Section 117: Temporary appellate relief from final judgments pending appeal
Section 117. After an appeal has been taken from a final judgment of the superior court, the land court, the housing court of the city of Boston, the western division of the housing court department, the northeastern division of the housing court department, the southeastern division of the housing court department or the housing court of the county of Worcester, the appellate court may, by an order, on terms or otherwise, suspend the execution or operation of the final judgment appealed from, pending the appeal, and may modify or annul any order made for the protection of the rights of the parties, pending the appeal; but, until such order has been modified or annulled, the justice of the superior court by whom the final judgment appealed from was made, or any other justice of said court, or the justice of the land court, the judge of the housing court of the city of Boston, the western division of the housing court department, the northeastern division of the housing court department, the southeastern division of the housing court department, or the housing court of the county of Worcester, by whom the judgment appealed from was made, may make any proper interlocutory orders, pending such appeal, including orders for the appointment of receivers, of injunction, of prohibition, and orders for continuing in force such orders previously made, or for modifying or dissolving them. The justice or judge who makes any such interlocutory orders may enforce them by appropriate proceedings, pending the appeal.