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The Supreme Judicial Court is the highest court of the Commonwealth. It has general powers of superintendence over all other courts. It sits primarily as an appellate court, and hears all appeals in first degree murder cases and appeals which have been transferred to it from the Appeals Court. It is also a court of original jurisdiction in certain cases. It also oversees the Massachusetts bar, through the Board of Bar Examiners, the Board of Bar Overseers, the Office of Bar Counsel, and the Clients' Security Board. The Appeals Court has jurisdiction over most cases which are appealed from the various Departments of the Trial Court. It also considers appeals from a few State agencies. It is headquartered in Boston and serves all of Massachusetts. The Trial Court includes seven Court Departments (Boston Municipal Court, District Court, Housing Court, Juvenile Court, Land Court, Probate & Family Court, and Superior Court), the Office of the Commissioner of Probation, and the Office of the Jury Commissioner. The Administrative Office of the Trial Court includes ten administrative departments which provide services to the entire Trial Court. – The Boston Municipal Court is a court of civil and criminal jurisdiction. It is located in downtown Boston. – The District Court is a court of civil and criminal jurisdiction. It has sixty-nine divisions, serving all of Massachusetts except for downtown Boston. – The Housing Court is a court of specialized jurisdiction, dealing mainly with matters involving landlords and tenants. It has five divisions, which cover most (but not all) of the Commonwealth. – The Juvenile Court is a court of specialized jurisdiction, concerning criminal cases and certain civil cases involving juveniles. It has eleven divisions serving the entire Commonwealth. – The Land Court is a court of specialized jurisdiction, concerning matters involving real property. Although it is headquartered in Boston, it serves the entire Commonwealth. – The Probate & Family Court is a court of specialized jurisdiction, dealing primarily with matters involving domestic relations (including divorce, paternity, and child support) and decedents' estates. It has fourteen divisions and serves the entire Commonwealth. – The Superior Court is a court of general civil and criminal jurisdiction, handling virtually all types of civil actions and serious felony cases. Serving the entire Commonwealth, it has at least one location in each of the State's fourteen counties. – The Office of the Commissioner of Probation provides probation services to the Trial Court Departments. It also works closely with several other criminal justice agencies. – The Office of the Jury Commissioner is responsible for the selection and management of all jurors who are called for State jury service. It provides services to fifty-six separate locations throughout Massachusetts. – The Administrative Office of the Trial Court provides administrative services to all the Departments and Offices of the Trial Court. It has ten internal departments: Court Capital Projects Unit, Court Facilities Bureau, Fiscal Affairs Department, Human Resources Department, Information Technology Department, Judicial Institute, Legal Department, Office of Community Corrections, Planning & Development Department, and Security Department. |
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