter 265, Section 56
(a) The following property shall be subject to forfeiture to the commonwealth and all property rights therein shall be in the commonwealth: (i) all conveyances,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Victim of human trafficking as affirmative defense to charges of common night walking or common streetwalking - Chapter 265, Section 57
In any prosecution or juvenile delinquency proceeding of a person who is a human trafficking victim, as defined by section 20M of chapter 233, it...
Last modified: September 11, 2015