Governor’s Healey announces pardon for all adult Massachusetts state court misdemeanor convictions before March 13, 2024 for possession of marijuana. Most people will not need to take any action to have their criminal records updated.
Last-reviewed: April 17, 2024
Court Systems Navigation
- The public can view the status of court cases on masscourts.org. Click here to see how to search court dockets online.
- To find out if a case will be heard in person or virtually, check on masscourts.org, or call or email the court using this Courthouse Locator or this Court department emails page
- Court users can get help remotely from Trial Court Law Libraries and Virtual Court Service Centers, which provide guidance M-F between 9am and 12pm. Court users can also get help remotely from court specific and county specific Virtual Registries. Brochures for the Court Service Centers are available in ten languages.
- Many court hearings are still virtual (meaning that some or all of the people participate by video or phone). The court system developed an online guide to virtual hearings and the Massachusetts Bar Association created a video guide to help court users prepare for remote hearings.
- People with upcoming MA Trial Court proceeding dates can sign up for eReminder notifications with the date, time, and location of their next scheduled court appearance. Flyers about the e-Reminder service are available in multiple languages here.
- A new Immigration Court opened on April 8, 2024, in Chelmsford. The EOIR will provide official advance notice to all parties whose cases are reassigned to this Immigration Court. Find the address and additional information here.
Pardons, Sealings, and Expungements
- Governor Healey has pardoned all adult Massachusetts state court misdemeanor convictions for possession of marijuana before March 13, 2024. Find more information here. Most people will not need to take any action to have their criminal records updated. People can apply for a Marijuana Pardon Certificate here.
- The MA Supreme Judicial Court decided to make sealing of criminal records mandatory when a person has been acquitted of a crime in Massachusetts. Read more about this decision here.
- The CORI and Re-entry Project at Greater Boston Legal Services has online CORI sealing materials and offers a Virtual CORI Sealing Clinic on the 2nd Wednesday every month from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. The Clinic provides low-income community members with free legal information about their rights and assists eligible community members with sealing and expunging their records. Register for a CORI Sealing Clinic here. People can also go in person to the Roxbury courthouse, 65 Warren St., 2nd Floor, on the 3rd Thursday of the month from 9am to noon.
- Lawyers Clearinghouse has partnered with the City of Boston, Codman Square NDC, and Urban Edge to provide free, virtual CORI sealing clinics to community members who need assistance in sealing or expunging their Massachusetts-based CORI. Signing up can be done online.
MA ID Card Program
- The Healey-Driscoll Administration introduced an enhanced process for the Massachusetts ID Card Program for citizens being released from the Massachusetts Department of Correction. Read more information here.
Fees
- Massachusetts has eliminated monthly supervision fees, administrative probation fees, and victim services surcharges fees. Learn about probation fees that are eligible to be refunded here.
- The MA Department of Correction (DOC) implemented no cost phone calls. As of December 1, 2023, phone calls from the standard wall phones in correctional facilities will not be charged to the incarcerated individual or the person receiving the call. There is no cap on the number of calls.
Unlocking Access Resources for Care Teams
There are many ways care teams can support people with court and criminal system involvement-related needs. For more specific legal information and strategies, care team members who have access to MLPB’s Unlocking Access Hub should log in.
If you are an MLPB partner who does not have their login information, or you’d like to learn more about how to gain access to the u003cemu003eUnlocking Accessu003c/emu003e Hub, get in touch with us!
Key Resources
Reentry Support:
