Press Release  Trial Court Chief Justice Paula M. Carey Appoints Honorable John D. Casey Chief Justice of the Probate and Family Court

BOSTON, MA — Trial Court Chief Justice Paula M. Carey today announced the appointment of Judge John D. Casey as Chief Justice of the Probate and Family Court for a five-year term commencing July 16, 2018, in accordance with G.L. c. 211B, § 5. Judge Casey has served on the Probate and Family Court since 2006.

“I am confident that Judge John Casey has the skills and leadership qualities to help reimagine the structure of the Probate and Family Court,” said Chief Justice Paula M. Carey. “It is a time of growth and change in the Court, and Judge Casey will work to meet the needs of the people we serve in a way that supports the work of judges and utilizes staff to their greatest potential.”

Judge Casey is currently the First Justice of the Norfolk County Probate and Family Court. For the past year he has co-chaired the 2025 Volunteer Transition Leadership Team that was charged with examining the present and future needs of the Probate and Family Court. He has served as a J2J Mentor and frequently participated on panels for the MBA, BBA, MCLE and others. For the last four years he has served on the Commission on Judicial Conduct.

“I am excited and humbled by the opportunity to serve as Chief Justice of the Probate and Family Court. I will dedicate myself to providing the tremendously dedicated judges, registers and staff with the resources they need to do their jobs,” said Judge Casey. “Our Court faces both opportunities and challenges and I look forward to continuing the work of Chief Justice Ordoñez to help us through this period. I appreciate the confidence Chief Justice Carey has shown in me and thank her for this opportunity.”

Judge Casey succeeds Chief Justice Angela Ordoñez who has served in that position since 2013. “I am grateful to Chief Justice Ordoñez for her commitment and dedication to the Probate and Family Court and the Trial Court over the past five years,” said Chief Justice Carey. “She added much-needed structure into administrative aspects of the Court and always approached issues in innovative ways. Chief Justice Ordoñez brought great energy and compassion to her leadership of the department and actively engaged the legal community.”  

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 379 judges who deliver justice in 100 courthouses across the state.

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