Commonwealth of Massachusetts Law

By WLPA Staff

This is an example of how state law supports and protects the rights guaranteed to individuals by the United States Constitution and Federal Law.**

Ch. 265 §37. Interfering with Any Right or Privilege Secured by Constitution or Laws of Commonwealth.
No person, whether or not acting under color of law, shall by force or threat of force, willfully injure, intimidate or interfere with, or attempt to injure. intimidate or interfere with, or oppress or threaten any other person in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the constitution or laws of the commonwealth or by the constitution or laws of the United States. Any person convicted of violat-ing this provision shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than one year or both; and if bodily injury results, shall be punished by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than ten years, or both. (Added by L. I979, chap. 801 (2), eff. 2/14/80)

Ch.265 §39. Intimidation
Whoever commits an assault or a battery upon a person or dam-ages the real or personal property of another for the purpose of intimida-tion because of said person's race, color, religion, or national origin shall be punished by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars or not more than three times the value of the property destroyed or damaged, which-ever is greater, or by imprisonment in a house of correction for not more than two and one-half years, or both. (Added by L. 1983. chap. 165 (1). eff. 9/8/83)

Ch. 266 *§127A. Injury to Religious, Educational, etc., Institutions.
Any person who willfully, intentionally and without right, or wantonly and without cause, destroys, defaces, mars, or injures a church, synagogue or other building, structure or place used for the purpose of burial or memorializing the dead. or a school, educational facility or com-munity center or the grounds adjacent to and the owned or leased by any of the foregoing or any personal property contained in any of the forego-ing shall be punished by a fine of not more than two thousand dollars or not more than three times the value of the property so destroyed, defaced, marred or injured, whichever is greater, or by imprisonment in a house of correction for not more than two and one-half years, or both; provided. however, that if the damage to or loss of such property exceeds five thou-sand dollars, such person shall be punished by a fine of not more than three times the value of the property so destroyed. defaced, marred or injured or by imprisonment in a state prison for not more than five years. or both.

* (Added by L. 1983, chap. 165, eff. 9/8/83.)

• Witchcraft is a legally recognized religion in the United States and Witches are entitled to every right and protection for freedom of religion, including freedom from harassment and prejudice as every other recognized religion in the United States.
  
  
• The United States Constitution, under the First and Fourteenth Amendments. supports the right of all peoples in the United States to practice their own belief system and to enjoy this in each their own manner.
  
  
• Lawyers and Law Enforcement Agencies have the obligation to protect the rights of all people in their religious endeavors, no matter what they may be, without bias or prejudice.
  
  
• Witches desire only to retain their right of religious privacy and to practice their Craft as they see fit within the parameters of the law.