Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

The highest court in Massachusetts has ruled that the wording of a ballot question for a proposed “millionaire tax” constitutional amendment is legal and the measure can go before voters in November. The amendment would impose a 4% surtax on the portion of an individual’s annual income that exceeds $1 million. It had been challenged by a business group and…

An initiative petition seeking to change state liquor-licensing laws remains alive after the Supreme Judicial Court on Monday ruled that Attorney General Maura Healey correctly certified it to appear before voters on November’s ballot. The high court rejected a challenge to Healey’s certification, which argued the question did not meet the Constitutional requirement that initiative petitions contain only matters...

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is ordering a review of the case surrounding the disappearance of 7-year-old Harmony Montgomery, who was last seen in 2019 after a juvenile court being placed in the custody of her father. In a letter dated Jan. 21, SJC Chief Justice Kimberly S. Budd informed New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu of the review. A few…

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu placed the blame for the disappearance of 7-year-old Harmony Montgomery squarely at the feet of the Massachusetts court system in a letter released Tuesday. In the letter, which was sent to Kimberly Budd, chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Sununu expressed “grave concerns” about the ongoing investigation into the missing girl. He cited…

A recent ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court could impact you if you’re a vehicle owner, who is in an accident where you’re not at fault. Here’s what you need to know.

The highest court in Massachusetts has vacated the murder convictions of two men found guilty of fatally shooting a bystander in 2007 because the trial judge improperly allowed prosecutors to dismiss at least one Black person from the pool of prospective jurors. The Supreme Judicial Court’s decision Monday vacated the convictions of Antwan Carter and Daniel Pinckney, who were convicted…

The highest court in Massachusetts on Tuesday struck down a state law making it illegal for people to ask for money for their own support on public roads. A decision from the Supreme Judicial Court found that the law violated free speech rights because it prohibited people from requesting money for personal support on roadways but specifically allowed the sale…

Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday nominated Appeals Court Associate Justice Dalila Argaez Wendlandt to a seat on the Supreme Judicial Court, paving the way for her to become the first Latina to serve on the high court bench. In a press conference, Baker highlighted Wendlandt’s thoughtfulness, collegiality and judiciousness in tapping her for the seat, one of two on...

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court was scheduled to hear arguments Monday on a case out of Fall River that challenges a law that makes it illegal for people to ask for money on public roads.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court will hear arguments challenging a law that makes it illegal for people to ask for money on public roads Monday.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court will hear arguments challenging a law that makes it illegal for people to ask for money on public roads Monday. The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts filed a lawsuit against Fall River in March of last year, arguing the city was aggressively enforcing the state law. They also argue the law itself is unconstitutional….

Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday nominated Associate Justice Kimberly Budd as the next chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, paving the way for her to become the first Black woman to lead the body. In a press conference at the State House, Baker repeatedly highlighted Budd’s ability to listen to others and collaborate, saying such qualities were...

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph Gants has died, the associate justices of the court announced Monday. Their statement did not give any details about when or how Gants had died. “It is with deep sadness that the Associate Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court announce the death of Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants. Our hearts and prayers are…

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph Gants suffered a heart attack last week, he announced Tuesday in a statement. “I suffered a heart attack on Friday, September 4,” Gants said in the statement released by the court’s public information office. “I was admitted to the hospital where surgeons inserted 2 stents in the occluded artery, and I expect to…

Supporters of a ballot question that would let convenience stores and other food stores sell beer and wine won a key legal battle in Massachusetts’s highest court on Tuesday. The question was launched by the convenience store chain Cumberland Farms and would let local authorities issue licenses allowing food stores to sell beer and wine. Local licensing authorities would...

The Bar Examination in Massachusetts has been postponed until the very end of September, authorities said Saturday. The two-day exam, which evaluates the qualifications of prospective lawyers, was originally scheduled for the end of July. It will now be held in Boston on Wednesday, Sept. 30 and Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020, the Supreme Judicial Court and the Board of Bar…

People in jail awaiting trial in Massachusetts should be released due to the coronavirus pandemic unless prosecutors can prove they pose an “unreasonable” danger to the community or flight risk, the state’s highest court said Friday. People who are being held on bail and aren’t facing certain serious offenses are entitled to a “rebuttable presumption of release,” the Supreme...

A Massachusetts youth hockey coach awaiting trial for child rape charges was located and arrested Friday morning, after failing to turn himself in to a Vermont court on Thursday. He was released on bail earlier this month after he met certain conditions due to rulings by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in two unrelated cases.

A youth hockey coach awaiting trial for child rape charges is expected to be released on bail following rulings by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in two unrelated cases. Thirty-three-year-old Christopher Prew of Marblehead is accused of sexually assaulting eight boys under the age of 14. He had been held without bail since a court appearance in March of 2018.

Massachusetts’ highest court has sided with a black police cadet who was refused a job after he failed a hair follicle drug test. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled 6-to-1 on Wednesday that Michael Gannon was wrongly denied employment by Boston police.