Judges appointed by Deval Patrick
 |
| State Executive Offices |
| Elections by Year |
| 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 |
| State Executive Analyses |
This page lists judges appointed by Deval Patrick (D) during his term as Governor of Massachusetts. As of today, the total number of Patrick appointees was 140. For the full profile of Patrick, click here.
Ballotpedia provides comprehensive coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population. Some Massachusetts judges are outside of that coverage scope. As a result, this page does not provide an exhaustive list of all judges appointed by Gov. Patrick.
Appointment process
In Massachusetts, the governor selects a judge to fill a vacancy on a court. Before a judge can take office, she or he must be approved by the Governor's Council.[1]
Appointed judges
The tables below list the governor's appointees to the courts across the state.
State Courts
Supreme Court
| Name | Court | Active |
|---|---|---|
|
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court |
June 8, 2011 - December 1, 2020 |
|
|
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice |
July 28, 2014 - September 14, 2020 |
Court of Appeals
| Name | Court | Active |
|---|---|---|
|
Massachusetts Appeals Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Appeals Court |
September 8, 2011 - April 11, 2020 |
|
|
Massachusetts Appeals Court |
September 9, 2014 - Present |
|
|
Massachusetts Appeals Court |
February 7, 2008 - April 22, 2024 |
|
|
Massachusetts Appeals Court |
February 13, 2013 - December 31, 2020 |
|
|
Massachusetts Appeals Court |
April 8, 2009 - September 3, 2024 |
|
|
Massachusetts Appeals Court |
April 29, 2009 - June 30, 2020 |
|
|
Massachusetts Appeals Court |
2010 - 2017 |
|
|
Massachusetts Appeals Court |
January 15, 2008 - Present |
|
|
Massachusetts Appeals Court |
December 9, 2011 - August 16, 2023 |
|
|
Massachusetts Appeals Court |
September 20, 2014 - Present |
Local Courts
| Name | Court | Active |
|---|---|---|
|
Barnstable Juvenile Court |
||
|
Barnstable Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Berkshire Juvenile Court |
||
|
Berkshire Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Boston Municipal Courts |
||
|
Boston Municipal Courts |
||
|
Boston Municipal Courts |
||
|
Boston Municipal Courts |
||
|
Boston Municipal Courts |
||
|
Boston Municipal Courts |
||
|
Boston Municipal Courts |
||
|
Boston Municipal Courts |
||
|
Bristol Juvenile Court |
||
|
Bristol Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Bristol Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Bristol Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Essex Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Essex Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Essex Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Franklin/Hampshire Juvenile Court |
||
|
Franklin Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Franklin Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Hampden Juvenile Court |
||
|
Hampden Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Hampden Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Hampden Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Hampshire Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts Lynn District Court |
||
|
Massachusetts District Courts Plymouth District Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Housing Courts Northeast Division |
||
|
Massachusetts Housing Courts Western Housing Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Land Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts Land Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts Land Courts |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
2013 - 2017 |
|
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
2013 - 2021 |
|
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Massachusetts Superior Court |
||
|
Middlesex Juvenile Court |
||
|
Middlesex Juvenile Court |
||
|
Middlesex Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Middlesex Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Nantucket Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Norfolk Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Norfolk Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Plymouth Juvenile Court |
||
|
Plymouth Juvenile Court |
||
|
Plymouth Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Plymouth Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Suffolk Juvenile Court |
||
|
Suffolk Juvenile Court |
||
|
Suffolk Juvenile Court |
||
|
Suffolk Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Suffolk Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Suffolk Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Suffolk Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Worcester Juvenile Court |
||
|
Worcester Juvenile Court |
||
|
Worcester Probate and Family Court |
||
|
Worcester Probate and Family Court |
Judicial selection process
- See also: Judicial selection in Massachusetts
| Judicial selection in Massachusetts | |
 | |
| Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court | |
| Method: | Gubernatorial appointment |
| Term: | Until age 70 |
| Massachusetts Appeals Court | |
| Method: | Assisted appointment |
| Term: | Until age 70 |
| Massachusetts Superior Courts | |
| Method: | Assisted appointment |
| Term: | Until age 70 |
Judicial selection refers to the process used to select judges for courts. At the state level, methods of judicial selection vary substantially in the United States, and in some cases between different court types within a state. There are six primary types of judicial selection: partisan and nonpartisan elections, the Michigan method, assisted appointment, gubernatorial appointment, and legislative elections. To read more about how these selection methods are used across the country, click here.
This article covers how state court judges are selected in Massachusetts, including:
- Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court,
- Massachusetts Appeals Court,
- Massachusetts Superior Courts, and
- Limited jurisdiction courts
As of April 2025, the selection of supreme court judges in Massachusetts occurred through gubernatorial appointment with approval from the Governor's Council.[2] Judges of the appeals court, superior court, and limited jurisdiction courts are selected through assisted appointment where a judicial nominating commission presents a list of nominees to the governor who then picks an appointee with approval from the Governor's Council.[3] Massachusetts is one of only a few states in which judges serve lifetime appointments. They are, however, required to retire by age 70.[3]
Click here to notify us of changes to judicial selection methods in this state.
| Appellate state court selection in the United States, by general selection method[4] |
|---|
|
|
| State courts and their selection methods across the U.S., including the District of Columbia[4] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Supreme Court (of 53)[5] | Courts of Appeal (of 46) | Trial Courts (of 147) |
| Partisan elections (PE) | 8 | 6 | 39 |
| Nonpartisan elections (NPE) | 13 | 16 | 34 |
| Legislative elections (LE) | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Gubernatorial appointment of judges (GA) | 5 | 3 | 6 |
| Assisted appointment (AA) | 22 | 18 | 46 |
| Combination or other | 3[6] | 1[7] | 17[8] |
State profile
| Demographic data for Massachusetts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 6,784,240 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 7,800 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 79.6% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 7.1% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 6% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.9% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 10.6% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 89.8% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 40.5% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $68,563 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 13.1% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Massachusetts. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
Massachusetts voted 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
- Judges appointed by Mitt Romney
- Judges appointed by Charles D. Baker
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Massachusetts," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ Gubernatorial appointment takes place when the governor directly selects judges.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed August 25, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection," archived February 2, 2015
- ↑ Both Oklahoma and Texas have two state supreme courts: one for civil matters and one for criminal matters.
- ↑ Michigan and Ohio use nonpartisan general elections with candidates selected through partisan primaries or conventions. In the District of Columbia, judges are selected in the same manner as federal judges.
- ↑ Judges of the North Dakota Court of Appeals are appointed on an as-needed basis by the supreme court justices.
- ↑ Most courts that use combination/alternative methods (for example, mayoral appointment) are local level courts. These courts are often governed by selection guidelines that are unique to their specific region.
Federal courts:
First Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Massachusetts • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Massachusetts
State courts:
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court • Massachusetts Appeals Court • Massachusetts Superior Courts • Massachusetts District Courts • Massachusetts Housing Courts • Massachusetts Juvenile Courts • Massachusetts Land Courts • Massachusetts Probate and Family Courts • Boston Municipal Courts, Massachusetts
State resources:
Courts in Massachusetts • Massachusetts judicial elections • Judicial selection in Massachusetts
