Justice Hodgens graduated from the College of the Holy Cross with a Bachelor of Arts in History. He then earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from New England School of Law in 1992 where he served as Coordinating Editor of the New England Journal on Criminal and Civil Confinement.
After graduating law school, Justice Hodgens began his career as a law clerk for the Milford District Court, then the FDIC. From there, he went on to become an Assistant District Attorney with the Worcester County District Attorney's Office. Justice Hodgens served as Appeals Division Chief from 2002 to 2007, and as Litigation Integrity Division Chief from 2018 to 2022. In addition, from 2007 to 2022, he was a trial attorney in the Superior Court.
Justice Hodgens was appointed to the Appeals Court in December 2022 by Governor Charlie Baker.
A video recording of Justice Hodgens's ceremonial first Appeals Court oral argument sitting is available here.