News  Trial Court Amends Emergency Administrative Order Concerning Probation Warrants

Trial Court Chief Justice Paula M. Carey today issued an amendment of Trial Court Emergency Administrative Order 20-1: Extension of the Duration of Probation Warrants as a Result of COVID-19, originally issued on March 16, 2020.  The amendment provides that all warrants issued by the Massachusetts Probation Service pursuant to G.L. c. 279, § 3 will remain in effect until the Trial Courts have resumed normal operations in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

By statute, if a probation officer has probable cause to believe that a person placed under their supervision or custody has violated the conditions set by the court, the probation officer may arrest the person or may issue a warrant for the temporary custody of the person for a period not to exceed 72 hours or until the next sitting of the court.

This amendment to the Administrative Order extends the expiration of those warrants until the Trial Courts have assumed normal operations.

All updates regarding the court system's response to the COVID-19 pandemic are available on the court's website: https://www.mass.gov/guides/court-system-response-to-covid-19