Press Release  Honorable John D. Casey Reappointed Chief Justice of the Probate and Family Court by Trial Court Chief Justice Jeffrey A. Locke

BOSTON, MA — Chief Justice of the Trial Court Jeffrey A. Locke today announced the reappointment of Judge John D. Casey as Chief Justice of the Probate and Family Court for a term to commence July 16, 2023, in accordance with G.L. c. 211B, § 5. Judge Casey has served as Chief Justice since 2018 and on the Probate and Family Court since 2006.

“Chief Justice Casey has shown transformative leadership in the face of many challenges over the past five years,” said Chief Justice Locke. “He embraced virtual proceedings, virtual registries, and expanded eFiling in the face of the pandemic to meet the urgent needs of litigants, while protecting the public and staff. He has advocated effectively for resources and his collaborative abilities are evidenced by the unanimous support of his reappointment by the Registers Association.” 

Advances include an award-winning Case Conferencing Program with the Department of Revenue, which has enabled the Court to address thousands of paternity and child support cases using remote hearings. In addition, the Pathways program was established to enable the Court to triage and expedite post-judgment complaints for modification.

“I am honored that Chief Justice Locke has appointed me to a second term as Chief Justice of the Probate and Family Court,” said Chief Justice Casey. “Deputy Court Administrator Domenic DiCenso and the talented staff of the Administrative Office continue to reimagine how we conduct business. We have significantly changed and improved practices to provide necessary support and resources to our judges, registers and staff. I look forward to completing many of the initiatives we started and especially look forward to expanding our judicial ranks.”

Chief Justice Casey and Court Administrator Thomas G. Ambrosino plan to reappoint Deputy Court Administrator Domenic DiCenso. Court Administrator Ambrosino said, “Chief Justice Casey and DCA DiCenso have demonstrated effective, innovative approaches in serving the many self-represented litigants who use the Probate and Family Court. I look forward to our continued collaboration.”

Chief Justice Casey previously served as the First Justice of the Norfolk County Probate and Family Court. He has served as a J2J Mentor and frequently participated on panels for the MBA, BBA, MCLE and others. He also served for four years on the Judicial Conduct Commission.

The Probate and Family Court Department is comprised of 14 divisions with 51 authorized judicial positions across the Commonwealth. The Massachusetts Trial Court includes seven court departments with 385 judges who deliver justice in 94 courthouses across the state.

###