Plymouth County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Plymouth County is located south of Boston in Massachusetts and was established on June 2, 1685, by the Plymouth General Court. It has two county seats namely; Brockton (the largest city) and Plymouth. It has a landmass consisting of 1,093 square miles and it is the third largest county in Massachusetts by area with a population of 529,548 in 2022. The judicial responsibility of the Superior Courts, District Courts, Probate and Family Courts, Housing Courts, and Juvenile Courts lies in dispute resolution establishment of concrete evidence, and compliance with due process in judicial proceedings.

The Superior Courts in Brockton and Plymouth have exclusive jurisdiction over first-degree murders. They also try and hear labor disputes involving injunctive relief, civil cases in which the amount of money involved is $50,000 and more, and equitable relief cases. The Brockton District Court covers Abington, Bridgewater, Brockton, East Bridgewater, and West Bridgewater, and Whitman presides over civil and criminal cases. Hingham, Plymouth, and Wareham (serving Lakeville, Marion, Mattapoisett, Middleboro, Rochester, and Wareham) District Courts are located in Hingham, Obery, and Wareham respectively. They preside over felonies punishable by 5 years in jail, misdemeanors, violations of by-laws, and city, and town ordinances. The Probate and Family Courts preside over Brockton and Plymouth in adoption, ending parental rights, abuse prevention, wills, and parenting time cases. This means that it hears both family-related and probate matters. The Housing Courts located in Brockton and Plymouth decide eviction cases, small claims, property damage, breach of contract, discrimination, code enforcement actions, and appeals of local zoning board decisions that affect residential housing. The Juvenile Courts are in Brockton, Wareham, Hingham, and Plymouth. They have general jurisdiction over delinquency and dependency cases. They protect children from abuse and neglect, rehabilitate juveniles, and protect the public from criminal behaviors.

Annually, the trial courts in Massachusetts receive a million case filings. The Annual Report of the Massachusetts Court System stated that there were more case filings in FY 2023 including case dispositions compared with the previous year. An aggregate of 669,407 cases filed and 697,616 disposed cases. The court Clerks at respective courts are charged with recording and keeping of court records. The public can look up cases online on the Trial Court Case Access System. Juvenile court records are concealed from the public, however.

Lawyers, litigants, and self-represented litigants have access to the protocols for court hearings and court events. The District, Superior, Juvenile, Housing, Probate, and Family Courts are committed to delivering high-quality justice with dignity and speed. In essence, a pool of dedicated professionals provides courteous service to the public and inspires public trust and confidence. Plymouth County has a mission to pursue impartial and timely adjudication of justice that is consistent with legal principles and precedents.