Massachusetts Court Docket Search
A Massachusetts court docket search is a process used to determine a case's status or obtain other relevant information about a party involved in legal proceedings. Members of the public may utilize the court docket search to obtain Massachusetts court records to stay informed on current matters and better understand the judicial system of Massachusetts.
A court docket is a concise ledger comprising legal documents and filings submitted during legal action. It contains a program of subsequent trial proceedings in a law court. Dockets primarily are an outline of proceedings in a case. After a person or organization files a lawsuit with a Massachusetts court, the court clerk assigns a docket number (sometimes dubbed a case number) to the case and includes the case information in a court docket. The docket inventories the names of parties involved in the court case, the case number, and court appearance dates, if necessary, among other details. In most counties in Massachusetts, court clerks maintain their dockets online.
Are Court Dockets Public Records in Massachusetts?
Yes, per the Massachusetts Public Record Law, Court dockets being court records are public records in Massachusetts. The Freedom of Information Act also grants members of the public the authority to request and access copies of public records in federal courts in Massachusetts. Both laws, however, exempt certain records from the public. Such records typically contain:
- Information concerning national defense or foreign policy
- Internal personnel regulations and rules
- Information that is sealed under other laws
- Trade secrets and confidential business information
- Inter-agency or intra-agency memoranda or letters protected by legal privileges
- Personnel and medical files
- Law enforcement records and information
- Information regarding bank supervision
- Geological and geophysical information.
Where to Find a Court Docket in Massachusetts
To find a court docket in Massachusetts, the inquirer must first locate the appropriate court handling the case of interest. The clerk of the court's office is usually responsible for maintaining such records. The requestor can locate the various courthouse clerks using the courthouse locator or the Massachusetts Court system directory. Requests can be submitted in person, via mail, or online to the court presiding over the case. There are charges attached to inspecting and obtaining copies of court dockets. These charges are determined by the clerk of the court's office and depend on the pages of the record sought after.
How to Conduct a Massachusetts Court Docket Search
To conduct a Massachusetts court docket search, an individual will need to contact the clerk of the court handling the matter and submit a request. This request can be done in person, online, or mailed to the court. To search for dockets, one would need to know the docket number, name of the parties involved in the case, or case type. Most courts provide online public access to court records. PACER is one of such online portals through which individuals can search and inspect court dockets in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts has a case management system called Masscourt that provides case information online. The courthouses have public terminal computers that allow interested individuals to search court records on Masscourt by inputting case numbers, case types, party names, etc. For searches relating to cases in the appellate court dockets, the Public Case Search portal is the authorized online platform for users to search. Appellate court dockets can also be accessed in person or by mail by contacting the appellate clerk's office located at:
John Adams Courthouse
1 Pemberton Square
Suite 2500
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: (617) 557-1000
What is the Purpose of a Court Docket in Massachusetts
The docket sheet is a crucial part of court records as it contains vital information regarding a case. A docket sheet will generally provide the names of the parties and lawyers, the docket number, the name of the judge, the date that the case was filed, when the last action happened, etc.
Most importantly, a docket shows the actions taken on a case since filing, such as pleadings, motions, or briefs that were filed or served. It also serves as an official schedule, informing the court of all pending hearings or events in each case and as such helps the court handle cases, track case advancement, and decide cases promptly. They provide a convenient method of maintaining a trace of what is occurring (or what occurred) in a certain lawsuit and can also direct an investigator to the documents that were filed in that case.
What Do Court Dockets Contain in Massachusetts?
Court dockets documented by court clerks in Massachusetts generally contain the following:
- Names of the plaintiff and defendant
- The addresses of the plaintiff and defendant if available
- Names and addresses of the attorneys if available
- The designated docket or case number
- The case type (family, traffic, criminal, or civil)
- The schedule of all court proceedings specifying the type of proceeding
- The timetable of pending court proceedings
- The location of the court deciding the case
- Name of the judge or magistrate presiding over the case
- A summary of the case, including the statements or accusations brought in a case, the rules infringed, and outstanding penalties
- Notice stating if an appearance in court is essential for the hearing
- The date the case was filed
- Outcomes of court proceedings, including verdicts entered by the court
- The case status, such as if the case is still functional, dismissed or closed
- Documents filed in a court case, such as pleadings, motions, affidavits, orders, and briefs
Requestors should note that the information contained in a court docket varies from one court to another. Consequently, some dockets may contain all of the information listed above, whereas others could supply extra or fewer details.
What is a Court Docket Number in Massachusetts?
A court docket number in Massachusetts is a court's unique identifier allocated to a case by the clerk of the court. It differentiates the actions carried out in a court case and is used to track the case on the court's docket. The docket number is seen on all documents derived from a court case and can be used to extract information and documents regarding the case from a court. Although called a docket number, it consists of letters and numbers that represent specific information about a case.
In Massachusetts, the docket number for District Courts consists of a two-digit year, two-digit court code, two-letter code, and six-digit sequence number. For example, in the case number 1448CV001026: 14 is the year of filing, 48 is the court code for Ayer County, CV is the case type code and 001026 is the sequence number.
For a Superior Court docket, the case number is made up of a two-digit year, a two-digit court code, a two-letter case group, and a five-digit sequence number. In the case number 1473CV00231: 14 is the year of filing, 73 is the court code for Bristol, CV represents the Civil case group and 00231 is the sequence number.
Irrespective of the different techniques used in assigning docket numbers across the various courts, a docket number is usually expected to include the year the case was filed, case type, the sequence number allotted by the court clerk, and the court which filed the case, represented as letters or numbers. Since the information revealed by a docket number is important in retrieving certain details about a case, proper interpretation is needed. Therefore, to correctly interpret a docket number, an inquirer can contact the court clerk responsible for assigning the numbers and obtaining the right case information.
How to Conduct a Court Docket Number Lookup in Massachusetts
To conduct a court docket number lookup in Massachusetts, the individual must know the docket number of the particular case. The case or docket number distinguishes between cases, thus no two cases have the same docket number. Most times, having access to the case number can prove difficult especially when the researcher is not involved in the case. In such cases, the inquirer can make use of other case information such as the name of parties or case type to do a docket number lookup.
One way is to visit the appropriate courthouse in person with the case number and search the public terminal computers provided by the court. The inquirer can also send a mail request with the case number attached to the clerk's office and allow the court staff to search for a cost.
Most courts in Massachusetts also provide online tools such as Masscourt and PACER to enable members of the public access to the court dockets. These platforms have features that allow one to filter information provided by using keywords such as case number, case type, name of parties, the presiding judge, year of filing, etc.
Appellate court docket number search and lookup can be done at the appellate clerk's office physically or by using the Public Case Search portal maintained by the Supreme judicial council of Massachusetts. Mail requests containing docket numbers or other case information can also be used to retrieve information about appellate court dockets.
It is important to note that the requestor may be asked to pay a fee and some charges upfront either via money order, check, or cash before conducting a court docket number lookup. These charges vary depending on the court, the document requested, and the number of pages desired.
