Exciting news!
We need our exoneration collaborators to join us with words of support for this exoneration bill. Please read below about how you can submit your testimony. Thank you.
Bill H.1927 will receive a hearing before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary on Tuesday, November 25. Please submit written testimony or if you are able to attend, either in-person or online, please let me know. Also invite anyone you know who may be able to submit testimony to do so.
On January 15, 2025, Rep. Steven Owens (Cambridge and Watertown) proposed An Act Exonerating Certain Individuals Accused of Witchcraft in Colonial Massachusetts. This legislation titled Bill H. 1927 will clear the names of 8 individuals convicted of witchcraft in Boston and all others accused of witchcraft in Massachusetts. More on this bill is available at www.change.org/witchtrials
The Massachusetts Witchcraft Trials occurred between 1638 and 1693. During this period, at least 250 individuals were accused of witchcraft in Massachusetts. More than 200 of these were complained of, implicated in court, questioned, arrested, and/or imprisoned. To date, the names of 31 of the convicted Salem victims have been cleared by legislation. However, 8 individuals convicted in Boston in other witch trials have not been exonerated.
More than 200 people were accused of witchcraft in Massachusetts. 31 convicted or killed in Salem have been exonerated. However, none of the 8 people convicted for witchcraft in Boston has been exonerated.
Between 1647 and 1693, more than 200 individuals were formally charged with witchcraft by Massachusetts courts
This hearing will be chaired by Chairwoman Edwards. The Chair will limit testimony to two minutes per individual, five minutes for panels and reserves the right to call public officials out of turn. The public is invited to participate in this hearing, which will be livestreamed on the Legislature's website. To register to testify virtually, you must provide contact information on this linked form by 5:00 p.m. on November 23, 2025. All those wishing to testify in person may sign up on the day of the hearing but are encouraged to sign up ahead of time at the link above.
Written testimony may be submitted by mail to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary at 24 Beacon Street, Room 136, Boston, MA 02133 or, electronically to Christianna.Golden@masenate.gov for Senate Bills or Talia.Quinn@mahouse.gov for House Bills. All written testimony received by the Committee will be made publicly available, provided however, the Chairs may limit and redact testimony that includes sensitive personal information or information that may jeopardize the health, wellness or safety of the testifier or others.
The form states:
Hearing 14: November 25, 2025 at 10:00 am
The public is invited to participate in the Joint Committee on the Judiciary's hearing on November 25, 2025 at 10:00am. Please note that the Chair will limit testimony to a total of two minutes per individual per hearing. Individuals who wish to testify virtually at this hearing must register by completing this form before 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 23, 2025.
Online registration will CLOSE at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 23, 2025. If you miss this deadline, you may register to testify in person at the time of the hearing to have your name called. Those wishing to testify virtually WILL NOT be able to sign up for virtual testimony after 5:00 p.m. on Sunday November 23. Those who sign up to testify virtually will receive further instruction on how to participate in the hearing by email from LIS or the office of the Chairing Member on the day of the hearing. Those wishing to testify in person are encouraged to register in advance by using this form.
ONLY ONE panelist is required to sign up for a panel. We ask that you please coordinate with the other panelists, prior to signing up to testify. Individuals may submit written testimony to the Committee, until the Committee takes action on the bill, via mail addressed to the Judiciary Committee at 24 Beacon Street, Room 136, Boston, MA 02133 or by emailing all testimony for House bills to Talia.Quinn@mahouse.gov
Please be advised that the schedule and agenda are subject to change at the discretion of the Chair. The Committee must report on House bills considered during this hearing by January 24, 2026 subject to House Rule 27. With any questions regarding specific House bills, please contact Talia.Quinn@mahouse.gov. With any questions regarding bills in general, please contact Christianna.Golden@masenate.gov.