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Elections – Initiative petition – Income tax
Where eight plaintiffs have challenged an initiative petition to reduce the state personal income tax rate from 5 percent to 4 percent, the attorney general did not provide a “fair” summary as required by Article 48, so the initiative petition may not appear on the 2026 election ballot.
Income tax ballot question invalidated by SJC
The Supreme Judicial Court ruled the income tax ballot question ineligible due to a misleading summary by the Attorney General's Office.
Criminal – Detention – Competency evaluation
Where a Boston Municipal Court judge ordered a defendant's hospitalization for a competency evaluation and her detention without bail pending that evaluation, a single justice’s decision to vacate the detention order should be upheld because the BMC judge lacked statutory or inherent authority to detain the defendant without bail to facilitate a competency evaluation.
Criminal – Detention – Competency evaluation
Where a criminal defendant was detained without bail pending the availability of a hospital bed to effectuate a competency evaluation pursuant to G.L.c. 123, §15(b), the detention order was unlawful, as “a judge may not detain a criminal defendant without bail solely because a hospital bed is unavailable to conduct a competency evaluation.”
Detention order pending competency evaluation invalid
A criminal defendant could not be detained without bail solely because a hospital bed was unavailable to conduct a competency evaluation, the Supreme Judicial Court has decided.
Criminal – Detention – Due process
Where a single justice denied a petition for extraordinary relief pursuant to G.L.c. 211, §3, the single justice did not err or abuse her discretion in denying relief, as the petitioner’s detention did not shock the conscience or otherwise violate substantive due process.
SJC clarifies applicability of ‘Abbott’ framework
The framework articulated in Abbott A. v. Commonwealth, 458 Mass. 24, 37-41 (2010), applies to pretrial detention resulting from a defendant's inability to post bail when competency is in question, the Supreme judicial Court has ruled.
SJC debates marijuana repeal petition’s summary
The Supreme Judicial Court heard oral arguments on the attorney general's summary of a marijuana repeal petition, weighing alleged omissions and relatedness of policy sections.
Swaps or bets? SJC digs into sports prediction market case
Supreme Judicial Court justices queried attorneys on May 4 whether Kalshi's sports-event contracts are swaps or bets, a key point in the case determining whether the popular prediction market can continue making those offerings available in Massachusetts.
SJC hears arguments in Judge Joseph ethics case
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court hears arguments on whether to publicly reprimand District Court Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph for ethics violations.
Civil practice – Settlement – IOLTA committee
Where the Massachusetts IOLTA Committee was not provided with notice of a class-action settlement until more than two years after the settlement's final approval in Superior Court, the committee suffered no prejudice, as the record provides no basis to conclude that earlier notice would have altered the outcome.
Settlement valid despite untimely notice to IOLTA committee
The Supreme Judicial Court ruled that a settlement is valid despite the IOLTA Committee receiving untimely notice and upheld the final judgment.
