About the Report
This report presents data on delinquency cases with a scheduled 72A hearing in the Juvenile Court. If a person is alleged to have committed an offense as a juvenile and is not apprehended until after their 19th birthday, a hearing is held pursuant to G.L. c. 119, §72A, also called a “transfer hearing” or a “72A hearing.”
The Court determines first whether there is probable cause to believe that person committed the offense, and then either orders that the person be discharged, if doing so is consistent with the protection of the public, or if the interests of the public require that the person be tried for the offense, the court shall dismiss the delinquency complaint and cause a criminal complaint to be issued. If a criminal complaint is issued, the case proceeds according to the usual course of criminal proceedings.
This report provides counts of cases filed as pending/hearing rescheduled, transferred to adult court, and not transferred to adult court. It includes a breakdown of cases not transferred to adult court by lead charge offense severity and degree of offense; cases transferred to adult court by lead charge offense severity and degree of offense; and a count of cases transferred to adult court by county division. Data is reported by calendar year.
Table 1: Delinquency Cases where 72A Transfer Hearing was Scheduled
| Result of 72A Transfer Hearing | Number of Cases Scheduled, 2024 | Percentage of Cases Scheduled, 2024 | Number of Cases Scheduled, 2025 | Percentage of Cases Scheduled, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72A Hearing Cancelled—Case Dismissed Prior to Hearing | 3 | 14.3% | 1 | 6.3% |
| Not Transferred — Discharged Pursuant to G.L.c. 119, sec 72A | 8 | 38.1% | 9 | 56.3% |
| Pending/Transfer Hearing Rescheduled | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 12.5% |
| Transferred — Complaint to Issue in Adult (Criminal) Court | 10 | 47.6% | 4 | 25.0% |
| Total Cases | 21 | 100.0% | 16 | 100.0% |
Table 2: Delinquency Cases Transferred to Adult Court by Lead Offense Severity and Type, CY 2024-2025
| Result of 72A Transfer Hearing/Lead Offense Severity and Type | Number of Cases, 2024 | Percentage of Cases, 2024 | Number of Cases, 2025 | Percentage of Cases, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Cases Transferred to Adult (Criminal) Court | 10 | 100.0% | 4 | 100.0% |
| Felony- Sex Offense | 9 | 90.0% | 4 | 100.0% |
| Misdemeanor- Motor Vehicle Homicide Offense | 1 | 10.0% | 0 | 0.0% |
Table 3: Delinquency Cases Transferred to Adult Court by Court Division Area, CY 2024-2025
| Result of 72A Transfer Hearing/Juvenile Court Division | Number of Cases, 2024 | Percentage of Cases, 2024 | Number of Cases, 2025 | Percentage of Cases, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable/ Bristol / Plymouth | 4 | 40.0% | 1 | 25.0% |
| Berkshire / Franklin-Hampshire / Hampden | 2 | 20.0% | 0 | 0.0% |
| Norfolk / Suffolk | 3 | 30.0% | 1 | 25.0% |
| Essex / Middlesex / Worcester | 1 | 10.0% | 2 | 50.0% |
| Total Cases Transferred to Adult Criminal Court | 10 | 100.0% | 4 | 100.0% |
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| Date published: | February 1, 2025 |
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