Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 211D, § 2B (2026)
Appointment of counsel for criminal defendant charged with misdemeanor or municipal ordinance or bylaw violation
Section 2B. A person charged with a misdemeanor or a violation of a municipal ordinance or bylaw, on motion of the commonwealth, the person or on the court's own motion, shall not be appointed counsel if the judge, at arraignment, informs such person on the record that, if the person is convicted of such offense, the person's sentence shall not include any period of incarceration. For good cause, that judge or another judge of the same court may later revoke such determination on the record and appoint counsel, and on the request such counsel shall be entitled to a continuance to conduct any necessary discovery and to prepare adequately for trial. Any such determination or revocation by a judge shall be endorsed upon the docket of the case.