May Standing Orders for COVID-19 and Mass Juvenile Court – Delinquency/YOP

Delinquency/Youthful Offender Proceedings

The recent Standing Order OE-144 has closed courthouses off to the public other than for emergency situations. This order goes into effect May 4, 2020 and will be in effect until at least June 1, 2020.

This is applicable to various non-emergency delinquency/youthful offender proceedings, according to Mass.gov.

Probable cause (show cause) hearings scheduled between March 16, 2020 and June 1, 2020 will be continued. Complaints filed during these times will be scheduled by the Clerk-Magistrate.

For tenders of plea, the plea will be filed by email from the attorney. It must first be signed (or e-signed) by the juvenile, their attorney, and the district attorney. A hearing will then be scheduled for as soon as possible.

Summons arraignments issued between March 16, 2020 and June 1, 2020, will be continued to a date which will be determined by the Clerk Magistrate.