Chief
Justice for Administration and Management Barbara A. Dortch-Okara
Reappoints Chief Justice Samuel E. Zoll as Chief Justice of
the District Court
Boston, MA--Chief
Justice for Administration and Management Barbara A. Dortch-Okara
today announced the reappointment of Honorable Samuel E. Zoll
as the Chief Justice of the District Court Department of the
Trial Court, effective February 12, 2003, in accordance with
G.L. c.211B, § 5. The term will expire on June 20, 2004, the
date that Chief Justice Zoll reaches the age of seventy, the
mandatory retirement age for judges.
In
announcing the reappointment, Chief Justice Dortch-Okara said,
"Chief Justice Zoll's leadership of the District Court is
marked by the outstanding work of the District Court divisions.
He has led the Court energetically through numerous challenges,
never flinching when called upon to perform the countless
difficult and thankless tasks thrust upon him."
A
strong advocate for the Commonwealth's community courts, Chief
Justice Zoll has championed over the years the adoption of
a one-trial system for both criminal and civil cases. He also
has been a strong advocate for the creation and and implementation
of laws against domestic violence, and the strengthening of
District Court probation through enhanced probation revocation
procedures.
Chief
Justice Zoll has served as the Chief Justice of the District
Court since 1976 when he was first appointed by Governor Michael
S. Dukakis. Following the passage of the court reform bill
in 1993, Chief Justice Zoll was then reappointed as Chief
Justice of the District Court in 1998 by then Chief Justice
for Administration and Management John J. Irwin, Jr. First
appointed to the bench in 1973 as a Special Justice of the
Ipswich District Court by Governor Francis W. Sargent, Chief
Justice Zoll was appointed in 1974 by Governor Sargent as
Presiding Justice of the Salem District Court, a position
he continues to hold.
Chief
Justice Zoll has had an exceptional career in public service.
He served as Mayor of Salem from 1970 to 1973, and as a State
Representative of Salem from 1965 to 1969. He began his public
service career at the age of twenty-three when elected to
the Salem City Council, where he served from 1958 to 1966.
He was President of the Council from 1959 to 1960, and was
a teacher at Danvers High School from 1958 to 1962.
Following
his graduation from Suffolk University Law School in 1962
with a J. D. degree, Chief Justice Zoll was in private law
practice for twelve years. He also holds a M.A. degree in
Business Education and a B.S. degree in Accounting from Boston
University. He has been awarded honorary degrees from Suffolk
University and Salem State College, and, in 1991, he received
the Brandeis University Award for Distinguished Public Service.
A
Navy veteran of the Korean War, Chief Justice Zoll is an avid
bicyclist and swimmer. Each year, he participates in the Pan
Massachusetts Challenge, a ride on behalf of the Dana Farber
Cancer Research Foundation.
Chief
Justice Zoll and his wife, Marjorie, reside in Salem. They
have four adult children and five granddaughters.
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