PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT
John Adams Courthouse
One Pemberton Square
Boston, Massachusetts 02108
CONTACT:
Jennifer Donahue/Erika Gully-Santiago
(617) 557-1114
Jennifer.Donahue@sjc.state.ma.us
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 6, 2016
Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph Gants Welcomes Recently Confirmed SJC Justices to the Bench
BOSTON, MA -- In remarks this morning from the bench of the Seven Justice Courtroom, Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants welcomed three recently confirmed Associate Justices to the Supreme Judicial Court on the first day of oral arguments at the John Adams Courthouse.
Calling it a "new look SJC", Chief Justice Gants said, "This is what we call in the law 'opening day'," before welcoming court staff, law clerks and the new Justices. "When I came on board seven years ago, Chief Justice Marshall said that each new Justice changes the court. And no doubt three new Justices change the court. We are blessed with three very fine Justices. As much as I miss Justices Spina, Cordy and Duffly, we are very excited to have Justices Gaziano, Lowy and Budd to join us."
Governor Baker administered the oath to Justice Frank M. Gaziano on August 18, and to Justice David A. Lowy and Justice Kimberly S. Budd on August 24. All three Justices were unanimously confirmed by the Governor's Council. The three Justices fill seats that were vacated by Justice Francis X. Spina, Justice Robert J. Cordy and Justice Fernande R.V. Duffly, following their recent retirements.
The seven Justices hear appeals on a broad range of criminal and civil cases from September through May. Single Justice sessions are held each week throughout the year for certain motions pertaining to cases on trial or on appeal, bail reviews, bar discipline proceedings, petitions for admission to the bar, and a variety of other statutory proceedings. The Associate Justices sit as Single Justices each month on a rotation schedule. Calendars of cases that will be heard by the Full Court and by the Single Justices are available online here: http://ma-appellatecourts.org/search_calendar.php
The full bench renders approximately 200 written decisions each year; the single justices decide a total of approximately 600 cases annually. The Supreme Judicial Court, originally called the Superior Court of Judicature, was established in 1692 and is the oldest appellate court in continuous existence in the Western Hemisphere.