Wareham District Court on planned court closure list... again

Jul 12, 2011

Due to a state budget cut of roughly $24.2 million compared to last year in funding for trial courts, the Wareham District Court is back on a list of potential courthouse closures.

Governor Deval Patrick signed the $519.9 million state trial court budget on Monday, according to a joint statement from Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Roderick L. Ireland and Chief Justice for Administration and Management Robert A. Mulligan.

The budget "will impact significantly the quality of justice in our courts and jeopardize the right of every person, guaranteed by the Massachusetts Constitution, to have recourse to the courts and obtain civil and criminal justice 'completely and without denial, promptly and without delay,'" according to the statement.

Wareham District Court is one of 11 planned court consolidations. Business would be relocated to Plymouth District Court.

The officials have asked Patrick to consider placing a moratorium on judicial clerk magistrate appointments in order to save funds, according to the statement.

State Representative Susan Williams Gifford (R-Wareham) said she is not happy with announcement, which she said she just found out about on Tuesday.

"I cannot believe the trial court is doing this to us again. ... The way this is being handled is just awful," Gifford said.

Budget cuts threatened to close Wareham District Court a year ago. A $9 "supplemental appropriations" bill helped save it and several other trial courts from closure

Gifford said she and her colleagues across the south coast will again fight to keep the Wareham District Court open.

“We're all on a united front here and we're going to do everything we possibly can, once again, to stop this," Gifford said.

 

When the courts would close and in what order is still being discussed. Employees in the locations planned to close would be sent to other locations "to address our significant staffing shortfalls at other courthouses," according to the statement.

 

Full list of proposed court closures and relocations:

  • Berkshire Juvenile Court, with business moved to Northern Berkshire District Court (North Adams)
  • Charlestown Division of the Boston Municipal Court to the Boston Municipal Court
  • Framingham Juvenile Court to Marlborough District Court
  • Gloucester District Court to Salem District Court
  • Hingham District Court to Brockton District Court
  • Leominster District Court to Clinton District Court/Fitchburg District Court
  • New Bedford Housing Court to New Bedford District Court or to Fall River Durfee Courthouse
  • Norfolk Juvenile Court (Dedham) to Brookline District Court
    • Brookline District Court criminal matters to Dedham District Court; civil matters to Newton District Court
  • Wareham District Court to Plymouth District Court
  • Westborough District Court to Worcester District Court
  • Westfield District Court to Holyoke District Court/Chicopee District Court/So. Berkshire District Court