Plymouth County Superior Court Case Search

Plymouth County Superior Court creates records of all case events that occurred in the courthouse. The court maintains the records and may disclose them to interested public members. The public may request court records for reasons, including legal research, appeals, and to ensure transparency in court conduct.

Note: The Superior Court will withhold access to confidential or sealed court documents. The exempt record typically consists of data whose disclosure will violate the privacy or safety of record subjects.

What Kinds of Cases Are Heard in the Plymouth Superior Court?

The Plymouth Superior Court hears civil and criminal cases, including general civil (unlimited), civil equity, felony, real estate title and boundary, and complex commercial. It also shares jurisdiction with other county courts over general civil (limited) and misdemeanor cases. The Superior Court does not have divisions or specialized departments for handling specific case types.

Plymouth County Superior Court

The Plymouth County Superior Court is a trial-level court with exclusive and shared jurisdiction over civil and criminal case types. The court has exclusive jurisdiction over cases that carry severe penalties or have higher financial thresholds. For instance, the court handles general civil claims in which the money for damages exceeds $25,000. It also oversees felony cases that have a possible sentence of five years or more.

The superior court serves as a central pillar in the county’s judicial system due to the significance of cases under its jurisdiction. Local residents may use the court to resolve civil disputes and claims or to get justice in felony cases. To file cases, residents will find the superior court at these locations:

Superior Courts in Plymouth County
Plymouth County Superior Court—Brockton
72 Belmont Street
Brockton, MA 02301
Phone: (508) 583-8250
Fax: (508) 584-5639

Plymouth County Superior Court—Plymouth
52 Obery Street
Plymouth, MA 02360
Phone: (508) 747-8400
Fax: (508) 830-0676

Plymouth County Case Lookup

Persons or entities can use the following options to locate and obtain Plymouth County court records:

Online searches for court records

The Massachusetts Trial Court Case Access is an online searchable database that provides access to Plymouth County court documents. Interested parties can locate court records on the platform via these steps:

1. Visit the online platform.
2. Select the "Click here" button at the bottom of the page.
3. Next, choose the court department, location, and division in the drop-down menus.
4. Select a preferred search option. The platform features searches by name, case number, case type, and ticket and citation number.
5. Input the required data for the preferred search option.
6. Click on "Search" to generate search results.

In contrast, state websites offer access to older court records. Inquirers searching for archived records must fill out and submit an online request form. Once the form is completed, the agency will retrieve the requested court data from the courthouses in charge of maintaining the record.

Walk-in requests for court records

Record seekers may request Plymouth County court records in person at the courthouse where the case was heard. The courts generally have a service center or lobby that attends to public record requests. Note that the courts will only attend to in-person requests during their open hours on weekdays.

Some courts may install self-service public terminals where the public can view court records. Record seekers must make a request at the designated service center to get physical copies of court documents. The court may charge fees for retrieving and copying requested documents.

Plymouth Superior Court Case Search by Name

Name-based searches involve the use of a record subject’s name to locate related documents. In Plymouth County, record seekers can conduct name-based searches for superior court records by following these steps:

1. Visit the online case search platform
2. Select the "Click here" button at the bottom of the page.
3. Next, choose the court department, location, and division in the drop-down menus.
4. Select "Name" in the tab below
5. Input the case party’s full name.
6. Click on "Search" to generate a search result.

Name-based inquiries are often inaccurate since they may bring up information on case parties with similar names. To avoid such outcomes, record seekers may try out other search options to get more accurate results.
In contrast, you can request superior court records in person by visiting the courthouses at these locations:

Plymouth County Superior Court—Brockton
72 Belmont Street
Brockton, MA 02301
Phone: (508) 583-8250
Fax: (508) 584-5639

Plymouth County Superior Court—Plymouth
52 Obery Street
Plymouth, MA 02360
Phone: (508) 747-8400
Fax: (508) 830-0676

Plymouth Superior Court Docket Search

Court dockets are logs that contain details of all filed documents and activities in a court case. The document may include case-party information, filed documents, judgments, orders, and court hearing dates.

Plymouth County Superior Court dockets are accessible through online or offline options. For online access, interested parties can follow these steps to search court docket information:

1. Visit the court docket search platform.
2. Choose the "Click here" button.
3. Next, select specific information about the court, including the department, location, and division, in the drop-down menus.
4. Select a preferred search option. The platform allows name or number-based searches for court records.
5. Input the required data for the preferred search option
6. Click on "Search" to generate search results.

In contrast, record seekers can get docket information at the courthouse where they heard the case. The court may charge fees for producing copies of the requested document.

Note: Court docket searches are important for tracking the progress of court cases and for legal research. Dockets are also important for getting information about court dates.

Lookup Plymouth County Superior Court Online

In Plymouth County, public members can look up superior court records via the state’s online searchable database. The database offers access to case files, dockets, and related court information.

In contrast, third-party search sites such as Massachusettscourtrecords.us provide online access to superior court records. The sites typically feature user-friendly interfaces that allow users to easily locate court data. Some sites may allow direct download of court documents. Despite these benefits, users must be cautious about third-party sites since they are unregulated and may not contain accurate data.

Supreme Court vs. Superior Court

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is quite distinct from the Superior Court in the following ways:

They have different judicial authority.

Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court has the highest appellate authority, and its decisions are final within the state’s court system. It is also directly responsible for overseeing the bar and the judiciary. The court creates and approves the state court’s code of conduct. In contrast, the Supreme Court is a trial-level court with county-wide authority over most civil and criminal cases.

They serve different functions in case proceedings.

The Supreme Court reviews appeals concerning judicial decisions from lower courts or appellate courts. However, the Superior Court handles civil or criminal cases that are beyond the jurisdiction of other county courts. It generally hears cases with potential sentences of more than five years.

The courts have different compositions.

Seven justices preside over the Supreme Judicial Court. The state governor, with the approval of the governing council, appoints these justices. The seven justices preside over criminal and civil cases from September to May, while each justice holds weekly sessions to handle cases on trial, appeals, bail review, and bar discipline proceedings. In contrast, 82 justices preside over 20 superior courts in Massachusetts.