Essex County Court Records
Court records in Essex County refer to official papers and documents of all judicial proceedings. This includes dockets, case files, exhibits, pleadings, motions, verdicts, and other documents filed with a law court.
Under the Uniform Rules on Public Access to Court Records and the Massachusetts Public Records Act, courthouses in Essex County are enjoined to make records of court cases available to the public on request. This law allows any interested member of the public access to Essex County Public Records, including court records.
Essex County court records serve as original documentation of legal proceedings and can be relied upon by researching individuals, case parties, and legal experts in making salient decisions. These records can be harnessed to probe the standard of transparency and accountability the legal system provides. They provide vital information about a particular case, such as case party names, indictments or suits made, and the result of such proceedings.
The Clerk of Court is the designated custodian of court records in Essex County. All individuals willing to access court records can contact the clerk of the court in which the case was decided to obtain them.
Are Court Records Public in Essex County?
Yes. Per Section 10, Chapter 66 of the Massachusetts Public Record Law, court records in Essex County are public records. The Freedom of Information Act also grants members of the public the authority to request and access copies of public records created by federal, state, and local courts in Massachusetts.
Notwithstanding the provision, certain court records are exempted from public view. These include records that contain:
- Data related to nationwide security or foreign policies
- Internal memos, laws, and regulations of personnel
- Information that is protected by other laws
- Commerce secrets and confidential company information
- Communication documents within an agency or amongst different agencies sealed by law
- Staff data and health information
- Information about law enforcement agencies
- Bank administration details.
What Do Essex County Court Records Contain?
Court records registered by court clerks in Essex County may consist of the following:
- Full names and addresses of the parties involved in the case, stating which party is the complainant or defendant
- Names and addresses of the counselors and legal staff involved in the case
- Assigned docket or case number
- The case type (either family, housing, probate, criminal, or civil)
- Court calendar indicating the schedule of all court proceedings
- The name and location of the courthouse the case was filed with
- Name of the justice or magistrate that resolved the case
- An outline of the case proceeding, including the arguments, the laws violated, charges, claims, and evidence tendered in court.
- Court hearing dates and times
- Case filing date and year
- Results of court proceedings, including rulings and sentences issued by the court
- The case status, such as if the case is still active, pending, or resolved
- Papers filed in the process of the lawsuit, such as pleas, warrants, actions, and summons.
The information contained in these records may vary from one court to another, depending on the courthouse.
Where to Conduct an Essex County Case Lookup
To conduct an Essex County case lookup, the inquirer must seek out the precise court handling the case being researched. Since the clerk of the courts in Essex County is the primary custodian of these records, inquirers can contact the courthouse clerk using the county courthouse locator.
Individuals can also access case information from Essex County online using Masscourt, the case managing format of the Massachusetts Judiciary. This platform usually contains court dockets, calendars, Supreme Judicial Court briefs, and other case records.
How to Conduct an Essex County Case Records Search
To conduct an Essex County court case records search, an interested individual must contact the court clerk in which the case was filed and submit a request in person, online, or via mail to the court. The search process typically requires the inquirer to furnish the clerk of the court’s office with the case number, case party names, or case type to aid the search. There may be a fee or extra payments requested by the court payable with a money order, check, or cash for looking up and retrieving these records. These payments differ across courthouses and depend on the records demanded and the number of pages needed.
Essex County also uses the state’s case management system, Masscourt, to provide case information from trial and district courts to the public online. Members of the public can access this online portal via their electronic devices or the public access terminals provided by the courts in the County. These public terminals are equipped with computers through which interested individuals can search court records on Masscourt by entering the case number, case type, party name, date of birth, the judge's name, filing date and year, or court name.
Court records generated from appellate courts such as the Supreme Judicial Court and the Appeals Court can be accessed via the Public Case Search portal or obtained in person or by mail by visiting the appellate clerk’s office located at:
Appellate Clerk’s Office
John Adams Courthouse
1 Pemberton Square
Suite 2500
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: (617) 557-1000
Further information on how to use the eAccess portals or other options to obtain court records from Essex County can be found on the state’s website.
Essex County Civil Court Case Records
Essex County civil court case records comprise filed documents, evidential materials, and any other data related to court proceedings involving legal confrontations between individuals or establishments that are not criminal cases.
The County Clerk of Court manages civil court case records. To find court case records on a person, an inquirer can begin the search process by submitting requests to the courthouse where the civil case was filed physically or via mail. Civil court case records can also be accessed online by using the eAccess portals authorized by the County.
Essex County Criminal Court Case Records
Essex County Criminal Court Case records consist of all official documentation and filings related to court proceedings where a crime is committed. Unless a criminal court case record is sealed or expunged, residents of Essex County and the public at large have access to these records. The following are some of the details that can be found in a criminal court case record:
- Full name of the case parties
- Convictions, claims, or charges
- Nature of offense committed (whether a misdemeanor or felony)
- Court location and jurisdiction
- Court rulings and sentences.
Criminal court case records can be retrieved from the clerks of trial or district courts in Essex County, the Sheriff’s office, or online using the eAccess portal. Information seekers who wish to retrieve criminal court records from the Essex County Sheriff can make use of the details below:
Public Information Officer
Essex County Sheriff’s Department
20 Manning Avenue
P.O. Box 807
Middleton, MA 01949
Phone: (978) 750-1900 ext. 3361
Email: ggrosky@essexsheriffma.org
Searchers making use of the online or physical options will need to supply the name of the person of interest and other search criteria such as date of birth, arrest date, and other details particular to the case to obtain the desired record.
How to Get Essex County Court Records Online for Free
To get Essex County court records online for free, researchers can use the free public access devices provided by the County courts for court record hunts. The interested person is required to visit these courthouses in person to make use of this option. Additionally, individuals can explore the eAccess portals (Masscourt and Public Case Search portal) to retrieve Essex County Court records for free.
Courts in Essex County
The Judicial system in Essex County consists of the district, housing, probate, family, juvenile, superior, and appellate courts with different jurisdictions and obligations. The addresses of the various courts situated in the County are listed below:
District Courts
Gloucester District Court
1 Lowell Street
Peabody MA 01960
Phone: (978) 283-2620
Fax: (978) 283-8784
Newburyport District Court
188 State Street
Newburyport, MA 01950
Phone: (978) 462-2652
Ipswich District Court
188 State Street
Newburyport, MA 01950
Phone: (978) 462-2652
Lawrence District Court
Fenton Judicial Center
2 Appleton Street
Lawrence, MA 01840
Phone: (978) 687-7184
Lynn District Court
580 Essex Street
Lynn, MA 01901
Phone: (781) 598-5200
Peabody District Court
1 Lowell Street
Peabody, MA 01960
Phone: (978) 532-3100
Salem District Court
56 Federal Street
Salem, MA 01970
Phone: (978) 744-1167
Housing Courts
Northeast Housing Court - Salem Session
56 Federal Street
Salem, MA 01970
Phone: (978) 825-4920
Northeast Housing Court - Lawrence Session
Fenton Judicial Center
2 Appleton Street
Lawrence, MA 01840
Phone: (978) 689-7833
Northeast Housing Court - Lynn Session
56 Federal Street
Salem, MA 01970
Phone: (978) 825-4920
Juvenile Courts
Salem Juvenile Court
56 Federal Street
Salem, MA 01970
Phone: (978) 745-9660 x1
Lawrence Juvenile Court
2 Appleton Street
Lawrence, MA 01840
Phone: (978) 725-4900 x2
Lynn Juvenile Court
139 Central Avenue
Lynn, MA 01901
Phone: (781) 586-0415 x4
Newburyport Juvenile Court
188 State Street, Route 1, Traffic Circle
Newburyport, MA 01950
Phone: (978) 462-0617 x5
Probate and Family Court
Essex Probate and Family Court
36 Federal Street
Salem, MA 01970
Phone: (978) 744-1020
Lawrence Probate and Family Court
2 Appleton Street
Lawrence, MA 01840
Phone: (978) 686-9692
Superior Courts
Essex County Superior Court
56 Federal Street
Salem, MA 01970
Phone: (978) 744-5500
Essex County Superior Court - Lawrence
43 Appleton Way
Lawrence, MA 01841
Phone: (978) 242-1900
Essex County Superior Court - Newburyport
145 High Street
Newburyport, MA 01950
Phone: (978) 462-4474
Appellate Courts - Supreme Judicial and Court Appeals Court
John Adams Courthouse
1 Pemberton Square
Suite 2500
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: (617) 557-1000
