Chapter 220

Section 1. The flag of the United States and the flag of the commonwealth shall be displayed in every court of justice of the commonwealth while court is in session. The flags shall be of suitable dimensions.

Section 10. No person shall be disqualified from acting as judge, magistrate, appraiser or officer of any kind in a suit or proceeding in which a town is interested by reason of his interest as an inhabitant thereof. No juror shall be disqualified by reason of being an inhabitant…

Section 11. No person who holds a judicial office under the laws of the United States shall hold any judicial office of this commonwealth, except that of trial justice or justice of the peace.

Section 12. No person who holds the office of referee in bankruptcy shall at the same time hold any judicial office, except that of justice of the peace, nor the office of clerk or assistant clerk of any court, or register or assistant register of probate and insolvency.

Section 13. Any court may exclude minors as spectators from the court room during the trial of any cause, civil or criminal, if their presence is not necessary as witnesses or parties.

Section 13A. Any person who shall wilfully disobey any lawful process, order, judgment or command of the court in any action in which injunctive relief is sought in any matter involving or growing out of a labor dispute, as defined in section twenty C of chapter one hundred and f…

Section 13B. The defendant in any proceeding for contempt of court in such a case may file with the court a demand for the retirement of the justice sitting in such case, if the contempt arises from an attack upon the character or conduct of such justice and the attack occurred e…

Section 14. Commitments for contempt of court may be made to any jail in the commonwealth; and processes issued in proceedings relative to alleged contempt may be served in any county by any sheriff or deputy sheriff to whom they are directed.

Section 14A. An associate justice of the superior court, who has reserved his decision in a case heard by him without a jury, shall render his decision within four months from the date when the hearing was closed, or within such further time as the chief justice of said court may…

Section 15. The supreme judicial court and the superior court shall have jurisdiction to naturalize aliens resident within their respective judicial districts in the manner set forth in the federal laws relative to naturalization.

Section 18. The superior court may authorize the execution and reception by the clerk of the court of declarations of intention in naturalization proceedings at such times as the court by general order may direct.

Section 2. The courts of the commonwealth and the justices thereof shall have and exercise all the powers necessary for the performance of their duties. They may issue all writs, warrants and processes and make and award judgments, decrees, orders and injunctions necessary or pro…

Section 3. The justices of the supreme judicial court and of the superior court, justices and special justices of district courts, by virtue of their offices, and justices of the peace shall be conservators of the peace throughout the commonwealth and as such may, upon view of an…

Section 4. In writs, processes, records and judicial proceedings, civil or criminal, the day on which any sitting is to commence may be designated as the first, second or other Monday, or other day in the week, as the case may be, of the month in which the sitting commences.

Section 5. If it is unsafe or inexpedient to hold a court at the time and place appointed, a justice of the court may appoint another time and place within the same county for holding the same. Such adjournment shall be made by an order in writing, signed by the justice or justic…

Section 6. The divisions of the departments of the trial court shall always be open and the business thereof, or of a justice thereof, may be transacted at any time, except that such business shall not be transacted on a Saturday or Sunday or on a legal holiday unless it relates …

Section 7. Sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, constables and other officers shall serve all lawful processes issued by a court, judge, judicial officer or county commissioners legally directed to them.

Section 8. No attorney, justice of the peace, sheriff, deputy sheriff or constable shall, directly or indirectly, buy or be interested in buying, or, directly or indirectly, lend or advance or agree to lend or advance any money or other goods, or give or promise any valuable cons…

Section 9. Clerks or assistant clerks of courts, sheriffs or their deputies, as the court may direct, shall perform the duties of criers, without additional compensation; and any officer may adjourn the court by order thereof.