By Representative Hall of Westford and Senator Panagiotakos, joint petition (accompanied by bill, 1477) of Geoffrey D. Hall, Steven C. Panagiotakos and another relative to amending the proceedings upon apprehension of juveniles after their eighteenth birthday. The Judiciary.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

Geoffrey D. Hall

Steven C. Panagiotakos

Joanne Cone

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act amending the proceedings upon apprehension after eighteenth birthday.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1.  Section 72A of Chapter 119 of the Massachusetts General Laws, as appearing in the 2002 Official Edition,  is amended by adding after the first paragraph, the following new paragraph:
Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, nothing in this paragraph shall prohibit the filing in the division of the juvenile court department of charges for a person who commits an offense or violation prior to their seventeenth birthday but is not charged with such offense or violation until after their seventeenth birthday when the court is of the opinion that such jurisdiction is in the best interest of the public.