reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 233 § 20j (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 233 - Witnesses and Evidence|Section 20j - Sexual Assault; Confidential Communications With Sexual Assault Counsellor; Disclosure; Discovery

Section 20J. As used in this section the following words, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, shall have the following meaning:—  ''Rape crisis center'', any office, institution or center offering assistance to victims of sexual assault and the families of such victims through crisis intervention, medical and legal counseling.  ''Sexual assault counsellor'', a person who is employed by or is a volunteer in a rape crisis center, has undergone thirty-five hours of training, who reports to and is under the direct control and supervision of a licensed social worker, nurse, psychiatrist, psychologist or psychotherapist and whose primary purpose is the rendering of advice, counseling or assistance to victims of sexual assault.  ''Victim'', a person who has suffered a sexual assault and who consults a sexual assault counsellor for the purpose of securing advice, counseling or assistance concerning a mental, physical or emotional condition caused by such sexual assault.  ''Confidential communication'', information transmitted in confidence by and between a victim of sexual assault and a sexual assault counsellor by a means which does not disclose the information to a person other than a person present for the benefit of the victim, or to those to whom disclosure of such information is reasonably necessary to the counseling and assisting of such victim. The term includes all information received by the sexual assault counsellor which arises out of and in the course of such counseling and assisting, including, but not limited to reports, records, working papers or memoranda.  A sexual assault counsellor shall not disclose such confidential communication, without the prior written consent of the victim; provided, however, that nothing in this chapter shall be construed to limit the defendant's right of cross-examination of such counsellor in a civil or criminal proceeding if such counsellor testifies with such written consent.  Such confidential communications shall not be subject to discovery and shall be inadmissible in any criminal or civil proceeding without the prior written consent of the victim to whom the report, record, working paper or memorandum relates.
MA Gen L ch 233 § 20k (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 233 - Witnesses and Evidence|Section 20k - Domestic Violence Victims' Counselors; Confidential Communications

Section 20K. As used in this section the following words shall unless the context clearly requires otherwise have the following meanings:—  ''Abuse'', causing or attempting to cause physical harm; placing another in fear of imminent physical harm; causing another to engage in sexual relations against his will by force, threat of force, or coercion.  ''Confidential communication'', information transmitted in confidence by and between a victim and a domestic violence victims' counselor by a means which does not disclose the information to a person other than a person present for the benefit of the victim, or to those to whom disclosure of such information is reasonably necessary to the counseling and assisting of such victim. The term includes all information received by the domestic violence victims' counselor which arises out of and in the course of such counseling and assisting, including, but not limited to, reports, records, working papers, or memoranda.  ''Domestic violence victims' counselor'', a person who is employed or volunteers in a domestic violence victims' program, who has undergone a minimum of twenty-five hours of training and who reports to and is under the direct control and supervision of a direct service supervisor of a domestic violence victims' program, and whose primary purpose is the rendering of advice, counseling or assistance to victims of abuse.  ''Domestic violence victims' program'', any refuge, shelter, office, safe home, institution or center established for the purpose of offering assistance to victims of abuse through crisis intervention, medical, legal or support counseling.  ''Victim'', a person who has suffered abuse and who consults a domestic violence victims' counselor for the purpose of securing advice, counseling or assistance concerning a mental, physical or emotional condition caused by such abuse.  A domestic violence victims' counselor shall not disclose such confidential communication without the prior written consent of the victim, except as hereinafter provided. Such confidential communication shall not be subject to discovery in any civil, legislative or administrative proceeding without the prior written consent of the victim to whom such confidential communication relates. In criminal actions such confidential communication shall be subject to discovery and shall be admissible as evidence but only to the extent of information contained therein which is exculpatory in relation to the defendant; provided, however, that the court shall first examine such confidential communication and shall determine whether or not such exculpatory information is therein contained before allowing such discovery or the introduction of such evidence.
MA Gen L ch 233 § 20l (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 233 - Witnesses and Evidence|Section 20l - Confidentiality of Domestic Violence Victims' Program and Rape Crisis Center Locations

Section 20L. The location and street address of all domestic violence victims' programs, as defined in section twenty K and rape crisis centers, as defined in section twenty J, shall be absolutely confidential and shall not be required to be revealed in any criminal or civil proceeding.
MA Gen L ch 233 § 20m (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 233 - Witnesses and Evidence|Section 20m - Disclosure of Confidential Communication Regarding Human Trafficking Victim by Caseworker

Section 20M. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:—  ''Confidential communication'', information transmitted in confidence by and between a victim and a victim's caseworker by a means which does not disclose the information to a person other than a person present for the benefit of the victim, or to those to whom disclosure of such information is reasonably necessary to the counseling and assisting of such victim. The term confidential communication shall include all information received by a victim's caseworker which arises out of and in the course of such counseling and assisting including, but not limited to, reports, records, working papers or memoranda.  ''Human trafficking victim'' or ''victim'', a person who is subjected to the conduct prohibited under sections 50 or 51 of chapter 265.  ''Human trafficking victims' caseworker,'' a person who is employed by or volunteers with a program serving human trafficking victims, who has undergone a minimum of 25 hours of training and who reports to and is under the direct control and supervision of a direct service supervisor of a human trafficking victim program, and whose primary purpose is the rendering of advice, counseling or assistance to human trafficking victims.  ''Human trafficking victims' program'', any refuge, shelter, office, safe house, institution or center established for the purpose of offering assistance to human trafficking victims through crisis intervention, medical, legal or support counseling.  (b) A human trafficking victims' caseworker shall not disclose any confidential communication without the prior written consent of the victim, or the victim's guardian in the case of a child, except as hereinafter provided. Such confidential communication shall not be subject to discovery in any civil, legislative or administrative proceeding without the prior written consent of the victim, or victim's guardian in the case of a child, to whom such confidential communication relates. In criminal actions such confidential communication shall be subject to discovery and shall be admissible as evidence but only to the extent of information contained therein which is exculpatory in relation to the defendant; provided, however, that the court shall first examine such confidential communication and shall determine whether or not such exculpatory information is contained in the communication before allowing such discovery or the introduction of such evidence.  (c) During the initial meeting between a caseworker and victim, the caseworker shall inform the human trafficking victim and any guardian thereof of the confidentiality of communications between a caseworker and victim and the limitations thereto.
MA Gen L ch 233 § 20n (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 233 - Witnesses and Evidence|Section 20n - Disclosure of Home Address or Personal Telephone Number of Social Worker Employed by the Department of Children and Families; Service of Process, Summons or Subpoena Upon Social Worker; State-Issued Identification Cards

Section 20N. (a) No court shall permit or require the disclosure of the home address or personal telephone number of a social worker employed by the department of children and families; and no witness shall be required to disclose such social worker's home address or personal telephone number in any court proceeding or in any proceeding preliminary thereto or in any documents filed with the court, except as otherwise ordered by the court, for good cause shown; provided, however, that an order of the court shall include, if possible, conditions to limit the disclosure of any such address or phone number so as to protect the privacy and safety of the social worker.  (b) Service of process, summons or subpoena upon a department of children and families social worker in any court proceeding and in any proceeding preliminary thereto shall be made upon the agency employing the social worker and in accordance with the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure or the Massachusetts Rules of Criminal Procedure governing any such service of process, summons or subpoena. For the purpose of making such service, the employing agency, upon request, shall certify to the summoning party the name and work address of any such social worker as disclosed by its records, and a summoning party may serve the social worker at the work address so certified.  (c) Each social worker employed by the department of children and families shall be provided with a state-issued identification card showing the name and position of the worker and containing a recent picture. In performing any of the social worker's duties, the social worker shall display the identification card and such card shall be accepted as proof of the social worker's identity unless the person to whom it is displayed has a good faith basis for denying its authenticity.  (d) No person, facility, school or law enforcement agency, jail or house of correction shall require a social worker employed by the department of children and families to provide, in connection with the performance of the social worker's duties: (i) documentation including, but not limited to, a driver's license, other than the state-issued identification card described in subsection (c); or (ii) the social worker's home address or personal telephone number.  (e) The home address and personal telephone number of a social worker employed by the department of children and families shall be redacted from law enforcement agency reports before such reports are released to any person.
MA Gen L ch 233 § 21 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 233 - Witnesses and Evidence|Section 21 - Proof of Conviction of Crime to Affect Credibility

Section 21. The conviction of a witness of a crime may be shown to affect his credibility, except as follows:  First, The record of his conviction of a misdemeanor shall not be shown for such purpose after five years from the date on which sentence on said conviction was imposed, unless he has subsequently been convicted of a crime within five years of the time of his testifying.  Second, The record of his conviction of a felony upon which no sentence was imposed or a sentence was imposed and the execution thereof suspended, or upon which a fine only was imposed, or a sentence to a reformatory prison, jail, or house of correction, shall not be shown for such purpose after ten years from the date of conviction, if no sentence was imposed, or from the date on which sentence on said conviction was imposed, whether the execution thereof was suspended or not, unless he has subsequently been convicted of a crime within ten years of the time of his testifying. For the purpose of this paragraph, a plea of guilty or a finding or verdict of guilty shall constitute a conviction within the meaning of this section.  Third, The record of his conviction of a felony upon which a state prison sentence was imposed shall not be shown for such purpose after ten years from the date of expiration of the minimum term of imprisonment imposed by the court, unless he has subsequently been convicted of a crime within ten years of the time of his testifying.  Fourth, the record of his conviction for a traffic violation upon which a fine only was imposed shall not be shown for such purpose unless he has been convicted of another crime or crimes within five years of the time of his testifying.  For the purpose of this section, any period during which the defendant was a fugitive from justice shall be excluded in determining time limitations under the provisions of this section.  Upon order of the court, a party may obtain a witness's criminal offender record information from the department of criminal justice information services.
MA Gen L ch 233 § 21a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 233 - Witnesses and Evidence|Section 21a - Evidence of Reputation

Section 21A. Evidence of the reputation of a person in a group with the members of which he has habitually associated in his work or business shall be admissible to the same extent and subject to the same limitations as is evidence of such reputation in a community in which he has resided.
MA Gen L ch 233 § 21b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 233 - Witnesses and Evidence|Section 21b - Evidence of Sex Crime Victim's Sexual Conduct; Admission Hearing; Findings

Section 21B. Evidence of the reputation of a victim's sexual conduct shall not be admissible in an investigation or proceeding before a grand jury or a court of the commonwealth for a violation of sections 13B, 13B.5, 13B.75, 13F, 13H, 22, 22A, 22B, 22C, 23, 23A, 23B, 24, 24B, 50 or 51 of chapter 265 Evidence of specific instances of a victim's sexual conduct in such an investigation or proceeding shall not be admissible except evidence of the victim's sexual conduct with the defendant or evidence of recent conduct of the victim alleged to be the cause of any physical feature, characteristic, or condition of the victim; provided, however, that such evidence shall be admissible only after an in camera hearing on a written motion for admission of same and an offer of proof. If, after said hearing, the court finds that the weight and relevancy of said evidence is sufficient to outweigh its prejudicial effect to the victim, the evidence shall be admitted; otherwise not. If the proceeding is a trial with jury, said hearing shall be held in the absence of the jury. The finding of the court shall be in writing and filed but shall not be made available to the jury.
MA Gen L ch 233 § 22 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 233 - Witnesses and Evidence|Section 22 - Cross-Examination of Adverse Party; Corporation's Agent as Adverse Party

Section 22. A party who calls the adverse party as a witness shall be allowed to cross-examine him. In case the adverse party is a corporation, an officer or agent thereof, so called as a witness, shall be deemed such an adverse party for the purposes of this section.
MA Gen L ch 233 § 23 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 233 - Witnesses and Evidence|Section 23 - Impeachment of Party's Own Witness

Section 23. The party who produces a witness shall not impeach his credit by evidence of bad character, but may contradict him by other evidence, and may also prove that he has made at other times statements inconsistent with his present testimony; but before proof of such inconsistent statements is given, the circumstances thereof sufficient to designate the particular occasion shall be mentioned to the witness, and he shall be asked if he has made such statements, and, if so, shall be allowed to explain them.
MA Gen L ch 233 § 23a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 233 - Witnesses and Evidence|Section 23a - Admissibility of Written or Recorded Statements of Party to Personal Injury Action

Section 23A. In any action to recover damages for personal injuries or consequential damages, so called, resulting therefrom, no statement in writing signed by any party to the action or statement taken on a recording instrument, concerning the facts out of which the cause of action arose, given by such party, or a person in his behalf, to any other party to the action, or to his agent or attorney, or to the insurer of such other party, or to the agent or attorney of such insurer, shall be admissible in evidence in, or referred to at, the trial of such action or in any proceeding connected therewith unless a copy of such statement or verbatim written transcription of such recorded statement is furnished to the party making the same or to his attorney within ten days after written request therefor made by such party or attorney to the adverse party or his attorney, or within such further time as the court may allow on motion and notice.
MA Gen L ch 233 § 23b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 233 - Witnesses and Evidence|Section 23b - Accused; Statements Made While Undergoing Psychiatric Examination; Admissibility

Section 23B. In the trial of an indictment or complaint for any crime, no statement made by a defendant therein subjected to psychiatric examination pursuant to sections fifteen or sixteen of chapter one hundred and twenty-three for the purposes of such examination or treatment shall be admissible in evidence against him on any issue other than that of his mental condition, nor shall it be admissible in evidence against him on that issue if such statement constitutes a confession of guilt of the crime charged.
MA Gen L ch 233 § 23c (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 233 - Witnesses and Evidence|Section 23c - Work Product of Mediator Confidential; Confidential Communications; Exception; Mediator Defined

Section 23C. All memoranda, and other work product prepared by a mediator and a mediator's case files shall be confidential and not subject to disclosure in any judicial or administrative proceeding involving any of the parties to any mediation to which such materials apply. Any communication made in the course of and relating to the subject matter of any mediation and which is made in the presence of such mediator by any participant, mediator or other person shall be a confidential communication and not subject to disclosure in any judicial or administrative proceeding; provided, however, that the provisions of this section shall not apply to the mediation of labor disputes.  For the purposes of this section a ''mediator'' shall mean a person not a party to a dispute who enters into a written agreement with the parties to assist them in resolving their disputes and has completed at least thirty hours of training in mediation and who either has four years of professional experience as a mediator or is accountable to a dispute resolution organization which has been in existence for at least three years or one who has been appointed to mediate by a judicial or governmental body.
MA Gen L ch 233 § 23d (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 233 - Witnesses and Evidence|Section 23d - Admissibility of Benevolent Statements, Writings or Gestures Relating to Accident Victims

Section 23D. As used in this section the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:  ''Accident'', an occurrence resulting in injury or death to one or more persons which is not the result of willful action by a party.  ''Benevolent gestures'', actions which convey a sense of compassion or commiseration emanating from humane impulses.  ''Family'', the spouse, parent, grandparent, stepmother, stepfather, child, grandchild, brother, sister, half brother, half sister, adopted children of parent, or spouse's parents of an injured party.  Statements, writings or benevolent gestures expressing sympathy or a general sense of benevolence relating to the pain, suffering or death of a person involved in an accident and made to such person or to the family of such person shall be inadmissible as evidence of an admission of liability in a civil action.
MA Gen L ch 233 § 23f (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 233 - Witnesses and Evidence|Section 23f - Admissibility of Past Physical, Sexual or Psychological Abuse of Defendant

Section 23F. In the trial of criminal cases charging the use of force against another where the issue of defense of self or another, defense of duress or coercion, or accidental harm is asserted, a defendant shall be permitted to introduce either or both of the following in establishing the reasonableness of the defendant's apprehension that death or serious bodily injury was imminent, the reasonableness of the defendant's belief that he had availed himself of all available means to avoid physical combat or the reasonableness of a defendant's perception of the amount of force necessary to deal with the perceived threat:  (a) evidence that the defendant is or has been the victim of acts of physical, sexual or psychological harm or abuse;  (b) evidence by expert testimony regarding the common pattern in abusive relationships; the nature and effects of physical, sexual or psychological abuse and typical responses thereto, including how those effects relate to the perception of the imminent nature of the threat of death or serious bodily harm; the relevant facts and circumstances which form the basis for such opinion; and evidence whether the defendant displayed characteristics common to victims of abuse.  Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to preclude the introduction of evidence or expert testimony as described in clause (a) or (b) in any civil or criminal action where such evidence or expert testimony is otherwise now admissible.