Massachusetts Statutes

Section 54. In addition to the jurisdiction otherwise conferred and except as otherwise provided by this chapter, the central division of the Boston municipal court department shall have jurisdiction of civil actions in which money damages are sought pursuant to sections 19 and 2…

Section 55. The chief justice of the Boston municipal court department may employ stenographic services and provide for recording systems for the court. Said department may secure for its criminal business medical service, and the equipment necessary therefor, and for this purpos…

Section 56. The clerk shall, on or before the tenth day of each month, account for and pay over to the collector of the city of Boston or to the state treasurer, as the case may be, the balance due and payable at the end of the preceding month of all money received by them payabl…

Section 57. The juvenile court department established under section one of chapter two hundred and eleven B as of July first, nineteen hundred and ninety-three shall be composed of divisions, in each of the judicial districts hereinafter enumerated, which shall continue to have a…

Section 57A. The justice provided for under section 1 of chapter 211B as the chief justice for the juvenile court department, in addition to his judicial powers and duties, shall, subject to the superintendence authority of the supreme judicial court as provided in section 3 of c…

Section 57B. The deputy court administrator for the juvenile court department as provided for under section 1 of chapter 211B shall, subject to the superintendence authority of the supreme judicial court as provided in section 3 of chapter 211, have the powers, authority and resp…

Section 58. The Suffolk county division of the juvenile court department shall consist of seven justices, the Middlesex county division shall consist of six justices, the Worcester county division shall consist of four justices, the Franklin and Hampshire counties division shall …

Section 58A. The Boston juvenile court shall have an administrative assistant for intergovernmental relations who shall coordinate activities between the Boston juvenile court and the department of mental health, the department of public welfare, the department of youth service a…

Section 58B. (a) Any special justice of the Boston juvenile court holding office on January first, nineteen hundred and seventy-six may, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (c), certify in writing to the justice of the Boston juvenile court that upon said certificate b…

Section 58C. (a) Any special justice of a juvenile court who assumes office after January first, nineteen hundred and seventy-six shall devote full time during ordinary business hours to the duties of his office and shall not engage directly or indirectly in the practice of law. …

Section 59. Except as otherwise provided by law, the divisions of the juvenile court department shall have and exercise, within their respective jurisdictions, the same powers, duties, and procedure as the divisions of the district court department; and all laws relating to distr…

Section 6. In each district court, as provided in section one, one appointment of associate justice of the trial court shall be made; except that the courts corresponding to the district court of Brockton, the district court of Chicopee, the district court of Chelsea, the first d…

Section 60. Within the territorial limits prescribed in section fifty-seven, the divisions of the juvenile court department shall have and exercise jurisdiction, exclusive of all municipal and district courts, over cases of juvenile offenders under age seventeen and cases of negl…

Section 66. There shall be a messenger of the Boston municipal court department, appointed by a majority of the justices.

Section 67. The chief justice of the Boston municipal court department may appoint such official court interpreters, or enter into such service contracts for the provision of telephone-based interpretation services, as he may deem necessary for the criminal and the civil sessions…

Section 68. The justice of the East Boston division of the Boston municipal court department may appoint an Italian interpreter for that court. Said interpreter shall be entitled to an annual vacation period of fifteen working days with pay.

Section 69. Clerks of the divisions of the district court department shall be allowed annually for clerical assistance such amounts as shall be approved by the chief justice for said department.

Section 6A. (a) Any special justice of a district court holding office on January first, nineteen hundred and seventy-six may, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (c), certify in writing to the chief justice for the district court department that upon said certificate …

Section 7. Justices and special justices of district courts may, in or out of court, administer oaths in all cases in which an oath is required, unless otherwise expressly provided.

Section 70. The clerks of the Boston municipal court department and the clerks of the divisions of the juvenile court department shall each be annually allowed for clerical assistance such amounts as the chief justice for their respective departments may approve.

Section 74. Salaries of justices and special justices appointed to district courts shall be paid in monthly installments by the commonwealth.

Section 75B. The salaries of the first assistant clerks of the central division of the Boston municipal court department and the first assistant clerk designated in charge of twelve man jury sessions of said court shall be equal to eighty-three and one-half percent of the salary …

Section 79. The salaries of the clerks of the district court department shall be 81.57 per cent of the salary of the chief justice of said department and shall be paid, subject to appropriation, by the commonwealth. The clerks in the district court department shall devote their e…

Section 8. Each district court shall have a clerk and the central division of the Boston municipal court department shall have one clerk as provided in section 52A. All such clerks shall be appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the council. Said clerks shall h…

Section 80. The salaries of the first assistant clerks of the district court divisions as designated pursuant to section ten shall be eighty-three and one-half percent of the salaries of the clerks of said divisions as provided for in section seventy-nine and shall be paid, subje…

Section 80A. The secretary and assistant secretary to the justices of the Boston municipal court department shall receive from the commonwealth in full for all services performed by them such salaries as shall be fixed by the justices of said department.

Section 81. A justice of a division of the district court department upon certificate of the chief justice for the district court department shall quarterly be reimbursed by the commonwealth for the traveling expenses incurred by him when sitting at the order of said chief justic…

Section 84. Justices and clerks whose salaries are fixed in this chapter shall be paid at the same rate for any part of a year, and in computing the rate by the day of the compensation of justices and clerks of district courts, Sundays and legal holidays shall not be included in …

Section 9. In the case of the absence, death or removal of a clerk of a court of the district court department, the chief justice of the district court department may appoint a temporary clerk, to act until the clerk resumes his duties or until the vacancy is filled. In the case …

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.