The Death Penalty in Massachusetts

How Massachusetts law treats death penalty, from the state code and official state agencies.

Short answer: Massachusetts's murder statute does not provide for the death penalty. First-degree murder is punished by life in state prison without parole (for offenders who were 14 to 17 at the time, life with parole eligibility after a term set by the court), and second-degree murder by life with… G.L. c. 265, §2; G.L. c. 279, §§57, 60, 68

Death penalty	Massachusetts's murder statute does not provide for the death penalty. First-degree murder is punished by life in state prison without parole (for offenders who were 14 to 17 at the time, life with parole eligibility after a term set by the court), and second-degree murder by life with parole eligibility. Older provisions in chapter 279 describing how a death sentence would be carried out (electrocution or, at the prisoner's election, lethal injection) remain in the General Laws, but the current punishment statute for murder lists only life imprisonment. c. 279, §60: https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleII/Chapter279/Section60. Source: G.L. c. 265, §2; G.L. c. 279, §§57, 60, 68

Death penalty

Massachusetts's murder statute does not provide for the death penalty. First-degree murder is punished by life in state prison without parole (for offenders who were 14 to 17 at the time, life with parole eligibility after a term set by the court), and second-degree murder by life with parole eligibility. Older provisions in chapter 279 describing how a death sentence would be carried out (electrocution or, at the prisoner's election, lethal injection) remain in the General Laws, but the current punishment statute for murder lists only life imprisonment.

c. 279, §60: https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleII/Chapter279/Section60.

Source: G.L. c. 265, §2; G.L. c. 279, §§57, 60, 68

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FAQ

Does Massachusetts have the death penalty?

General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.