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{{Short description|Highest court in the U.S. state of Massachusetts}}
{{Short description|Highest court in the U.S. state of Massachusetts}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{coord|42.359297|-71.060954|type:landmark_region:US|display=title}}
{{coord|42.359297|-71.060954|type:landmark_region:US|display=title}}
{{Infobox high court
{{Infobox high court
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|caption = Seal with motto "''Nulli vendemus, nulli negabimus aut differemus, rectum aut justitiam''" (To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice)
|caption = Seal with motto "''Nulli vendemus, nulli negabimus aut differemus, rectum aut justitiam''" (To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice)
|established = {{start date and age|1692}}
|established = {{start date and age|1692}}
|location = [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], U.S.
|country = United States {{flagicon|USA}}
|location = [[Boston, Massachusetts]]
|coordinates = {{coord|42|21|32.75|N|71|3|40.5|W|}}
|coordinates = {{coord|42|21|32.75|N|71|3|40.5|W|}}
|type = Executive appointments with [[Massachusetts Governor's Council|quasi-legislative consent]]
|type = Executive appointments with [[Massachusetts Governor's Council|quasi-legislative consent]]
|authority = [[Constitution of Massachusetts|Massachusetts Constitution]]
|authority = [[Constitution of Massachusetts|Massachusetts Constitution]]
|appeals = [[Supreme Court of the United States]]
|appealsto = [[Supreme Court of the United States]]
|terms = Mandatory retirement at 70 years of age
|terms = Mandatory retirement at 70 years of age
|positions = 7
|positions = 7
Line 23: Line 23:
}}
}}
[[File:John Adams Courthouse SJC Massachusetts.JPG|thumb|200px|right|[[John Adams Courthouse]], home to the SJC]]
[[File:John Adams Courthouse SJC Massachusetts.JPG|thumb|200px|right|[[John Adams Courthouse]], home to the SJC]]
The '''Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court''' ('''SJC''') is the [[court of last resort|highest court]] in the [[Commonwealth (U.S. state)|Commonwealth]] of [[Massachusetts]]. Although the claim is disputed by the [[Supreme Court of Pennsylvania]],<ref>{{cite web |url="Supreme Court – Courts – Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania". www.pacourts.us. Retrieved 7 July 2017.}}</ref><Ref>The Virginia Supreme Court was founded as a appellete Court in 1623;it became a Supreme Court in 1779; The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania was founded as a Provincial Court in 1684; it became a Supreme Court in 1722;the New York Supreme Court was established as the Supreme Court of Judicature by the Province of New York on May 6, 1691. It became the New York Supreme Court under the New York Constitutional Convention of 1846.</ref> the SJC claims the distinction of being the oldest continuously functioning appellate court in the [[Americas]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.massreports.com/|title=Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts home page|access-date=2013-10-16|archive-date=2013-11-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106030803/http://www.massreports.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> with a recognized history dating to the establishment of the '''Massachusetts Superior Court of Judicature''' in 1692 under the charter of the [[Province of Massachusetts Bay]].<ref name=Eichholz>{{cite book|last=Eichholz|first=Alice|title=Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources|year=2004|publisher=Ancestry Publishing|isbn=978-1593311667|page=[https://archive.org/details/redbookamericans00eich/page/316 316]|edition=3rd Revised|editor=Alice Eichholz|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/redbookamericans00eich/page/316}}</ref>{{refn|group=nb|The [[Supreme Court of Pennsylvania]] disputes this, claiming to be eight years older.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://scopareview.com/about/supreme-court-of-pennsylvania/|title=About the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania – SCOPA Review|access-date=7 July 2017|archive-date=21 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170521010858/http://scopareview.com/about/supreme-court-of-pennsylvania/|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
The '''Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court''' ('''SJC''') is the [[court of last resort|highest court]] in the [[Commonwealth (U.S. state)|Commonwealth]] of [[Massachusetts]]. Although the claim is disputed by the [[Supreme Court of Pennsylvania]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Supreme Court - Courts - Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania |url=http://pacourts.us|access-date= 7 July 2017}}</ref><ref>The Virginia Supreme Court was founded as a appellate Court in 1623; it became a Supreme Court in 1779; The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania was founded as a Provincial Court in 1684; it became a Supreme Court in 1722;the New York Supreme Court was established as the Supreme Court of Judicature by the Province of New York on May 6, 1691. It became the New York Supreme Court under the New York Constitutional Convention of 1846.</ref> the SJC claims the distinction of being the oldest continuously functioning appellate court in the [[Americas]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.massreports.com/|title=Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts home page|access-date=2013-10-16|archive-date=2013-11-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106030803/http://www.massreports.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> with a recognized history dating to the establishment of the '''Massachusetts Superior Court of Judicature''' in 1692 under the charter of the [[Province of Massachusetts Bay]].<ref name=Eichholz>{{cite book|last=Eichholz|first=Alice|title=Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources|year=2004|publisher=Ancestry Publishing|isbn=978-1593311667|page=[https://archive.org/details/redbookamericans00eich/page/316 316]|edition=3rd Revised|editor=Alice Eichholz|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/redbookamericans00eich/page/316}}</ref>{{refn|group=nb|The [[Supreme Court of Pennsylvania]] disputes this, claiming to be eight years older.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://scopareview.com/about/supreme-court-of-pennsylvania/|title=About the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania – SCOPA Review|access-date=7 July 2017|archive-date=21 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170521010858/http://scopareview.com/about/supreme-court-of-pennsylvania/|url-status=live}}</ref>}}


Although it was historically composed of four associate justices and one chief justice, the court is currently composed of six associate justices and one chief justice.
Although it was historically composed of four associate justices and one chief justice, the court is currently composed of six associate justices and one chief justice.


==History==
==History==
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court traces its history back to the high court of the British [[Province of Massachusetts Bay]], which was chartered in 1692. Under the terms of that charter, Governor Sir [[William Phips]] established the Superior Court of Judicature as the province's local [[court of last resort]] (some of the court's decisions could be appealed to courts in England). When the [Constitution of Massachusetts|[Massachusetts State Constitution]] was established in 1780, legislative and judicial records show that the state's high court, although renamed, was a continuation of provincial high court. During and after the period of the [[American Revolution]] the court had members who were appointed by royal governors, the executive council of the [[Massachusetts Provincial Congress]] (which acted as the state's executive from 1775 to 1780), and governors elected under the state constitution.
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court traces its history back to the high court of the British [[Province of Massachusetts Bay]], which was chartered in 1692. Under the terms of that charter, Governor Sir [[William Phips]] established the Superior Court of Judicature as the province's local [[court of last resort]] (some of the court's decisions could be appealed to courts in England). When the [[Constitution of Massachusetts|Massachusetts State Constitution]] was established in 1780, legislative and judicial records show that the state's high court, although renamed, was a continuation of provincial high court. During and after the period of the [[American Revolution]] the court had members who were appointed by royal governors, the executive council of the [[Massachusetts Provincial Congress]] (which acted as the state's executive from 1775 to 1780), and governors elected under the state constitution.


==Location and citation==
==Location and citation==
The SJC sits at the [[John Adams Courthouse]], One [[Pemberton Square (Boston)|Pemberton Square]], [[Boston, Massachusetts]] 02108, which also houses the [[Massachusetts Appeals Court]] and the [[Social Law Library]]. The legal citation for the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is "Mass."
The SJC sits at the [[John Adams Courthouse]], One [[Pemberton Square (Boston)|Pemberton Square]], [[Boston, Massachusetts]] 02108, which also houses the [[Massachusetts Appeals Court]] and the [[Social Law Library]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=John Adams Courthouse {{!}} Mass.gov |url=https://www.mass.gov/locations/john-adams-courthouse |access-date=2024-03-15 |website=www.mass.gov |language=en}}</ref> The legal citation for the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is "Mass."


==Landmark cases==
==Landmark cases==
Line 42: Line 42:


==Composition==
==Composition==
The Court consists of a [[Chief Justice]] and six [[Associate Justice]]s appointed by the [[Governor of Massachusetts]] with the consent of the [[Massachusetts Governor's Council|Governor's Council]].
The Court consists of a [[Chief Justice]] and six [[Associate Justice]]s appointed by the [[Governor of Massachusetts]] with the consent of the [[Massachusetts Governor's Council|Governor's Council]].


The Justices hold office until the [[mandatory retirement]] age of seventy, like all other Massachusetts judges since 1972.
The Justices hold office until the [[mandatory retirement]] age of seventy, like all other Massachusetts judges since 1972.
Line 48: Line 48:
===Current composition===
===Current composition===
{{Main|List of justices of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court}}
{{Main|List of justices of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court}}
{{As of|2024|02|28|df=US}},
The currently serving justices are:


{|class="sortable wikitable"
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|- bgcolor="#ececec"
! Justice
! Position
! Name
! Portrait
! Born
! Born
! Joined
! Began service
! Mandatory retirement
! Mandatory retirement
! Appointed by
! Appointed by
! College
! Law school
! Law school
|-
|-
! Chief Justice
| {{sortname|Kimberly S.|Budd}}, ''Chief Justice''
| {{Birth date and age|1966|10|23}}
|{{sortname|Kimberly S.|Budd}}
| {{dts|2016|08|24}}{{efn|Took office as Chief Justice on December 1, 2020 after being appointed by Governor Baker.}}
|[[File:Kimberly S. Budd.jpg|75px]]
|{{birth date and age|1966|10|23}}
|{{dts|2020|12|1}}{{efn|Associate Justice from August 24, 2016 to December 1, 2020.}}
| 2036
| 2036
| {{Party shading/Republican}}| [[Charlie Baker]] (R)
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | [[Charlie Baker]] (R)
| [[Georgetown University|Georgetown]]
| [[Harvard Law School|Harvard]]
| [[Harvard Law School|Harvard]]
|-
|-
| {{sortname|Frank|Gaziano}}
! Associate Justice
| {{Birth date and age|1963|09|08}}
|{{sortname|Frank|Gaziano}}
| {{dts|2016|08|18}}
|[[File:Frank M. Gaziano.jpg|75px]]
| 2034
|{{birth date and age|1963|9|8}}
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | [[Charlie Baker]] (R)
|{{dts|2016|8|18}}
|2034
| {{Party shading/Republican}}| [[Charlie Baker]] (R)
| [[Lafayette College]]
| [[Suffolk University Law School|Suffolk]]
| [[Suffolk University Law School|Suffolk]]
|-
|-
| {{sortname|Scott L.|Kafker}}
! Associate Justice
| {{Birth date and age|1959|04|24}}
|{{sortname|David A.|Lowy}}
| {{dts|2017|08|21}}
|[[File:David A. Lowy.jpg|75px]]
|{{birth based on age as of date|56|2016|6|8}}
|{{dts|2016|8|24}}
| 2029/2030
| {{Party shading/Republican}}| [[Charlie Baker]] (R)
| [[University of Massachusetts Amherst|UMass]]
| [[Boston University School of Law|Boston University]]
|-
! Associate Justice
|{{sortname|Elspeth B.|Cypher}}
|[[File:Elspeth B. Cypher.jpg|75px]]
|{{birth date and age|1959|2|26}}
| {{dts|2017|3|31}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/03/15/justice-margot-botsford-retires-from-sjc/XtwHCnHqnSVfs78r22cVbJ/story.html|title=Justice Margot Botsford retires from SJC – The Boston Globe|access-date=7 July 2017|archive-date=19 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519045910/http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/03/15/justice-margot-botsford-retires-from-sjc/XtwHCnHqnSVfs78r22cVbJ/story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
| 2029
| 2029
| {{Party shading/Republican}}| [[Charlie Baker]] (R)
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | [[Charlie Baker]] (R)
| [[Emerson College|Emerson]]
| [[Suffolk University Law School|Suffolk]]
|-
! Associate Justice
|{{sortname|Scott L.|Kafker}}
|[[File:Scott L. Kafker.jpg|75px]]
|{{birth date and age|1959|4|24}}
| {{dts|2017|8|21}}
|2029
| {{Party shading/Republican}}| [[Charlie Baker]] (R)
| [[Amherst College|Amherst]]
| [[University of Chicago Law School|Chicago]]
| [[University of Chicago Law School|Chicago]]
|-
|-
| {{sortname|Dalila Argaez|Wendlandt}}
! Associate Justice
|{{birth month and age|1969|10}}
|{{sortname|Dalila Argaez|Wendlandt}}
| {{dts|2020|12|04}}
|[[File:Dalila Argaez Wendlandt.jpg|75px]]
| 2039
|{{birth based on age as of date|51|2020|11|04}}
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | [[Charlie Baker]] (R)
|{{dts|2020|12|4}}
|2038/2039
| {{Party shading/Republican}}| [[Charlie Baker]] (R)
| [[ University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign|Illinois]]
| [[Stanford Law School|Stanford]]
| [[Stanford Law School|Stanford]]
|-
|-
| {{sortname|Serge|Georges Jr.}}
! Associate Justice
| {{birth month and age|1970|04}}
|{{sortname|Serge|Georges Jr.}}
| {{dts|2020|12|16}}
|[[File:Serge Georges, Jr.jpg|75px]]
| 2040
| {{birth based on age as of date|50|2020|12|17}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lisinski |first=Chris |date=December 17, 2020 |title=Randolph's Serge Georges sworn in to Supreme Judicial court |url=https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/2020/12/17/randolphs-serge-george-sworn-supreme-judicial-court/3939965001/ |access-date=January 7, 2021 |website=The Patriot Ledger |language=en-US}}</ref>
| {{Party shading/Republican}} | [[Charlie Baker]] (R)
| {{dts|2020|12|16}}
| Suffolk
| 2039/2040
|-
| {{Party shading/Republican}}| [[Charlie Baker]] (R)
| {{sortname|Bessie|Dewar}}
| [[Boston College]]
| {{Birth date and age|1980|07|04}}
| [[Suffolk University Law School|Suffolk]]
| {{dts|2024|01|16}}

| 2050
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Maura Healey]] (D)
| [[Yale Law School|Yale]]
|-
| {{sortname|Gabrielle|Wolohojian}}
| {{Birth date and age|1960|12|16}}
|{{dts|2024|04|22}}
| 2030
| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | [[Maura Healey]] (D)
| [[Columbia Law School|Columbia]]
|}
|}

{{image array |perrow=7 |width=140 |height=150
| image1 = Kimberly S. Budd.jpg
| caption1 = Chief Justice [[Kimberly S. Budd]]

| image2 = Frank M. Gaziano.jpg
| caption2 = Associate Justice [[Frank Gaziano]]

| image3 = Scott L. Kafker.jpg
| caption3 = Associate Justice [[Scott L. Kafker]]

| image4 = Dalila Argaez Wendlandt.jpg
| caption4 = Associate Justice [[Dalila Argaez Wendlandt]]

| image5 = Serge Georges, Jr.jpg
| caption5 = Associate Justice [[Serge Georges Jr.]]
}}
{{notelist}}
{{notelist}}
<!--=== Vacancies and pending nominations ===
{| class=wikitable
! Seat
! Seat last held by
! Vacancy reason
! Date of vacancy
! Nominee
! Date of nomination
|-
|}-->


===Notable members===
===Notable members===
Line 142: Line 144:
*[[Ebenezer R. Hoar]], [[United States Attorney General]] (1869–70)
*[[Ebenezer R. Hoar]], [[United States Attorney General]] (1869–70)
*[[Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.]], [[Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court|Associate Justice]] of the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] (1902–32)
*[[Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.]], [[Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court|Associate Justice]] of the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] (1902–32)
*[[Lemuel Shaw]]
*[[Lemuel Shaw]], Chief Justice, father-in-law of [[Herman Melville]]
*[[Theophilus Parsons]], Federalist leader, Constitutional scholar


==Notes==
==Notes==
Line 153: Line 156:
* Davis, William (1900). [https://archive.org/details/historyjudiciar00davigoog/page/n34 <!-- pg=1 --> ''History of the Judiciary of Massachusetts'']
* Davis, William (1900). [https://archive.org/details/historyjudiciar00davigoog/page/n34 <!-- pg=1 --> ''History of the Judiciary of Massachusetts'']
* [https://archive.org/details/massachusettsci01whitgoog/page/n57 <!-- pg=68 --> ''Massachusetts Civil List for the Colonial and Provincial Periods'']
* [https://archive.org/details/massachusettsci01whitgoog/page/n57 <!-- pg=68 --> ''Massachusetts Civil List for the Colonial and Provincial Periods'']
* Reno, Conrad. [https://books.google.com/books?id=kGswAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA75#v=onepage&q&f=false ''Memoirs of the Judiciary and the Bar of New England'', Volume 1]
* Reno, Conrad. [https://books.google.com/books?id=kGswAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA75 ''Memoirs of the Judiciary and the Bar of New England'', Volume 1]


==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.mass.gov/courts/court-info/sjc/ Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts]
{{Commonscat|Supreme Court of Massachusetts}}
*[http://www.mass.gov/courts/court-info/sjc/ Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts]
* [http://www.mass.gov/courts/docs/sjc/docs/reporter-of-decisions-sjc-justices-succession-chart.pdf List of Chief Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court] (since 1801)
*[https://www.mass.gov/doc/supreme-judicial-court-justices-order-of-succession-chart-from-1801-to-present/download List of Chief Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court] (since 1801)
* [http://www.massreports.com/ Office of the Reporter of Decisions of the SJC]
*[http://www.massreports.com/ Office of the Reporter of Decisions of the SJC]
* {{citation |title= Supreme Judicial Court |hdl= 2452/36895 }}. (Various documents).
*{{citation |title= Supreme Judicial Court |hdl= 2452/36895 }}. (Various documents).
* [http://www.h-net.org/~hns/articles/2003/112903a.html Gay-Marriage Decision: Just the Beginning of the Debate]
*[http://www.h-net.org/~hns/articles/2003/112903a.html Gay-Marriage Decision: Just the Beginning of the Debate]
* [https://www.oyez.org/oyez/resource/case/239/ Memoirs v. Massachusetts]
*[https://www.oyez.org/oyez/resource/case/239/ Memoirs v. Massachusetts]
* [http://www.bartleby.com/63/93/1793.html Simpson's Contemporary Quotations]
*[http://www.bartleby.com/63/93/1793.html Simpson's Contemporary Quotations]
*[https://www.youtube.com/c/massachusettssupremejudicialcourt Supreme Judicial Court Oral Arguments Archive]


{{Justices of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court}}
{{Justices of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court}}
Line 169: Line 174:
{{US Judiciaries}}
{{US Judiciaries}}
{{Lists of US Justices}}
{{Lists of US Justices}}
{{Authority control}}

{{authority control}}


[[Category:Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court| ]]
[[Category:Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court| ]]
[[Category:State supreme courts of the United States]]
[[Category:State supreme courts of the United States]]
[[Category:Massachusetts state courts]]
[[Category:Massachusetts state courts]]
[[Category:1692 establishments in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:1692 establishments in the Province of Massachusetts Bay]]
[[Category:Government Center, Boston]]
[[Category:Government Center, Boston]]
[[Category:Courts and tribunals established in 1692]]
[[Category:Courts and tribunals established in 1692]]

Latest revision as of 00:19, 6 January 2025

42°21′33″N 71°03′39″W / 42.359297°N 71.060954°W / 42.359297; -71.060954

Supreme Judicial Court
of Massachusetts
Seal with motto "Nulli vendemus, nulli negabimus aut differemus, rectum aut justitiam" (To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice)
Map
42°21′32.75″N 71°3′40.5″W / 42.3590972°N 71.061250°W / 42.3590972; -71.061250
Established1692; 333 years ago (1692)
LocationBoston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Coordinates42°21′32.75″N 71°3′40.5″W / 42.3590972°N 71.061250°W / 42.3590972; -71.061250
Composition methodExecutive appointments with quasi-legislative consent
Authorised byMassachusetts Constitution
Appeals toSupreme Court of the United States
Judge term lengthMandatory retirement at 70 years of age
Number of positions7
WebsiteOfficial website
Chief Justice
CurrentlyKimberly S. Budd
SinceDecember 1, 2020
Lead position endsOctober 23, 2036
John Adams Courthouse, home to the SJC

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Although the claim is disputed by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania,[1][2] the SJC claims the distinction of being the oldest continuously functioning appellate court in the Americas,[3] with a recognized history dating to the establishment of the Massachusetts Superior Court of Judicature in 1692 under the charter of the Province of Massachusetts Bay.[4][nb 1]

Although it was historically composed of four associate justices and one chief justice, the court is currently composed of six associate justices and one chief justice.

History

[edit]

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court traces its history back to the high court of the British Province of Massachusetts Bay, which was chartered in 1692. Under the terms of that charter, Governor Sir William Phips established the Superior Court of Judicature as the province's local court of last resort (some of the court's decisions could be appealed to courts in England). When the Massachusetts State Constitution was established in 1780, legislative and judicial records show that the state's high court, although renamed, was a continuation of provincial high court. During and after the period of the American Revolution the court had members who were appointed by royal governors, the executive council of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress (which acted as the state's executive from 1775 to 1780), and governors elected under the state constitution.

Location and citation

[edit]

The SJC sits at the John Adams Courthouse, One Pemberton Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02108, which also houses the Massachusetts Appeals Court and the Social Law Library.[6] The legal citation for the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is "Mass."

Landmark cases

[edit]
  • Rex v. Preston (1770) – Captain Thomas Preston, the Officer of the Day during the Boston Massacre, was acquitted when the jury was unable to determine whether he had ordered the troops to fire. The defense counsel in the case was a young attorney named John Adams, later the second President of the United States.[7]
  • Rex v. Wemms, et al. (1770) – Six soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre were found not guilty, and two more – the only two proven to have fired – were found guilty of manslaughter.[8]
  • Commonwealth v. Nathaniel Jennison (1783) – The Court declared slavery unconstitutional in the state of Massachusetts by allowing slaves to sue their masters for freedom. Boston lawyer, and member of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1779, John Lowell, upon the adoption of Article I for inclusion in the Massachusetts Constitution, exclaimed: "I will render my services as a lawyer gratis to any slave suing for his freedom if it is withheld from him ..."[9] With this case, he fulfilled his promise. Slavery in Massachusetts was denied legal standing.
  • Commonwealth v. Hunt (1842) – The Court established that trade unions were not necessarily criminal or conspiring organizations if they did not advocate violence or illegal activities in their attempts to gain recognition through striking. This legalized the existence of non-socialist or non-violent trade organizations, though trade unions would continue to be harassed legally through anti-trust suits and injunctions.
  • Roberts v. Boston (1850) – The Court established the "separate but equal" doctrine that would later be used in Plessy v. Ferguson by maintaining that the law gave school boards complete authority in assigning students to schools and that they could do so along racial lines if they deemed it appropriate.
  • Goodridge v. Department of Public Health (2003) – The Court ruled 4–3 that the denial of marriage licenses to same-sex couples violated the Massachusetts Constitution. The decision was stayed for 180 days to allow the legislature time to amend the law to comply with the decision. In December 2003, the state Senate asked the SJC whether "civil unions" would comply with their ruling. The SJC replied that civil unions were insufficient, and civil marriage was required. The legislature made no further action, and the stay expired on May 17, 2004. The state began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples the same day. This decision was one of the first in the world to find that same-sex couples have a right to marry.

Composition

[edit]

The Court consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices appointed by the Governor of Massachusetts with the consent of the Governor's Council.

The Justices hold office until the mandatory retirement age of seventy, like all other Massachusetts judges since 1972.

Current composition

[edit]
Main article: List of justices of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

As of February 28, 2024,

Justice Born Joined Mandatory retirement Appointed by Law school
Kimberly S. Budd, Chief Justice (1966-10-23) October 23, 1966 (age 58) August 24, 2016[a] 2036 Charlie Baker (R) Harvard
Frank Gaziano (1963-09-08) September 8, 1963 (age 61) August 18, 2016 2034 Charlie Baker (R) Suffolk
Scott L. Kafker (1959-04-24) April 24, 1959 (age 65) August 21, 2017 2029 Charlie Baker (R) Chicago
Dalila Argaez Wendlandt October 1969 (age 55) December 4, 2020 2039 Charlie Baker (R) Stanford
Serge Georges Jr. April 1970 (age 54) December 16, 2020 2040 Charlie Baker (R) Suffolk
Bessie Dewar (1980-07-04) July 4, 1980 (age 44) January 16, 2024 2050 Maura Healey (D) Yale
Gabrielle Wolohojian (1960-12-16) December 16, 1960 (age 64) April 22, 2024 2030 Maura Healey (D) Columbia
Chief Justice Kimberly S. Budd
Associate Justice Frank Gaziano
Associate Justice Scott L. Kafker
Associate Justice Dalila Argaez Wendlandt
Associate Justice Serge Georges Jr.
  1. ^ Took office as Chief Justice on December 1, 2020 after being appointed by Governor Baker.

Notable members

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania disputes this, claiming to be eight years older.[5]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Supreme Court - Courts - Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania". Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  2. ^ The Virginia Supreme Court was founded as a appellate Court in 1623; it became a Supreme Court in 1779; The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania was founded as a Provincial Court in 1684; it became a Supreme Court in 1722;the New York Supreme Court was established as the Supreme Court of Judicature by the Province of New York on May 6, 1691. It became the New York Supreme Court under the New York Constitutional Convention of 1846.
  3. ^ "Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts home page". Archived from the original on 2013-11-06. Retrieved 2013-10-16.
  4. ^ Eichholz, Alice (2004). Alice Eichholz (ed.). Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources (3rd Revised ed.). Ancestry Publishing. p. 316. ISBN 978-1593311667.
  5. ^ "About the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania – SCOPA Review". Archived from the original on 21 May 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  6. ^ "John Adams Courthouse | Mass.gov". www.mass.gov. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  7. ^ Zobel, Hiller (1970). Boston Massacre, pp. 243–265
  8. ^ Zobel, pp. 269–286
  9. ^ Lowell, Delmar R., The Historic Genealogy of the Lowells of America from 1639 to 1899 (p 35); Rutland VT, The Tuttle Company, 1899; ISBN 978-0-7884-1567-8.

Works cited

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