Suffolk County Court Records
Suffolk County court records are documents and materials pertaining to legal proceedings of both civil and criminal cases heard by Suffolk County courts. Court records help researchers, information seekers, individuals or organizations involved in a lawsuit, and legal professionals access vital case information.
According to the Uniform Rules on Public Access to Court Records, members of the public are permitted to inspect and obtain copies of court records as they are part of Suffolk County Public Records. These records are to be released by the courts on request, provided the requested record is not exempt from public access by state laws.
The Clerk of Courts is the curator with authorization to manage court records in Suffolk County. Individuals inclined to inspect and retrieve copies of court records can contact the office of the court clerk handling the case to acquire them. Court records and dockets from Suffolk County courts can also be accessed online via the case management systems provided by the courts.
Are Court Records Public in Suffolk County?
Yes. Under the Massachusetts Public Record Law and the Freedom of Information Act, court records are part of public records in Suffolk County. Therefore, members of the public have the authority to request access to copies of public records created by the courts in Suffolk County. However, certain records are sealed from the public by law. Some of these exempt records include:
- Documents and case information about active interrogations and litigations
- Individual identification data
- Juror proceedings and reports and corresponding paperwork
- Diagnostics, fitness, and infirmary records
- Post-mortem reports
- Records protected by attorney-client rights
- Records relating to juvenile delinquency cases
- Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI)
- Reports of molestation, sexual violations, and domestic abuse
- Employees' information and records.
What Do Suffolk County Court Records Contain?
Suffolk County court records retrieved may contain all or some of the information:
- Valid name and address of case litigants and defendants
- Names and addresses of the legal practitioners pleading the case
- Allotted log or suit number
- The type of proceeding filed (could be civil or criminal)
- Trial schedule and dockets
- Information about the court in which the case was filed
- Name of the Judge or arbitrator deciding the lawsuit
- A summary of the litigation proceedings comprising eyewitness statements, infringed rules, and regulations, allegations and proofs presented in court, verdicts, and sentences administered.
- Legal sitting days and periods
- Suit information like filing date and case status
- Arrest and confinement information (if the case is criminal).
Where to Conduct a Suffolk County Case Lookup
Interested persons may conduct a Suffolk County case lookup using one of the following options:
- The requester can extract these records physically or via mail from the clerk of court in the particular courthouse managing such records. The clerks of the various courts in Suffolk County can be located via the county courthouse locator.
- The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office maintains public records of criminal interrogations and litigations. These records are available upon request to requestors.
- Suffolk County also utilizes the state's case management system (Masscourt) to provide court dockets, trial schedules, Supreme Judicial Court decisions, and more case records to members of the public.
How to Conduct a Suffolk County Case Records Search
Residents of Suffolk County and the general public can conduct case record searches at the clerk of court office in person or via mail for a fee. For instance, individuals seeking case records from the Probate and Family court can obtain certified records from the court by downloading and completing a Request for Copies form. The completed form, including specified fees (payable by check or money order), can then be submitted physically or through mail to the address:
Suffolk Probate and Family Court
24 New Chardon Street
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 788-8301
To find court records on a person in Suffolk County, the searcher must usually supply the clerk of the court's office with a case number, complete name, case type, and other search criteria to begin the search.
Researchers can also employ Masscourt, the state's online repository for case records, to retrieve Suffolk County court records. This online portal contains case information from the courts in the County and can be accessed by the public via personal gadgets or the public terminals provided by courthouses. Inquirers can retrieve court records on Masscourt by inputting search parameters like the case number or name of a case party.
Suffolk County Civil Court Case Records
Civil court case records in Suffolk County are created from filed papers, materials establishing proof, and all other case information connected to litigations settling disputes among companies or individuals. Civil court case records are records of cases not deemed criminal. The Clerks of courts present in the County keep records of civil court cases.
Requesters of civil case records will have to perform a search process with the court clerk's office, maintaining the desired record in person or via mail. Members of the public can also access civil court case records online by taking advantage of the eAccess portals approved by the County.
Suffolk County Criminal Court Case Records
Suffolk County criminal records are official documentation and compilations of case information involving crime and offenses. These criminal records contain arrest information, summonses, indictments, jail sentences, and correctional measures.
Suffolk County utilizes the state's Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) to supply criminal court case records and background checks to interested members of the public online. This department provides both name and fingerprint search options. To carry out a criminal record search using a party name, the individual must engage the iCORI online portal, while fingerprint searches are restricted to specific individuals and organizations via the SAFIS service site.
Additionally, the office of the Suffolk County District Attorney has public records of criminal inquiries and arrangements. It provides requesters with access to such records per relevant state laws. Individuals and organizations searching for criminal court records can request them by filling out the Records Request Form and submitting it to the attorney's office at:
Suffolk County District Attorney
1 Bulfinch Place
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 619-4000
Requests can also be sent to the District Attorney's Records Access Officer via the email address SCDAOPRR@state.ma.us or by phone at (617) 619-4131.
How to Get Suffolk County Court Records Online for Free
To get Suffolk County court records online for free, interested persons can use the public access terminals provided by the County courts to supply court records for free. This option, however, requires the information seeker to visit these courts to use these terminals physically.
Besides obtaining these records for free at the public terminals, individuals can also employ the Masscourt or Public Case Search portals to inspect Suffolk County Court records at no cost.
Courts in Suffolk County
Suffolk County's judicial system comprises a Superior Court, a District Court, a Probate and Family Court, and one Housing Court. It also includes four Juvenile Courts and eight Municipal Courts. The addresses and contact information of these court houses are as follows:
Suffolk County Superior Court
3 Pemberton Square
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: (617) 788-8175 (Civil)
Phone: (617) 788-8160 (Criminal)
Fax: (617) 788-7798 (Criminal)
Suffolk County District Court
120 Broadway
Chelsea, MA 02150
Phone: (617) 660-9200
Fax: (617) 660-9215
Suffolk Probate and Family Court
Edward West Brooke Courthouse
24 New Chardon Street
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 788-8301
Fax: (617) 788-8962
Suffolk County Housing Court
Edward W. Brooke Courthouse
24 New Chardon Street
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 788-8485
Suffolk County Juvenile Courts
Boston Juvenile Court
Edward W. Brooke Courthouse
24 New Chardon Street
P.O. Box 9663
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 788-8525
Fax: (617) 788-8991
Chelsea Juvenile Court
120 Broadway
Chelsea, MA 02150
Phone: (617) 660-9225
Dorchester Juvenile Court
510 Washington Street
Dorchester, MA 02124
Phone: (617) 288-9500, extension 400
West Roxbury Juvenile Court
445 Arborway
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Phone: (617) 971-1154
Suffolk County Municipal Courts
Brighton Division
52 Academy Hill Road
Brighton, MA 02135
Phone: (617) 782-6540, extension 5
Fax: (617) 254-2127
Central Division
Edward West Brooke Courthouse
24 New Chardon Street
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 788-8600
Fax: (617) 788-8465
Charlestown Division
3 City Square
Charlestown, MA 02129
Phone: (617) 242-5400, extension 1
Fax: (617) 242-1677
Dorchester Division
510 Washington Street
Dorchester, MA 02124
Phone: (617) 288-9500, extension 6
Fax: (617) 436-8250
East Boston Division
37 Meridian Street
East Boston, MA 02128
Phone: (617) 569-7550, extension 5
Fax: (617) 561-4988
Roxbury Division
85 Warren Street
Roxbury, MA 02119
Phone: (617) 427-7000, extension 1
Fax: (617) 541-0286
South Boston Division
535 East Broadway
South Boston, MA 02127
Phone: (617) 268-9292
Fax: (617) 268-7321
West Roxbury Division
445 Arborway
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Phone: (617) 971-1200, extension 1
Fax: (617) 983-0243
