An Act relative to the reliability of testifying informants

HD 2245 requires Massachusetts prosecutors to document and disclose details about informants who provide testimony in exchange for benefits (like plea deals or reduced sentences). It mandates that prosecutors record the informant's full criminal history, any deals offered, communications about those deals, and all details about how statements were made. Before using such testimony, prosecutors must prove to a judge it is reliable through a new "reliability hearing," and defendants must receive all relevant disclosure about the informant's credibility. This directly affects criminal defendants by giving them more information to challenge informant testimony, and prosecutors by creating new documentation and disclosure requirements.