Massachusetts has trial courts and appellate courts. The appellate courts consist of the Appeals Court, and the Supreme Judicial Court.
The Trial Court Departments are divided as follows: Boston Municipal Court handles contract & torts, small claims, and non-prison criminal cases; District Court handles misdemeanors, violations, minor felonies, small claims, and civil cases under $25,000; Housing Court deals with issues regarding use of real property; Juvenile Court handles cases regarding youth delinquency, protection, offender, and parental rights; Probate & Family Court handles divorce, paternity, family, guardianship, and domestic violence cases; Land Court handles real property title registration and disputes; and the Superior Court handles civil actions over $25,000, labor disputes, medical malpractice, first degree murder, and other felonies.
Massachusetts does not make case records from the Trial Court Departments searchable online by case name or party name. You can, however, search the Trial Court Law Library database by keyword or subject. Resources for U.S. District Court records, and Supreme & Appellate Court records are listed below.
To contact the Trial Court Departments, use these general numbers:
Boston Municipal Court Department - 617-788-8700
District Court Department - 617-788-8810,
Housing Court Department - 617-788-8485
Juvenile Court Department - 617-788-6550
Land Court Department - 617-788-7470
Probate and Family Court Department - 617-788-6600
Superior Court Department - 617-788-8130
Commissioner of Probation - 617-727-5300.
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Court Records - U.S. District PACER Provided by: U.S. District Court of Massachusetts. Register with the fee-based PACER system to search for Federal civil & criminal court records by case number, party name, filing date, or last update. Provides dockets and documents. |
Court Records - U.S. District PACER Massachusetts Bankruptcy Pay Site U.S. District Court of Massachusetts. Register with the fee-based PACER system to search for Federal bankruptcy court records by case number, name, SSN/Tax ID, or case type. Provides dockets and documents. |
Court Records | Supreme and Appeals Courts Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and Appeals Court case records. |
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