§ 1 Territorial jurisdiction and place of holding court
§ 2 Boston municipal courts; concurrent jurisdiction over waters and islands
§ 2A Transfer of civil actions brought in wrong court
§ 3 Boston municipal courts; concurrent criminal jurisdiction over waters and islands
§ 4 District court jurisdiction; seals
§ 4A Massachusetts Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act
§ 5 Contempt cases; service of process
§ 6 Justices; number; terms; compensation; duties
§ 6A Special justices of district court; certification of full time duties; restrictions on employment
§ 7 Oaths; power to administer
§ 8 Clerks; appointment; number; retirement; vacation and sick leave
§ 9 Temporary clerks
§ 10 Assistant clerks
§ 10A Deputy assistant clerks; power to designate
§ 11 Temporary assistant clerks
§ 12 Clerks; oath of office; duties and powers
§ 13 Records; storage
§ 14 Facsimile or electronic rendering of signatures
§ 15 Times for holding trials; office hours
§ 16 Bond of clerk
§ 17 Justice, clerk or assistant clerk; restrictions on practice of law; special justices; restrictions on hearing or trying cases
§ 18 Justices and clerks; receipt of certain fees; prohibition
§ 19 General provisions
§ 19A District court or Boston municipal court; statement of facts in support of civil action for damages; dismissal; appeals
§ 19B District court or Boston municipal court; trial by jury of six; appeals
§ 19C District court jurisdiction; equity powers and rules
§ 19D Housing specialists; appointment; knowledge requisites; powers and duties
§ 20 Actions against executors and administrators, and against bail
§ 21 Power to establish rules of small claims procedure; venue; jurisdictional amount; hearings; damages and penalties
§ 22 Procedure
§ 23 Initial determination of cause; removal; claim for trial by jury; bond or deposit; finding as evidence; report to appellate division
§ 24 Transfer to regular docket
§ 25 Costs; discretion of court
§ 26 General provisions
§ 26A Trial by jury; discovery; jury-waived trial; record of proceedings; probation
§ 27 Imposition of penalties
§ 27A Jury sessions
§ 28 Recognizances to keep peace
§ 30 Binding over to superior court
§ 32 Complaints and warrants
§ 32A Inclusion of offense-based tracking number on application for complaint
§ 33 Warrants and process; power of clerks to issue
§ 34 Arrest without warrant; endorsement of complaint by arresting officer
§ 35 Complaints, warrants and process; power to issue; disqualification to hear case; destruction of applications for complaints
§ 35A Process; issuance on complaints for misdemeanors; consideration of criminal records and domestic violence records; right to hearing
§ 36 Justice of peace; taking bail
§ 37 Process for witnesses and defendants in criminal and juvenile cases; direction and service
§ 38 Access to courts; sittings; adjournments; filing of complaints
§ 39 Books and supplies
§ 40 Part-time special justices; authorized cases
§ 41 Special justice; powers and duties
§ 42 Adjournment when justice absent
§ 42A Chief justice; powers and duties
§ 42B Deputy court administrator
§ 43 Uniform rules of practice and procedure; power to make and promulgate
§ 43A Uniform practices; forms; superintendence of record keeping
§ 43B Official forms; powers of chief justice
§ 43E Community mediation advisory board; coordinator
§ 44 Process; formal requisites; territorial jurisdiction
§ 47 Clerks; duty to make payments and to account; penalty
§ 48 Sentences to Deer Island
§ 49 Clerks; duty to pay certain fees; advances; accounting
§ 50 Justices; number; vacation and sick leave; rule making power
§ 51A Chief justice of the Boston Municipal Court department; powers and duties
§ 52 Justices and special justices; assignment; additional sessions; compensation, etc.
§ 52A Clerks; criminal and civil business
§ 53 Clerks and assistant clerks
§ 53A Temporary assistant clerks
§ 54 Civil jurisdiction
§ 55 Recording systems; stenographic and medical services and equipment
§ 56 Clerks; accounting; penalty
§ 57 Juvenile courts; divisions; territorial jurisdiction; appeals
§ 57A Chief justice for the juvenile court department; powers and duties
§ 57B Deputy court administrator for the juvenile court department
§ 58 Justices and clerks; assignment; salaries; vacation and sick leave; interpreters
§ 58A Administrative assistant for intergovernmental relations
§ 58B Special justices of Boston juvenile court; certification of full-time duties; restrictions on employment
§ 58C Special justices of juvenile court
§ 59 Powers, duties and procedure; jurisdiction
§ 60 Jurisdiction over offenders; rule making power
§ 66 Boston municipal court department; messenger
§ 67 Boston municipal court; interpreters
§ 68 East Boston division of the Boston municipal court department; interpreter
§ 69 Clerks of divisions of district court department; allowance for assistance
§ 70 Clerks of Boston municipal and juvenile court departments; allowance for assistance
§ 74 Monthly installments
§ 75B Salaries of assistant clerks of Boston municipal court department
§ 79 Salaries of clerks
§ 80 Compensation of assistant clerks; practice of law
§ 80A Boston municipal court department; salaries of secretary and assistant secretary to justices
§ 81 Traveling expenses
§ 84 Computation of compensation

Terms Used In Massachusetts General Laws > Chapter 218 - District Courts

  • Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
  • Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
  • 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.
  • Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
  • 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
  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
  • Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • 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
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Forgery: The fraudulent signing or alteration of another's name to an instrument such as a deed, mortgage, or check. The intent of the forgery is to deceive or defraud. Source: OCC
  • Judgement: The official decision of a court finally determining the respective rights and claims of the parties to a suit.
  • 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.
  • Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
  • Pretrial conference: A meeting of the judge and lawyers to discuss which matters should be presented to the jury, to review evidence and witnesses, to set a timetable, and to discuss the settlement of the case.
  • Pro se: A Latin term meaning "on one's own behalf"; in courts, it refers to persons who present their own cases without lawyers.
  • Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
  • 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.
  • Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
  • 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.
  • Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
  • Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
  • 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.
  • Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
  • Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
  • Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.