JOHN VELIS
BOSTON – A month into his freshman term as Westfield’s state representative, John Velis has landed a key seat on a bicameral committee.
The Democrat will begin serving on the Joint Judiciary Committee this week, covering all matters relating to the courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, such as criminal procedure and sentencing.
“This Wednesday, my first hearing is probably the biggest issue of the entire year for the Judiciary Committee,” said Velis yesterday. “Juvenile offenders who’ve been convicted of first degree murder – what will their sentence be? There is a Supreme Judicial Court opinion from about a year ago that said that juvenile offenders convicted of first degree murder cannot be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.”
A practicing attorney himself, Velis said he is looking forward to tomorrow’s hearing, which will be held in front of chiefs of police and district attorneys from around the state.
The families of the victims will also be coming in to speak to the committee.
Based on the testimonies of the chiefs, DAs, and families, the committee will mold it’s decision.
“We will be sending out a bill dealing with when should a juvenile offender convicted of first degree murder be eligible for parole,” Velis said. “It’s a huge hearing.”
“It’s not something I’ll make a decision on without first having the benefit of a hearing with all the different sides of the argument,” he said.
“I would be remiss to comment without hearing (testimony),” he said. “This past week, my State House email has just been flooded with emails from family members of victims.”
Velis said he has received lots of messages from the family of one murder victim in particular from eastern Massachusetts pleading for him to take a hard line.
Meanwhile, some in the Massachusetts legal community are concerned that dozens of experienced judges may retire this year, making way for new judges who will take a while to get up to speed and slow down the justice system.
A $30,000 pay raise for judges takes effect July 1, prompting some to speculate that many will retire once the raise takes effect because they will be eligible for a higher pension.
Criminal defense attorney John Amabile tells The Boston Globe that a lot of new judges with little experience could “dramatically affect the quality of the administration of justice.”
Others see turnover as good.
Martin Healy, chief legal counsel of the Massachusetts Bar Association says he sees it as “an infusion of new blood into a staid justice system.”
