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The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  1. General Laws
  2. Part III COURTS, JUDICIAL OFFICERS AND PROCEEDINGS IN CIVIL CASES
  3. Title I COURTS AND JUDICIAL OFFICERS
  4. Chapter 218 DISTRICT COURTS
  5. Section 1 Territorial jurisdiction and place of holding court

Section 1

Section 1: Territorial jurisdiction and place of holding court

Section 1. The district court department, established under section 1 of chapter 211B, shall consist of divisions, 1 for each of the judicial districts hereinafter enumerated, and whenever the words ''district court'', ''municipal court'' or ''court'' are used in this chapter, unless the context refers exclusively to the Boston municipal court department or a juvenile court, or some other clearly contrary intent, such words shall refer to a division of the district court department. Unless the context refers only to a person appointed to the Boston municipal court department or to a juvenile court, the words ''justice'' and ''special justice'' shall mean, respectively, an associate justice and a special justice of the trial court appointed to a division of the district court department; and the words ''clerk'' or ''clerk of court'' shall mean the clerk of such court; and the words ''assistant clerk'', ''deputy assistant clerk'', ''temporary clerk'' or ''temporary assistant clerk'' shall mean, respectively, an assistant clerk, deputy assistant clerk, temporary clerk or temporary assistant clerk of such court.

The several divisions of the Boston municipal court department and of the several divisions of the district court department shall continue to comprise the following cities, towns, wards and territory, in the following counties, respectively.

Barnstable

The first district court of Barnstable, held at Barnstable; Barnstable, Sandwich and Yarmouth. The second district court of Barnstable, held at Orleans; Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet, Eastham, Orleans, Brewster, Chatham, Harwich and Dennis. The third district court of Barnstable, held at Falmouth; Mashpee, Falmouth and Bourne. Cases of delinquent children under sections 52 to 84, inclusive, of chapter 119 and petitions brought under sections 24 and 39E of chapter 119 are excepted from the jurisdiction of all of the above courts of this county.

Berkshire

The district court of northern Berkshire, held at Adams, North Adams and Williamstown; Adams, North Adams, Williamstown, Clarksburg, Florida, New Ashford, Cheshire, Savoy, Hancock, and Windsor; the district court of central Berkshire exercising concurrent jurisdiction in Windsor and Hancock.

The district court of central Berkshire, held at Pittsfield; Pittsfield, Hancock, Lanesborough, Peru, Hinsdale, Dalton, Washington, Richmond, Lenox, Becket and Windsor; the district court of southern Berkshire exercising concurrent jurisdiction in Lenox and Becket and the district court of northern Berkshire exercising concurrent jurisdiction in Windsor and Hancock.

The district court of southern Berkshire, held at Great Barrington and Lee; Sheffield, Great Barrington, Egremont, Alford, Mount Washington, Monterey, New Marlborough, Stockbridge, West Stockbridge, Sandisfield, Lee, Tyringham, Otis, Lenox and Becket; the district court of central Berkshire exercising concurrent jurisdiction in Lenox and Becket.

Cases of delinquent children under sections 52 to 84, inclusive, of chapter 119 and petitions brought under sections 24 and 39E of said chapter 119 are excepted from the jurisdiction of all of the above courts of this county.

Bristol

The first district court of Bristol, held at Taunton; Taunton, Rehoboth, Berkley, Dighton, Seekonk, Easton and Raynham.

The second district court of Bristol, held at Fall River; Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, Freetown and Westport; the third district court of Bristol exercising concurrent jurisdiction in Freetown and Westport.

The third district court of Bristol, held at New Bedford; New Bedford, Fairhaven, Acushnet, Dartmouth, Freetown and Westport; the second district court of Bristol exercising concurrent jurisdiction in Freetown and Westport.

The fourth district court of Bristol, held at Attleboro; Attleboro, North Attleborough, Mansfield and Norton. Cases of delinquent children under sections 52 to 84, inclusive, of chapter 119 and petitions brought under sections 24 and 39E of said chapter 119 are excepted from the jurisdiction of all of the above courts of this county.

Dukes County

The district court of Dukes County, held at Oak Bluffs, Edgartown and Tisbury; Dukes County.

Cases of delinquent children under sections 52 to 84, inclusive, of chapter 119, and petitions brought under sections 24 and 39E of said chapter 119, are excepted from the jurisdiction of the above court of this county.

Essex

The first district court of Essex, held at Salem; Salem, Beverly, Danvers, Middleton and Manchester-by-the-Sea.

The second district of Essex, held at Ipswich; Ipswich, Hamilton, Topsfield and Wenham.

The central district court of northern Essex, held at Haverhill; Haverhill, Groveland, Georgetown, Boxford and West Newbury; the district court of Newburyport exercising concurrent jurisdiction in West Newbury.

The district court of eastern Essex, held at Gloucester; Gloucester, Rockport and Essex.

The district court of southern Essex, held at Lynn; Lynn, Swampscott, Saugus, Marblehead and Nahant.

The district court of Lawrence, held at Lawrence and Methuen; Lawrence, Andover, North Andover and Methuen.

The district court of Newburyport, held at Newburyport; Amesbury, Merrimac, Newbury, Newburyport, Rowley, Salisbury and West Newbury; the central district court of northern Essex exercising concurrent jurisdiction in West Newbury.

The district court of Peabody, held at Peabody; Peabody and Lynnfield.

Cases of delinquent children under sections 52 to 84, inclusive, of chapter 119 and petitions brought under sections 24 and 39E of said chapter 119 are excepted from the jurisdiction of all of the above courts of this county.

Franklin

The district court of Franklin, held at Greenfield, Franklin county, except Orange and Erving; Warwick, Wendell; Leverett, Shutesbury and New Salem. Sessions may also be held at Shelburne Falls in Shelburne and Buckland at such times and places as the justice of said court may determine.

The district court of eastern Franklin, held at Orange; Athol, Orange, Erving, Warwick, Wendell, Leverett, Shutesbury and New Salem. Said court shall be held in Athol at least one day each week of the year. Cases of delinquent children under sections 52 to 84, inclusive, of chapter 119 and petitions brought under sections 24 and 39E of said chapter 119 are excepted from the jurisdiction of all of the above courts of this county.

Hampden

The district court of eastern Hampden, held at Palmer; Palmer, Brimfield, Hampden, Monson, Holland, Wales, Wilbraham, Ludlow and East Longmeadow.

The district court of western Hampden, held at Westfield and Chester; Westfield, Chester, Granville, Southwick, Russell, Blandford, Tolland, Montgomery and Agawam.

The district court of Chicopee, held at Chicopee; Chicopee. The district court of Holyoke, held at Holyoke; Holyoke.

The district court of Springfield, held at Springfield; Springfield, West Springfield and Longmeadow.

Cases of delinquent children under sections 52 to 84, inclusive, of chapter 119 and petitions brought under sections 24 and 39E of said chapter 119 are excepted from the jurisdiction of all of the above courts of this county.

Hampshire

The district court of Hampshire, held at Northampton, Cummington, Huntington and Easthampton; Hampshire county, except Amherst, Belchertown, Granby, Hadley, South Hadley, Pelham and Ware and any violation of law committed on the land of the metropolitan district commission comprising the Quabbin reservation or used for the supply or protection of the Quabbin reservoir.

The district court of eastern Hampshire, held at Belchertown, Amherst, Granby, Hadley, South Hadley, Pelham, Ware, and any violation of law committed on the land under the care and control of the department of conservation and recreation comprising the Quabbin reservation or used for the supply or protection of the Quabbin reservoir.

Cases of delinquent children under sections 52 to 84, inclusive, of chapter 119 and petitions brought under sections 24 and 39E of said chapter 119 are excepted from the jurisdiction of all of the above courts of this county.

Middlesex

The district court of central Middlesex, held at Concord; Concord, Acton, Bedford, Carlisle, Lincoln, Maynard, Stow, and Lexington.

The first district court of northern Middlesex, held at Ayer; Ayer, Dunstable, Groton, Pepperell, Townsend, Ashby, Shirley, Westford, Littleton, Boxborough and the Devens Regional Enterprise Zone.

The first district court of eastern Middlesex, held at Malden; Malden, Wakefield, Melrose and Everett.

The second district court of eastern Middlesex, held at Waltham; Waltham, Watertown and Weston.

The third district court of eastern Middlesex, held at Cambridge; Cambridge, Arlington and Belmont.

The fourth district court of eastern Middlesex, held at Woburn; Woburn, Winchester, Burlington, Wilmington, Stoneham, Reading and North Reading.

The first district court of southern Middlesex, held at Framingham; Framingham, Ashland, Holliston, Sudbury, Wayland and Hopkinton.

The district court of Lowell, held at Lowell; Lowell, Billerica, Tewksbury, Dracut, Chelmsford and Tyngsborough.

The district court of Marlborough, held at Marlborough; Marlborough and Hudson.

The district court of Natick, held at Natick, Natick and Sherborn.

The district court of Newton, held at Newton; Newton.

The district court of Somerville, held at Somerville; Somerville and Medford.

Cases of delinquent children under sections 52 to 84, inclusive, of chapter 119 and petitions brought under sections 24 and 39E of said chapter 119 are excepted from the jurisdiction of all of the above courts of this county.

Nantucket

The district court of Nantucket, held at Nantucket; Nantucket county.

Cases of delinquent children under sections 52 to 84, inclusive, of chapter 119 and petitions brought under sections 24 and 39E of said chapter 119 are excepted from the jurisdiction of the above court of this county.

Norfolk

The district court of northern Norfolk, held at Dedham; Dedham, Dover, Norwood, Westwood, Medfield, Wellesley and Needham.

The district court of East Norfolk, held at Quincy; Quincy, Braintree, Cohasset, Weymouth, Holbrook, Randolph and Milton; and, in criminal cases, concurrently with the second district court of Plymouth, that part of Scituate described in chapter 394 of the acts of 1912. Arrests and service of process in such cases may be made by an officer qualified to serve criminal process in Cohasset.

The district court of southern Norfolk, held at Stoughton; Stoughton, Avon, Canton and Sharon.

The district court of Western Norfolk, held at Wrentham; Franklin, Walpole, Foxborough, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, Wrentham and Plainville.

The municipal court of Brookline, held at Brookline; Brookline.

Cases of delinquent children under sections 52 to 84, inclusive, of chapter 119 and petitions brought under sections 24 and 39E of said chapter 119 are excepted from the jurisdiction of all of the above courts of this county.

Plymouth

The second district court of Plymouth, held at Hingham; Hingham, Rockland, Hull, Hanover, Scituate and Norwell.

The third district court of Plymouth, held at Plymouth; Plymouth, Kingston, Plympton, Pembroke, Duxbury, Halifax, Hanson and Marshfield.

The fourth district court of Plymouth, held at Wareham; Middleborough, Wareham, Lakeville, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester and Carver.

The district court of Brockton, held at Brockton; Brockton, Bridgewater, East Bridgewater, Whitman, Abington and West Bridgewater. Said court may adjourn to the Massachusetts correction institution, Bridgewater, whenever the public convenience seems to the first justice to render such adjournment expedient.

Cases of delinquent children under sections 52 to 84, inclusive, of chapter 119 and petitions brought under sections 24 and 39E of said chapter 119 are excepted from the jurisdiction of all of the above courts of this county.

Suffolk

The central division of the Boston municipal court department, held at Boston; wards 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17 and 18 of Boston as they existed on February 1, 1882; and in criminal cases, concurrently with the Roxbury and Brighton divisions of the Boston municipal court department, the second and third district courts of eastern Middlesex and the district court of Newton, respectively, so much of the Charles river basin, as defined in section 2 of chapter 524 of the acts of 1909, as affected by chapter 245 of the general acts of 1916 as is within the districts of said courts.

The Brighton division of the Boston Municipal court department, held at Brighton in Boston; ward 25 of Boston as it existed on February 1, 1882.

The Charlestown division of the Boston municipal court department, held at Charlestown in Boston: wards 3, 4 and 5 of Boston as they existed on February 1, 1882; provided, however, that in criminal matters, said court shall have exclusive jurisdiction in that part of said wards which is in so much of the Charles river basin, as defined in section 2 of chapter 524 of the acts of 1909, as affected by chapter 245 of the general acts of 1916 under the care and control of the department of conservation and recreation as is within the districts of said court.

The district court of Chelsea, held at Chelsea; Chelsea, and Revere.

The Dorchester division of the Boston municipal court department, held at Dorchester in Boston; ward 24 of Boston as it existed on February 1, 1882, and the territory comprised within the limits of precinct 12 of ward 13 of Boston as it existed on November 2, 1948.

The East Boston division of the Boston municipal court department, held at East Boston in Boston; Winthrop and wards 1 and 2 of Boston as they existed on March 1, 1886; provided, however, that said court shall have territorial jurisdiction in matters that arise in the Sumner tunnel and Lieutenant William F. Callahan, Jr. tunnel, including any property, toll plazas and approach roads thereto under the ownership, care, custody and control of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

The Roxbury division of the Boston municipal court department, held at Roxbury in Boston; wards 19, 20, 21 and 22 of Boston as they existed on February 1, 1882, excepting ward 10, save as hereinafter provided, as it existed on February 1, 1976; provided, however, that, notwithstanding any other law, said court shall have jurisdiction over matters arising in precincts 1, 6 and 7 of ward 10.

The South Boston division of the Boston municipal court department, held at South Boston in Boston; wards 13, 14 and 15 of Boston as they existed on February 1, 1882.

The West Roxbury division of the Boston municipal court department, held at West Roxbury in Boston; ward 23 of Boston as it existed on February 1, 1882, the territory comprised within the limits of the former town of Hyde Park which was annexed to Boston by chapters 469 and 583 of the acts of 1911, and ward 10, except precincts 1, 6 and 7 of said ward 10, as existing on February 1, 1976.

Cases of delinquent children under sections 52 to 84, inclusive, of chapter 119 and petitions brought under sections 24 and 39E of said chapter 119 are excepted from the jurisdiction of all of the above courts of this county. The juvenile court located in the city of Boston, heretofore known as the Boston juvenile court, shall have the territorial jurisdiction provided in section 57 and, with respect to children in Suffolk county, shall have exclusive jurisdiction of petitions brought under said sections 24 and 39E of said chapter 119.

Worcester

The central district court of Worcester, held at Worcester; Worcester, Auburn and Millbury.

The first district court of northern Worcester, held at Gardner; Gardner, Petersham, Hubbardston and Westminster.

The first district court of eastern Worcester, held at Westborough and Grafton; Westborough, Grafton, Southborough, Northborough and Shrewsbury.

The second district court of eastern Worcester, held at Clinton; Clinton, Berlin, Bolton, Boylston, Harvard, Lancaster, Sterling and West Boylston.

The first district court of southern Worcester, held at Southbridge and Webster; Southbridge, Webster, Sturbridge, Charlton, Dudley and Oxford.

The second district court of southern Worcester, held at Uxbridge; Uxbridge, Blackstone, Douglas, Northbridge, Millville and Sutton.

The third district court of Southern Worcester, held at Milford; Milford, Mendon, Upton, Bellingham and Hopedale.

The district court of western Worcester, held at North Brookfield; East Brookfield, Brookfield, Spencer, North Brookfield, West Brookfield, Warren, Hardwick, Leicester, New Braintree, Barre, Oakham, Paxton and Rutland. Said court may adjourn to any town within its district other than North Brookfield whenever the public convenience seems to the presiding justice to render such adjournment expedient.

The district court of Fitchburg, held at Fitchburg; Fitchburg and Lunenburg.

The district court of Leominster, held at Leominster; Leominster, Holden and Princeton.

The district court at Winchendon, held at Winchendon; Winchendon, Ashburham, Phillipston, Royalston and Templeton.

Cases of delinquent children under sections 52 to 84, inclusive, of chapter 119 and petitions brought under sections 24 and 39E of said chapter 119 are excepted from the jurisdiction of all of the above courts of this county.

Each division of the district court department may be referred to by the name of the principal place for the holding of that court.