SENATE, No. 2516

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

AN ACT RELATIVE TO SAFETY AT THE JOHN ADAMS COURTHOUSE

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 69 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 2 and 3 the words “any civil sitting of the supreme judicial court or.”

SECTION 2.  Section 69 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 4 and 5, the words “in the supreme judicial court the presiding justice and in the superior court.”

SECTION 3. Section 69 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the third sentence of the first paragraph therein.

SECTION 4. Section 69 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the second paragraph therein.

SECTION 5.  Chapter 221 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

SECTION 69A:

            Section (a). the chief justice of the supreme judicial court shall appoint the chief court officer, the assistant chief court officer and the court officers of the supreme judicial court, who shall be responsible for security in all areas of the John Adams Court house occupied by the supreme judicial court, and security in all areas of any other building occupied permanently by the supreme judicial court.  The chief justice of the supreme judicial court shall have the responsibility to provide for the discipline, assignment, and supervision, and to define the duties of, said chief court officer, assistant chief court officer and court officers, and shall have the power to dismiss the same for cause.
            Section (b). The chief justice of the appeals court shall appoint the chief court officer, the assistant chief court officer and the court officers of the appeals court, who shall be responsible for security in all areas of the John Adams Courthouse occupied by the appeals court, and security in all areas of any other building occupied permanently by the appeals court.   The chief justice of the appeals court shall have the responsibility to provide for the discipline, assignment, and supervision, and to define the duties of, said chief court officer, assistant chief court officer and court officers, and shall have the power to dismiss the same for cause.
            Section (c)   The chief justice for the administration and management shall assign such associate court officers to the John Adams Courthouse as are sufficient to meet the security needs of the John Adams Courthouse, including those spaces not occupied permanently by the supreme judicial court or the appeals court.
            Section (d). The chief court officer of the supreme judicial court shall be the senior person in charge of security for the John Adams Courthouse.  The chief court officer of the supreme judicial court shall coordinate the security of the John Adams Courthouse with the chief court officer of the appeals court and the director of security of the administrative office of the trial court, or such representative as the chief justice for administration and management may designate.

SECTION 6.  Section 70 of chapter 221 of the General Laws as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-
            If any trial court department shall locate to the John Adams Courthouse, the chief justice for administration and management shall assign such security personnel, who may be court officers or associate court officers, as are sufficient to meet the security needs in the areas of the John Adams Courthouse occupied by any such trial court department.

SECTION 7.  Section 70 A of chapter 221 of the General Laws as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the section and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
            Court officers and those authorized to act as court officers within the judicial branch may perform police duties and have police powers in or about the areas of the court to which they have been assigned when so designated by the chief justice for administration and management or, with respect to court officers of the supreme judicial court and the appeals court, their respective chief justices.

SECTION 8. Section 71 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 4 and 5, the words, “and one such court officer shall be designated to act as chief deputy sheriff for attendance on the appeals court in Suffolk County” and inserting, in line 4 a period after the word “counties”

SECTION 9.  Section 71 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 8, the words “supreme judicial and.”

SECTION 10.  Section 71a of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out the third sentence thereof.

SECTION 11.  Section 72 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding, after the words “chief administrative justice,” the words, “or, with respect to court officers of the supreme judicial court and the appeals court, their respective chief justices,”.

SECTION 12. Section 72 of chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out the second sentence thereof.