Massachusetts Legal Developments Blog

All Courts Closed Until April 6th

The Supreme Judicial Court has just issued an order closing all courts in Massachusetts until April 6th.  There are exceptions for emergency matters but they are extremely narrow.  To get a sense of how restrictive the order is, look at the following

5. Except as provided herein, all trials, whether jury or bench, in both criminal and civil cases, scheduled to commence in Massachusetts state courts between the date of this Order and April 17, 2020, are hereby continued to a date no earlier than April 21, 2020, unless the trial is a bench trial in a civil matter and may be conducted otherwise than in-person by agreement of the parties and of the court.  Where a jury trial has commenced prior to the effective date of this Order, a mistrial shall be declared based on the manifest necessity arising from the pandemic.

You can see the order here.