Supreme Judicial Court’s Judicial Performance Evaluation Program to Resume with Evaluations of Judges in Essex County, Middlesex County District Courts, the Boston Municipal Court, and the Chelsea District Court

The Supreme Judicial Court will resume its program of soliciting judicial performance evaluations from attorneys, court employees, and jurors in October 2024. Judges who sat in any Essex County Court, Middlesex County District Court, the Boston Municipal Court, or the Chelsea District Court in the last two years will be evaluated. The program was temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read Full Article

Supreme Judicial Court Justices Appoint Clerk for the Commonwealth (8/28)

The Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court have appointed Maura A. Looney as the next Clerk for the Commonwealth. Ms. Looney was sworn in today by Chief Justice Kimberly S. Budd. This appointment fills a vacancy resulting from the departure of Clerk Francis V. Kenneally, who was sworn in as a District Court judge. Ms. Looney has served as Acting Clerk for the Commonwealth since April 1. Read Full Article

Supreme Judicial Court Appoints New Reporter of Decisions (11/8)

BOSTON, MA -- The Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court today announced that they have appointed Madchen (Maddie) S. Makara, Esq., as the new Reporter of Decisions for the Supreme Judicial Court, effective January 28, 2024. Attorney Makara will succeed Brian H. Redmond, Esq., who will retire as Reporter of Decisions in January. Read Full Article

Supreme Judicial Court Commences Search for Next Chief Justice of the Trial Court

With Chief Justice Jeffrey Locke retiring in December 2023, the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) has commenced the process to select his successor by issuing a notice inviting applications and nominations for the position of Chief Justice of the Trial Court. Read Full Article

Peabody Essex Museum and Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Announce Return of Historic Salem Witch Trial Documents (1/12)

SALEM, MA & BOSTON, MA – Today, the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) and the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) of Massachusetts begin the transfer of court documents from the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. PEM’s Phillips Library has been the temporary repository of this collection of 527 documents since 1980. The documents now return to the Judicial Archives following the expansion and modernization of the Massachusetts State Archives facility in Boston. Read Full Article