An Act relating to costs of appeals by the Commonwealth

This bill requires defendants in Massachusetts who are not indigent to pay their own legal costs when appealing a conviction, unless the state loses the appeal. Under the new rule, non-indigent defendants would normally be responsible for their attorney fees and other expenses associated with the appeal process. However, if the Commonwealth loses the appeal or its request for costs is denied, the defendant becomes eligible to be reimbursed for those expenses with court approval. The legislation directly affects criminal defendants who do not qualify for public representation and aims to shift the financial burden of appeals based on the outcome of the case.