§ 1 Organization
§ 2 Number of trial court justices; appointments
§ 3 Justices assigned to other departments; powers and duties
§ 4 Salaries; practice of law; expenses; vacation and sick leave; special justices
§ 5 Chief justices; appointment; term; removal
§ 5A Deputy court administrators; appointment; term; removal; submission of disputes to chief justice of the trial court and court administrator
§ 6 Chief justice of the trial court; appointment; term; removal
§ 6A Advisory board
§ 6B Office of court management; court administrator
§ 7 Vacancies in office
§ 8 Advisory committee on personnel standards
§ 9 Chief justice of the trial court; powers and duties
§ 9A Employees of chief justice for administration and management; powers and duties
§ 9B Domestic and sexual violence training for court personnel
§ 10 Chief justice and deputy court administrators; powers and duties
§ 10A First justices; powers and duties
§ 10B Appointment of assistant clerks
§ 10C Limitation of powers, duties or responsibilities of clerks or registers of probate
§ 10D Court officers; applicants for appointment as court officer; written examination; investigation and interview; promotion
§ 12 Office of court management; court administrator
§ 13 Estimates of expenses, costs and revenue
§ 14 Services of retired justices
§ 16 Judicial institute; training judicial and nonjudicial personnel
§ 17 Operation and maintenance of court facilities; long-range planning and capital budget requests; occupancy fees
§ 19 Mandatory alternative dispute resolution program
§ 20 Leave of absence; restrictions
§ 21 Publication of notice in newspaper; notice requirements deemed met
§ 22 Delivery of criminal case disposition information to department of state police

Terms Used In Massachusetts General Laws > Chapter 211B - Trial Court of the Commonwealth

  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. Source:
  • Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
  • Probate: Proving a will
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
  • Probation officers: Screen applicants for pretrial release and monitor convicted offenders released under court supervision.
  • Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
  • Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.