Old Suffolk County, MA Courthouse

Massachusetts Appeals Court
Court information
Judges:	25
Salary:	Associates: $213,924[1]
Judicial selection
Method:	Assisted appointment with approval of Governor's Council
Term:	Until age 70

TheMassachusetts Appeals Court is theintermediate appellate court inMassachusetts.^[2] Justices of the appeals court review decisions from the trial court, as well as decisions of state agencies such as the Appellate Tax Board and the Commonwealth Employment Relations Board. Appeals court justices only review decisions for errors of law and whether those errors affected the outcome of the case. They do not retry cases or make factual determinations.^[3]

There are 25 statutory justices, including a chief justice, and they sit in panels of three. Sometimes, the court recalls retired appellate justices as well. In addition to the three-justice panels, there is a continuous single-justice session with a separate docket. This justice may review interlocutory orders and orders for injunctive relief issued by trial court departments. The justice may also review requests for review of summary process appeal bonds, attorney's fee awards, motions for stays and motions to review impoundment orders. Each associate justice sits as a single justice for a month at a time.^[3]

The majority of appeals are decided by the appeals court, but some are transferred to thesupreme judicial court. Some appeals do not go to the appeals court at all; first-degree murder cases go directly to the supreme judicial court. Some civil cases go to the appellate division of thedistrict court.^[3]

• Published opinions of the Massachusetts Appeals Court can be foundhere.

Justices

Judges of the Massachusetts Appeals Court are referred to as "justices."

Salary

See also:Massachusetts court salaries and budgets

In 2025, the associate judges of the court received a salary of $213,924, according to the National Center for State Courts.^[4]

Former justices

• Peter W. Agnes, Jr.
• Judd J. Carhart
• Francis R. Fecteau
• Malcolm Graham
• Andrew Grainger
• Joseph Grasso
• Mark V. Green
• Sydney Hanlon
• R. Marc Kantrowitz
• C. Jeffrey Kinder
• James R. Lemire
• Diana L. Maldonado
• Edward J. McDonough Jr.
• James Milkey
• Phillip Rapoza
• Mitchell Sikora
• Mary T. Sullivan
• Dalila Wendlandt
• Gabrielle Wolohojian

Judicial selection

See also:Judicial selection in Massachusetts

The25 justices of theMassachusetts Appeals Court are appointed by the governor with advice from a judicial nominating commission and approval of the Governor's Council.^[5]

Qualifications

To serve on the appeals court, a justice must:

• be a U.S. citizen;
• be a state resident;
• be a state bar member in good standing; and
• have 13 years of legal experience and training;
• under the age of 70 (retirement at 70 ismandatory).^[5]

Chief justice

Thechief judge of the court of appeals is also appointed by the governor with council approval. The governor appoints the chief justice with advice from the nominating commission and approval from the Governor's Council. The appeals court chief serves until age 70.^[5] The current chief judge of the court isAmy Lyn Blake.

Vacancies

Vacancies on the appeals court are filled by the governor with council approval and serve until age 70.^[5]

Ethics

TheMassachusetts Code of Judicial Conduct sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates inMassachusetts. It is composed of eight canons:

• Canon 1: "A judge shall uphold and promote the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary, and shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety."
• Canon 2: "A judge shall perform the duties of judicial office impartially, competently, and diligently."
• Canon 3: "A judge shall conduct the judge’s personal and extrajudicial activities to minimize the risk of conflict with the obligations of judicial office."
• Canon 4: "A judge Shall Refrain from political activity that is inconsistent with the independence, integrity, or impartiality of the judiciary."

The full text of theMassachusetts Code of Judicial Conduct can be foundhere.

Removal of judges

Judges inMassachusetts may be removed in one of three ways:

• By the supreme court at the recommendation of the commission on judicial conduct, which investigates complaints and conducts formal hearings.
• By the governor, with consent of the governor's council, upon joint address of both houses of the general court. This includes retiring judges because of advanced age or disability.
• By senate conviction after impeachment in the house of representatives.^[6]

State profile

Presidential voting pattern

See also:Presidential voting trends in Massachusetts

Massachusettsvoted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

More Massachusetts coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in Massachusetts
• United States congressional delegations from Massachusetts
• Public policy in Massachusetts
• Endorsers in Massachusetts
• Massachusetts fact checks
• More...

See also

Massachusetts	Judicial Selection	More Courts
Courts in MassachusettsMassachusetts Appeals CourtMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court	Elections:2026 •2025 •2024 •2023 •2022 •2021 •2020 •2019 •2018 •2017Gubernatorial appointmentsJudicial selection in Massachusetts	Federal courtsState courtsLocal courts

External links

• Mass.gov, "Appeals Court Justices"
• Mass.gov, "Appeals Court"

Footnotes