Massachusetts Appeals Court Explained

The Massachusetts Appeals Court is the intermediate appellate court of Massachusetts.^[1] It was created in 1972^[2] as a court of general appellate jurisdiction.^[3] The court is located at the John Adams Courthouse at Pemberton Square in Boston,^[4] the same building which houses the Supreme Judicial Court and the Social Law Library.^[5]

Jurisdiction

The Appeals Court hears most appeals from the seven court departments of the Massachusetts Trial Court, including the Superior, District, Probate and Family, Juvenile, Land, Housing, and Boston Municipal Court departments.^{[6] [7]} The Appeals Court also hears appeals from final decisions of certain Massachusetts administrative agencies, including the Department of Industrial Accidents, the Appellate Tax Board, and the Commonwealth Employment Relations Board.^[8]

Some types of appeals are not heard before the Appeals Court. For example, an appeal from a conviction of first degree murder goes directly to the Supreme Judicial Court.^[9] The Supreme Judicial Court can also elect to bypass review by the Appeals Court and hear a case on "direct appellate review."^{[10] [11]} In the District Court Department, appeals in certain civil cases are made first to the Appellate Division of the District Court before being eligible for appeal to the Appeals Court.^[12] After a decision by the Appeals Court, a party may seek "further appellate review" by requesting review by the Supreme Judicial Court.^[13]

Proceedings

The Appeals Court usually hears cases in three-judge panels, which rotate so that every judge has an opportunity to sit with every other judge.^[14] In addition to its panel sittings, the Appeals Court runs a continuous "single justice" session, with a separate docket. The single justice may review interlocutory orders and orders for injunctive relief issued by certain Trial Court departments, as well as requests for review of summary process appeal bonds, certain attorney's fee awards, motions for stays (postponement) of civil proceedings or criminal sentences pending appeal, and motions to review impoundment orders. Each associate justice sits as single justice for a month at a time.^[15] Appeals are heard from September through July at the John Adams Courthouse as well as at special sessions held at various locations such as law schools throughout Massachusetts.^[16]

Justices

Twenty-five justices sit on the Appeals Court: one chief justice and twenty-four associate justices. The most recent chief justice of the Appeals Court was Mark V. Green.^[17]

If a Massachusetts appellate justice (that is, a justice of either the Appeals Court or of the Supreme Judicial Court) attains age 70 and retires, that justice may be recalled to active service on the Appeals Court as needed. Currently, no recall justices are serving.^{[18] [19]}

The court's current members, listed by seniority, are as follows:^[20]

Justice	Appointed	Appointed by	Law school
Amy L. Blake, Chief Justice	2014		Maura Healey (D)	New England
Ariane D. Vuono	2006		Mitt Romney (R)	Connecticut
William J. Meade	2006		Mitt Romney (R)	Western New England
Peter J. Rubin	2008		Deval Patrick (D)	Harvard
Gregory I. Massing	2014		Deval Patrick (D)	Virginia
Eric Neyman	2015		Charlie Baker (R)	Boston University
Vickie L. Henry	2015		Charlie Baker (R)	Boston University
Kenneth V. Desmond Jr.	2016		Charlie Baker (R)	Boston College
Peter W. Sacks	2016		Charlie Baker (R)	Harvard
Sookyoung Shin	2016		Charlie Baker (R)	Harvard
Joseph M. Ditkoff	2017		Charlie Baker (R)	Harvard
Sabita Singh	2017		Charlie Baker (R)	Boston University
John C. Englander	2017		Charlie Baker (R)	Boston University
Kathryn E. Hand	2019		Charlie Baker (R)	Boston College
Marguerite T. Grant	2020		Charlie Baker (R)	Stanford
Maureen E. Walsh	2021		Charlie Baker (R)	Western New England
Rachel E. Hershfang	2021		Charlie Baker (R)	Yale
Robert A. Brennan	2022		Charlie Baker (R)	Boston University
Andrew M. D'Angelo	2022		Charlie Baker (R)	Suffolk
Paul Hart Smyth	2022		Charlie Baker (R)	Virginia
Christopher P. Hodgens	2022		Charlie Baker (R)	New England
Robert Toone	2023		Maura Healey (D)	Yale
Vacant
Vacant
Vacant

Former justices:

• Peter W. Agnes, Jr., associate justice, 2011–2020^[21]
• Christopher J. Armstrong, associate justice, 1972–2000, chief justice, 2000–2006, recall justice, 2006–2008. One of the original six justices of the court, fourth Chief Justice and the longest serving of the original members.^{[22] [23]}
• Susan S. Beck, associate justice, 1997–2006. One of the most scholarly members of the court, came to the court after a lengthy career in public service, was so dedicated to her work that she was known to sleep on the couch in her chambers and was dedicated to fostering collegiality and joy among her colleagues.^{[24] [25] [26] [27] [28]}
• Janis M. Berry, associate justice, 2001–2016.^[29]
• Frederick L. Brown, associate justice, 1976–2003, recall justice, 2003–2015. First African-American appointed to an appellate court in Massachusetts, served nearly 40 years on the Appeals Court.^{[30] [31]}
• Judd J. Carhart, associate justice, 2010–2017.^[32]
• Cynthia J. Cohen, associate justice, 2001–2017^[33]
• William I. Cowin, associate justice, 2001–2008.^[34]
• R. Ammi Cutter, recall justice, 1980–1990. At the age of 78, Justice Cutter was recalled to the Appeals Court after sixteen years on the SJC. Renowned and influential jurist.^{[24] [22]}
• Elspeth B. Cypher, associate justice, 2001–2017. Elevated to the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts.
• Gordon Doerfer, associate justice, 2001–2007.^[35]
• Raya Dreben, associate justice, 1979–1997, recall justice, 1997–2011 Second woman appointed to the court. was a mentor to 11 justices on Appeals Court^[36]
• Francis R. Fecteau, associate justice, 2008–2015.^[37]
• Edith W. Fine, associate justice, 1984–1995. Third woman appointed to the court after Charlotte Peretta and Raya Dreben. Served in a wide variety of positions before coming to the court, ranging from SJC Law Clerk to ACLU-Maryland Staff Attorney to Assistant Corporation Counsel in Boston. In addition to her jurisprudence, steered reformation of the judicial process in the Commonwealth.^{[22] [24]}
• J. Harold Flannery, associate justice, 1995–1998^[38]
• Andre Gelinas, associate justice, 1999–2008.^[39]
• Gerald Gillerman, associate justice, 1990–1994, recall justice, 1994–2002. Purple Heart Winner who became a lawyer after having a severely damaged leg, worked to make law comprehensible to all.^{[40] [41]}
• Reuben Goodman, 1972–1982. One of the original six appointees in 1972, formerly served as the chief appellate public defender in the Commonwealth and was a special advisor to ACLU founder Roger Baldwin in Korea.^{[22] [24]}
• Malcolm Graham, associate justice, 2004–2015.^[42]
• Andrew R. Grainger, associate justice, 2006–2017.^[43]
• Donald Grant, associate justice, 1972–1988. One of the original six appointees in 1972, came to the court as an Appellate expert, and, in addition to outstanding jurisprudential contributions, innovated internal procedures that helped establish the court in its own right.^{[22] [24]}
• Joseph Grasso, associate justice, 2001–2015^[44]
• John Greaney, associate justice, 1978–1984, chief justice, 1984–1989. Second Chief Justice of the Appeals Court after Allan Hale.^[22]
• Mark V. Green, associate justice 2001–2017, chief justice 2017–2024.^[45]
• Mel Greenberg, associate justice, 1990–2007. Worcester native, former legal director of the Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, served on the District and Superior Courts, now an appellate advocate.^{[46] [47]}
• Allan M. Hale, chief justice, 1972–1984, recall justice, 1984. First Chief Justice of the court.^[48]
• Sydney Hanlon, associate justice, 2009–2020^[49]
• George Jacobs, associate justice, 1989–2003.^[50]
• Scott L. Kafker, associate justice, 2001–2015, chief justice, 2015–2017. Elevated to Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts.
• R. Marc Kantrowitz, associate justice, 2001–2015.^[51]
• Benjamin Kaplan, recall justice, 1983–1991, 1993–2005. Worked on United States v. One Book Called Ulysses, served as a Nuremberg prosecutor, professor at Harvard Law (and authority on civil procedure), justice of the Supreme Judicial Court, and, subsequently, a long-serving recall justice on the Appeals Court.^[24]
• Rudolph Kass, associate justice, 1979–2000, recall justice, 2000–2003. One of the most prolific, soundest and most colorful writers on the court and is still active as a mediator.^{[52] [53] [54] [55]}
• Gary Stephen Katzmann, associate justice, 2004–2016.  Served on the Appeals Court until his appointment as a judge on the United States Court of International Trade.^[56]
• Edmund Kelville, associate justice, 1972–1979. One of the original six appointees along with Allan Hale, David Rose, Reuben Goodman, Donald Grant, and Christopher Armstrong.^[57]
• C. Jeffrey Kinder, associate justice, 2015–2022.^{[58] [59]}
• Kenneth Laurence, associate justice, 1990–2007.^[60]
• James R. Lemire, associate justice, 2016–2022.^{[61] [62]}
• John Mason, associate justice, 2001–2004.^[63]
• Edward J. McDonough, associate justice, 2017–2020^[64]
• James F. McHugh, associate justice, 2001–2012.^[65]
• James Milkey, associate justice 2009–2024^[66]
• David A. Mills, associate justice, 2001–2012.^[67]
• Joseph R. Nolan, associate justice, 1980–1981.^{[68] [69] [70] [71]}
• Charlotte Anne Perretta, associate justice, 1978–2009. First woman appointed to the Appeals Court, served as senior associate justice from 2003 to 2009.^[22]
• Elizabeth Porada, associate justice, 1990–2003, recall justice 2003–2004.^[72]
• Francis J. Quirico, recall justice, 1986–1987. After 13 years as a trial judge and 12 on the SJC, Justice Quirico sat on recall with the Appeals Court from 1986 to 1987. Justice Quirico also was still a recall judge in the Superior Court until approximately 1990.^{[73] [74] [75] [76] [77]}
• Phillip Rapoza, associate justice, 1998–2006, chief justice, 2006–2015.^[78]
• David A. Rose, associate justice, 1972–1976, recall justice, 1978–1985.^[79]
• Mitchell J. Sikora, Jr. associate justice, 2006–2014^[80]
• Kent B. Smith, associate justice, 1981–1997, recall justice, 1997–2012. First attorney appointed to serve indigent criminal defendants in Western Massachusetts, authored the authoritative treatise on criminal practice and procedure in the Commonwealth. Still was serving actively on recall at the time of his death.^{[22] [81]}
• Mary Thomas Sullivan, associate justice, 2011-2023. ^[82]
• Joseph A. Trainor, associate justice, 2001–2018^{[83] [84]}
• Dalila Argaez Wendlandt, associate justice, 2017–2020, elevated to the Supreme Judicial Court in 2020. ^[85]
• Gabrielle Wolohojian, associate justice 2008–2024, elevated to the Supreme Judicial Court in 2024. ^[86]

The following justices have been elevated from the Appeals Court to the Supreme Judicial Court

• Justice Elspeth B. Cypher, associate justice, 2001–2017, elevated to the Supreme Judicial Court in 2017.^[87]
• Justice Fernande R.V. Duffly, associate justice, 2000–2011, elevated to the Supreme Judicial Court in 2011.^[88]
• Chief Justice John M. Greaney, associate justice, 1978–1984, chief justice, 1984–1989, elevated to the Supreme Judicial Court in 1989.^[89]
• Justice Geraldine S. Hines, associate justice, 2013–2014, elevated to the Supreme Judicial Court in 2014.^[90]
• Justice Roderick Ireland, associate justice, 1990–1997, elevated to the Supreme Judicial Court in 1997, later elevated to Chief Justice of the SJC in 2010.^[91]
• Chief Justice Scott Kafker, associate justice, 2001–2015, chief justice, 2015–2017, elevated to the Supreme Judicial Court in 2017.^[92]
• Justice Barbara Lenk, associate justice, 1995–2011, elevated to the Supreme Judicial Court in 2011.^[93]
• Justice Joseph R. Nolan, associate justice, 1980–1981, elevated to the Supreme Judicial Court in 1981.^[68]
• Justice Francis X. Spina, associate justice, 1997–1999, elevated to the Supreme Judicial Court in 1999.^[94]
• Justice Dalila Argaez Wendlandt, associate justice, 2017–2020, elevated to the Supreme Judicial Court in 2020. ^[95]
• Justice Gabrielle Wolohojian, associate justice 2008–2024, elevated to the Supreme Judicial Court in 2024.^[86]

External links

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Notes and References

1. Web site: Appeals Court. Mass.gov. en. 2019-09-30.
2. Web site: Appeals Court History. Mass.gov. en. 2019-09-30.
3. Web site: General Information About the Appeals Court. Mass.gov. en. 2019-09-30.
4. Web site: Appeals Court History. Mass.gov. en. 2019-09-30.
5. Web site: John Adams Courthouse. Mass.gov. en. 2019-09-30.
6. Web site: Appeals Court. Mass.gov. en. 2019-09-30.
7. Web site: Executive Office of the Trial Court. Mass.gov. en. 2019-09-30.
8. Web site: Appeals Court. Mass.gov. en. 2019-09-30.
9. Web site: General Information About the Appeals Court. Mass.gov. en. 2019-09-30.
10. Web site: General Information About the Appeals Court. Mass.gov. en. 2019-09-30.
11. Web site: Clerk's guide to filing cases in the Supreme Judicial Court. Mass.gov. en. 2019-09-30.
12. Web site: General Information About the Appeals Court. Mass.gov. en. 2019-09-30.
13. Web site: Further Appellate Review. Mass.gov. en. 2019-09-30.
14. Web site: General Information About the Appeals Court. Mass.gov. en. 2019-09-30.
15. Web site: General Information About the Appeals Court. Mass.gov. en. 2019-09-30.
16. Web site: General Information About the Appeals Court. Mass.gov. en. 2019-09-30.
17. Web site: Chief Justice Mark V. Green. Mass.gov. en. 2019-09-30.
18. Web site: Section 24. www.malegislature.gov.
19. Web site: Section 16. www.malegislature.gov.
20. Web site: Appeals Court Justices. Mass.gov. en. 2024-06-10.
21. Web site: Associate Justice Peter W. Agnes, Jr.. Mass.gov. en. 2019-09-30.
22. Web site: Massachusetts Court System. Mass.gov.
23. Web site: Legal challenges come from all directions..
24. Web site: Opinion Portal. Mass.gov.
25. Web site: Associate Justice Susan S. Beck. Mass.gov.
26. Web site: Susan S. Beck. Mass.gov.
27. News: Susan Beck, political activist became Appeals Court judge. Kathy. McCabe. Boston.com . March 8, 2009. The Boston Globe.
28. Web site: Susan Beck Obituary – Boston, MA | Boston Globe. .
29. Web site: Associate Justice Janis M. Berry. Mass.gov.
30. Web site: Associate Justice Frederick L. Brown. Mass.gov.
31. Web site: Long Road-Frederick L. Brown. www.masshist.org.
32. Web site: Associate Justice Judd J. Carhart. Mass.gov.
33. Web site: Associate Justice Cynthia J. Cohen. Mass.gov.
34. Web site: Associate Justice William I. Cowin. Mass.gov.
35. Web site: Associate Justice Gordon L. Doerfer. Mass.gov.
36. Web site: Associate Justice Raya S. Dreben. Mass.gov.
37. Web site: Associate Justice Francis R. Fecteau. Mass.gov.
38. Web site: Associate Justice J. Harold Flannery. Mass.gov.
39. Web site: Associate Justice Andre A. Gelinas. Mass.gov.
40. Web site: Gerald Gillerman, 86, judge known for concise decisions. Bryan. Marquard. 23 November 2011. The Boston Globe.
41. Web site: Gerald GILLERMAN's Obituary on Boston Globe. Boston Globe.
42. Web site: Associate Justice R. Malcolm Graham. Mass.gov.
43. Web site: Associate Justice Andrew R. Grainger. Mass.gov.
44. Web site: Associate Justice Joseph A. Grasso, Jr.. Mass.gov.
45. Web site: Associate Justice Chief Justice Mark V. Green. Mass.gov.
46. Web site: Associate Justice Mel L. Greenberg. Mass.gov.
47. Web site: Attorneys – Seder & Chandler, LLP – Massachusetts. Seder & Chandler, LLP.
48. Web site: Allan M. Hale. sjc. 31 October 2013. Court System.
49. Web site: Associate Justice Sydney Hanlon. Mass.gov. en. 2019-09-30.
50. Web site: Associate Justice George Jacobs. Mass.gov.
51. Web site: Associate Justice R. Marc Kantrowitz. Mass.gov.
52. Web site: Associate Justice Rudolph Kass. Mass.gov.
53. Web site: ALLEN vs. BATCHELDER, 17 Mass. App. Ct. 453. masscases.com.
54. Web site: Rudolph Kass.
55. Web site: REBA: Professional Profile: The Hon. Rudolph Kass (Ret.) . 2015-12-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151208081446/http://www.reba.net/page/panel_rk . 2015-12-08 . dead .
56. Web site: Associate Justice Gary S. Katzmann. Mass.gov. en. 2020-01-13.
57. Web site: Associate Justice Edmund V. Keville. Mass.gov.
58. https://www.mass.gov/service-details/associate-justice-c-jeffrey-kinder
59. Web site: Associate Justice C. Jeffrey Kinder. Mass.gov.
60. Web site: Associate Justice Kenneth Laurence. Mass.gov.
61. https://www.mass.gov/service-details/associate-justice-james-lemire
62. Web site: Associate Justice James Lemire. Mass.gov. en. 2019-09-30.
63. Web site: Associate Justice John H. Mason. Mass.gov.
64. Web site: Associate Justice Edward McDonough. Mass.gov.
65. Web site: Associate Justice James F. McHugh, III. Mass.gov.
66. Web site: Associate Justice James R. Milkey. Mass.gov.
67. Web site: Associate Justice David A. Mills. Mass.gov.
68. Web site: Associate Justice Joseph R. Nolan. Mass.gov.
69. Web site: Obituary: Joseph R. Nolan. April 27, 2013. Belmont, MA Patch.
70. Web site: Joseph R. Nolan. Mass.gov.
71. Web site: Joseph Nolan; SJC justice known as social conservative – The Boston Globe. BostonGlobe.com.
72. Web site: Associate Justice Elizabeth Porada. Mass.gov.
73. Web site: Francis J. Quirico. Mass.gov.
74. Web site: Recall Justice Francis J. Quirico. Mass.gov.
75. Web site: OLSON, COMMONWEALTH vs., 24 Mass. App. Ct. 539. masscases.com.
76. Web site: POND, COMMONWEALTH vs., 24 Mass. App. Ct. 546. masscases.com.
77. Web site: PORRAZZO, COMMONWEALTH vs., 25 Mass. App. Ct. 169. masscases.com.
78. Web site: Chief Justice Phillip Rapoza. Mass.gov.
79. Web site: Associate Justice David A. Rose. Mass.gov.
80. Web site: Associate Justice Mitchell J. Sikora, Jr.. Mass.gov.
81. Web site: Retired Massachusettts Appeals Court Judge Kent Smith of Longmeadow dies at age 85. November 2012 .
82. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/associate-justice-mary-thomas-sullivan
83. Web site: Associate Justice Joseph A. Trainor. Mass.gov.
84. Web site: Future 2018 and 2019 retirements. Mass.gov.
85. Web site: Associate Justice Dalila Wendlandt. Mass.gov.
86. Web site: Associate Justice Gabrielle R. Wolohojian. Mass.gov. en. 2019-09-30.
87. Web site: Associate Justice Elspeth B. Cypher. Mass.gov.
88. Web site: Associate Justice Fernande R.V. Duffly. Mass.gov.
89. Web site: Chief Justice John M. Greaney. Mass.gov.
90. Web site: Associate Justice Geraldine S. Hines. Mass.gov.
91. Web site: Associate Justice Roderick L. Ireland. Mass.gov.
92. Web site: Chief Justice Scott L. Kafker. Mass.gov.
93. Web site: Associate Justice Barbara A. Lenk. Mass.gov.
94. Web site: Associate Justice Francis X. Spina. Mass.gov.
95. Web site: Associate Justice Dalila Wendlandt. Mass.gov.