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One of America’s first states with one of the nation’s more venerable and venerated court systems, Massachusetts dispenses justice through a tiered system capped by the oldest appellate court in the Western Hemisphere.

MA Supreme Judicial Court

Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court, originally known as the Superior Court of Judicature, was established in 1692 and is the oldest appellate court in continuous operation in the Western half of the world.

Following adoption of the Massachusetts Constitution in 1780, the court’s name was changed to the Supreme Judicial Court. Colloquially known as the SJC, it continues to function under the oldest written constitution in the world.

The Massachusetts SJC is the commonwealth’s highest appellate court. It consists of a chief justice, presently Margaret H. Mitchell, and six associate justices who are appointed by the governor with the consent of the state’s Executive Council. Justices hold office until the mandatory retirement age of 70, which is the retirement age of all judges.

Justices hear appeals on a broad range of criminal and civil cases in a session that runs from September through May. Single-justice sessions are held each week throughout the year for certain motions pertaining to cases on trial or pending appeal, bail reviews, bar discipline proceedings, petitions for admission to the bar, and a variety of other statutory proceedings that require SJC involvement. Associate justices fill the single-justice role on a rotating monthly schedule.

The full bench renders about 200 written opinions each year, while single justices handle about 600 cases annually.

In addition to its appellate functions, the SJC operates in a supervisory role for the entire judicial system and state bar of Massachusetts. It makes or approves rules for the operation of all courts in the state and, in some instances, provides advisory opinions upon request to the governor and legislature on important issues. The court also has varying degrees of oversight authority for court-affiliated agencies such as the Board of Bar Overseers, Board of Bar Examiners, Clients’ Security Board, the Commission on Judicial Conduct, Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation, Massachusetts Mental Health Legal Advisors’ Committee and Correctional Legal Services Inc.

Massachusetts Supreme Court dockets and opinions and even Webcasts are available online.

Massachusetts Appeals Court

Established in 1972, the Massachusetts Appeals Court is nearly 300 years the junior of the state’s Supreme Judicial Court. Most appeals from the state Trial Court’s several departments initially are entered in the Appeals Court. While some are then transferred directly to the Supreme Judicial Court, most are decided by the Appeals Court judges.

The court also has jurisdiction over appeals from decisions rendered by three state agencies, the Appellate Tax Board, the Department of Industrial Accidents and the Labor Relations Commission.

Some appeals, however, do not go to the Appeals Court. An appeal of conviction for first-degree murder goes directly to the SJC. In the District Court Department, appeals in certain civil cases are first made to the Appellate Division of the District Court.

The MA Appeals Court has a roster of 25 statutory judges. The present chief justice of the court, appointed in 2006, is Phillip Rapoza. If necessary, the court has the ability to recall several retired appellate judges.

Like many intermediate appellate courts, the Appeals Court of Massachusetts almost always is seated in panels of three. The composition of each panel changes regularly so that judges have the opportunity to sit with every other judge.

The court convenes in Boston during every month from September through June, and also holds sessions throughout the year in locations other than Boston.

Beyond its appellate jurisdiction, the Appeals Court, like the SJC, operates single-justice sessions with separate dockets. A single justice has power to review interlocutory orders and orders for injunctive relief issued by certain Trial Court departments. The single justice also can review summary process appeal bonds, some attorney’s fee awards, motions for stays of civil proceedings or criminal sentences pending appeal, and motions to review impoundment orders. Each associate justice of the Appeals Court sits as a single justice for one month at a time.

Massachusetts Appeals Court case dockets and calendars, opinions, standing orders, and rules and procedures all are available online.

MA Trial Courts

Massachusetts’ Trial Court system was created by Chapter 478 of the Acts of 1978. Before that legislation, all trial courts in the commonwealth, except the Land Court that was state-operated, were county or local courts funded through the counties. The 1978 statute reorganized the courts into seven Trial Court departments: Boston Municipal Court; District Court; Housing Court; Juvenile Court; Probate and Family Court; Superior Court; and the aforementioned Land Court.

With the legislation, administrative justices became responsible for the administration of each court department. And, the judges of all departments received the same salary and benefits from the state, becoming state employees.

The 1978 statute created a central administrative office under direction of a chief administrative justice who was also responsible for the overall management of the Trial Court.

In 1992, the state legislature enacted a second court reorganization. The structure of Trial Court remained the same – seven departments, each with a chief justice rather than administrative justice, and a central office headed by a judge known thereafter as an administrative justice. The 1992 statute also greatly expanded the Juvenile Court Department and ended trial de novo in the District Court.

And in 2003, the Massachusetts Trial Court, under the general superintendence of the Supreme Judicial Court, is still made up of seven departments, each with its own administrative office, the central Administrative Office (itself consisting of eight departments), the Office of the Jury Commissioner and the Office of the Commissioner of Probation.

There are 362 authorized judicial positions in the Trial Court system. The state’s trial judges sit in more than 130 locations across Massachusetts and the courts employ more than 7,000 individuals.
 

Online resources include lists of the Trial Courts by alphabetical order, courts within each county, and by court department.

Self-Help

Individuals who find themselves headed to court in Massachusetts have several self-help information sources at their disposal. They include links for attorney referrals, court forms, state court guidelines and standards, Trial Court law libraries, and probation supervision.

Massachusetts Court System

Plymouth County Probate and Family Court

Selected Court Opinions

United States District Court - District of Massachusetts

United States Bankruptcy Court - District of Massachusetts

Immigration Court of Boston - General Information, Courtroom Etiquette, FAQs and Court Procedure Information.

Massachusetts Courts - Information on the judicial branch of Massachusetts as well as all courts.

Massachusetts Supreme Court Case Dockets - Search Frequently Requested Cases and Court Calendars.

Massachusetts Law Library for Trial Courts - Search laws by sources, subject and libraries.

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court -  Education Resource Center, Opinions and Court Administration information as well as news about the court.

Massachusetts Probate and Family Courts - Search Information on County Legal Assistance.

Massachusetts Appeals Court - Search Appeals Courts, Opinions and Rules of Procedure.

Massachusetts Appeals Court - Search Frequently Requested Cases as well as Appeals Court Calendars.