Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 275, § 2 (2026)

Complaint of threat to commit crime

✓ current as of July 2026

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Section 2. If complaint is made to any such court or justice that a person has threatened to commit a crime against the person or property of another, such court or justice shall examine the complainant and any witnesses who may be produced, on oath, reduce the complaint to writing and cause it to be subscribed by the complainant.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 147 cases (38 in the last 5 years), 1969–2026 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Hamilton, 945 N.E.2d 877 (Mass. 2011).

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Commonwealth v. Hamilton, 945 N.E.2d 877 (Mass. 2011). · cites it 6× “Hamilton, was charged by complaint and subsequently convicted by a jury of threatening to commit a crime, in violation of G. L. c. 275, § 2, *424 and intimidating a witness, in violation of G.”

Commonwealth v. Kerns, 871 N.E.2d 433 (Mass. 2007). · cites it 8× “The judge stated that he was open to further arguments from the Commonwealth, but he indicated that, barring persuasive arguments, he intended to instruct himself on the law pertinent to threats, G. L. c. 275, § 2, which requires either direct, or indirect, communication of the…”

Commonwealth v. Bigelow, 59 N.E.3d 1105 (Mass. 2016). · cites it 6× “23 The dissent suggests that there is no distinction between a true threat and the common-law offense of threatening to commit a crime, set out in G. L. c. 275, § 2. See post at . We disagree.”

Commonwealth v. Jacobsen, 644 N.E.2d 213 (Mass. 1995). · cites it 11× “This case raises the issue whether a judge erred in granting the defendant’s motion to dismiss on the basis that his warrantless arrest violated the statutory warrant requirement of G. L. c. 275, §§ 2, 3 (1992 ed.). The Commonwealth contends that the warrantless arrest of the…”

Commonwealth v. Milo M., 740 N.E.2d 967 (Mass. 2001). · cites it 4× “, a juvenile defendant, appeals from the Juvenile Court’s adjudication of him as delinquent by reason of threatening his teacher in violation of G. L. c. 275, § 2. While public schools remain very safe places for children to be, with respect to this appeal, we face the important…”

Commonwealth v. Diggs (SJC 12008) Commonwealth v. Soto, 475 Mass. 79 (Mass. 2016). · cites it 3× “265, § 13A, and G. L. c. 275, § 2. 3 After he was booked at the Marlborough police station, Soto posted bail, which had been set at $1,000.”

Commonwealth v. Elliffe, 714 N.E.2d 835 (Mass. App. Ct. 1999). · cites it 3× “265, § 13A) and threatening (G. L. c. 275, §§ 2, 3, 4). 1 They returned verdicts of *581 not guilty of assault and battery and guilty of threatening.”

Commonwealth v. Meier, 776 N.E.2d 1034 (Mass. App. Ct. 2002). · cites it 3× “The defendant, claiming the trial judge erroneously denied her motion for a required finding of not guilty, appeals from her conviction of threatening to commit a crime in violation of G. L. c. 275, § 2. We affirm. Background.”

Commonwealth v. Sholley, 739 N.E.2d 236 (Mass. 2000). · cites it 2× “Earl Sholley was convicted of threatening to commit a crime (G. L. c. 275, § 2), being a disorderly person (G.”

Commonwealth v. Villagran, 81 N.E.3d 310 (Mass. 2017). · cites it 2× “, supra at 150-151, the court's reference to school violence arose in the context of a juvenile's challenge to a delinquency finding based on a violation of the Massachusetts threat statute, G. L. c. 275, § 2. The juvenile argued that the 16 judge focused on the apprehension of…”

Commonwealth v. Furst, 776 N.E.2d 1032 (Mass. App. Ct. 2002). · cites it 3× “Menacing words alone, even those that express a threat to commit a crime, do not constitute an offense under G. L. c. 275, § 2. For a statutory violation to occur, such words must first be communicated in some manner to the defendant’s intended victim, directly or through an…”

Commonwealth v. Gallant, 903 N.E.2d 1081 (Mass. 2009). · cites it 2× “Gallant, was charged by complaint in the Worcester District Court with threatening to commit the crime of murder in violation of G. L. c. 275, § 2, and intimidating a judge in violation of G.”

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