{"data":{"id":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-248-5","jurisdiction":"us-ma","citation":"Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 248, § 5","heading":"Form of writ","body":"Section 5. If the imprisonment or restraint is not by a sheriff, deputy sheriff or jailer, the writ shall be in the following form:\nCommonwealth of Massachusetts.\n(Seal.) To the sheriffs of our several counties and to their respective deputies,\nGreeting.\nWe command you that the body of , of\n, by , of ,\nimprisoned and restrained of his liberty, as it is said, you take and\nhave before a justice of our supreme judicial court at immediately after the receipt of this writ, to do and receive what our said justice shall then and there consider concerning him in this behalf; and summon said then and there to appear before our said justice to show the cause of the taking and detaining of said ; and have you there this writ with your doings thereon.\nWitness at this day\nof in the year .","path":["Part III","Title IV","Chapter 248"],"source_url":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIII/TitleIV/Chapter248/Section5","current_through":"amendments passed before May 31, 2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-17T05:25:01Z","sha256":"e60c48b4b2ec9b63fd943e0b572e2a4150b64e841c13a5953155ed2b03d76955","source_id":"us-ma","stale":false,"prev":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-248-4","next":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-248-6"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}