Massachusetts case law supports the noncriminal treatment of juveniles, but provisions exist for transferring selected juveniles to adult court. In order to be transferred, a juvenile must be 14 years of age or older and charged with a prison felony. At the transfer hearing, the judge must consider certain statutory factors, such as the nature and seriousness of the alleged offense, the juvenile's court and delinquency record, the juvenile's age and maturity, the success of past treatment efforts, the nature of available juvenile justice system services, public protection, and the likelihood of rehabilitation. Prosecutorial pitfalls associated with transfer hearings are discussed that concern the indictment, multiple charges, factual considerations, constitutional challenges, evidentiary issues, and sentencing. A section-by-section analysis is presented of Massachusetts transfer law affecting the criminal sentencing of juveniles charged with murder, and transfer hearing forms are included. 3 figures and 1 table