Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 265, sec. 52 — MA Code / Part IV / Title I / Chapter 265 / Section 52
Subsequent violations of Sec. 50 or 51; penalties; evidence of prior adjudication or conviction
Status: in_force

Section 52. (a) Whoever, after having been convicted of or adjudicated delinquent by reason of a violation of section 50 or 51, commits a second or subsequent violation of either section 50 or 51, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for life or for any term of years, but not less than 10 years. Such sentence shall not be reduced to less than 10 years, or suspended, nor shall any person convicted under this section be eligible for probation, parole, work release or furlough or receive any deduction from his sentence for good conduct until he shall have served 10 years of such sentence. No prosecutions commenced under this section shall be continued without a finding or placed on file. (b) In any prosecution commenced pursuant to this section, introduction into evidence of a prior adjudication or conviction or a prior finding of sufficient facts by either certified attested copies of original court papers, or certified attested copies of the defendant's biographical and informational data from records of the department of probation, any jail or house of correction or the department of correction, shall be prima facie evidence that the defendant before the court has been convicted previously by a court of the commonwealth or any other jurisdiction. Such documentation shall be self-authenticating and admissible, after the commonwealth has established the defendant's guilt on the primary offense, as evidence in any court of the commonwealth to prove the defendant's prior conviction described therein. The commonwealth shall not be required to introduce any additional corroborating evidence or live witness testimony to establish the validity of such prior conviction.

Section 52. (a) Whoever, after having been convicted of or adjudicated delinquent by reason of a violation of section 50 or 51, commits a second or subsequent violation of either section 50 or 51, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for life or for any term of years, but not less than 10 years. Such sentence shall not be reduced to less than 10 years, or suspended, nor shall any person convicted under this section be eligible for probation, parole, work release or furlough or receive any deduction from his sentence for good conduct until he shall have served 10 years of such sentence. No prosecutions commenced under this section shall be continued without a finding or placed on file.

(b) In any prosecution commenced pursuant to this section, introduction into evidence of a prior adjudication or conviction or a prior finding of sufficient facts by either certified attested copies of original court papers, or certified attested copies of the defendant's biographical and informational data from records of the department of probation, any jail or house of correction or the department of correction, shall be prima facie evidence that the defendant before the court has been convicted previously by a court of the commonwealth or any other jurisdiction. Such documentation shall be self-authenticating and admissible, after the commonwealth has established the defendant's guilt on the primary offense, as evidence in any court of the commonwealth to prove the defendant's prior conviction described therein. The commonwealth shall not be required to introduce any additional corroborating evidence or live witness testimony to establish the validity of such prior conviction.