Back Bay Neighborhood, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Crime Index

The Back Bay neighborhood is one of the 24 officially recognized neighborhoods in the city of Boston, Massachusetts, and it is also one of the neighborhoods that border the downtown area of Boston. In 2019, the Back Bay neighborhood, alongside neighboring Beacon Hill, had an estimated crime rate of 4,041 crimes per 100,000 persons. This figure accounts for an estimated 587 violent crimes per 100,000 people and 3,454 property crimes per 100,000 people. However, despite this being an upward crime trend from the previous year, the Back Bay neighborhood is considered relatively safe. This is primarily because of a concentration of police presence since the neighborhood is a protected historic district.

Suffolk County Superior Court

The Suffolk County Superior Court serves the Back Bay neighborhood, Boston. The court has original jurisdiction over all crimes and exclusive jurisdiction over first-degree murder cases. It also hears civil cases involving over $50,000 and civil cases with a plea for equitable relief, among others.

Suffolk County Superior Court

Suffolk County Courthouse

3 Pemberton Square

Boston, MA, 02108

Email: Suffolkcivil.clerksoffice@jud.state.ma.us (Civil Clerk’s Office)

Email: Suffolkcriminal.clerksoffice@jud.state.ma.us (Criminal Clerk’s Office)

Phone: (617) 788-8110, (617) 788-7769 (ADA Accessibility)

Fax: (617) 788-8137, (617) 788-7798 (ADA Accessibility)

Phone: 1-800-THE-JURY (843-5879) (Office of Jury Commissioner)

TTY: 1-800-328-3202 (Office of Jury Commissioner)

Email: JurorHelp@jud.state.ma.us (Office of Jury Commissioner)

Court’s Business Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday

The Suffolk County Superior Court is open for limited purposes and most of the court’s business is handled virtually. Currently, the court only grants entry, with some exceptions, to:

• Court personnel
• Individuals who are attending an in-person court hearing
• Individuals reporting for jury service
• Individuals who have an in-person business with the court clerk
• Individuals who have an in-person meeting with the Probation Officer or probation staff
• Individuals with an in-person business in any of the courthouse offices

Additionally, the court has categorized some cases into in-person hearings and virtual hearings. The hearing of a case depends on what category it falls under unless otherwise stated.

Central Division, Boston Municipal Court

The Central Division of the Boston Municipal Court serves the Back Bay neighborhood. The court has jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases. The civil cases within the court’s jurisdiction include small claims with a likely recovery award below $7,000, civil motor vehicle violations, and city or town ordinances and bylaw violations. The court’s jurisdiction over criminal cases includes misdemeanors that do not require sentencing the offender to state prison and felonies punishable by a maximum five-year sentence.

Central Division, Boston Municipal Court

24 New Chardon Street

Edward W. Brooke Courthouse

Boston, MA, 02114

Phone: (617) 788-8600

Phone: (617) 788-8426 (Probation Department)

Fax: (617) 788-8465

Fax: (617) 788-8432 (Probation Department)

Email: bmccentral@jud.state.ma.us

Phone: (617) 788-8668, (617) 788-8772 (ADA Accessibility)

Fax: (617) 788-8465, (617) 788-8747 (ADA Accessibility)

Phone: 1-800-THE-JURY (843-5879) (Office of Jury Commissioner)

TTY: 1-800-328-3202 (Office of Jury Commissioner)

Email: JurorHelp@jud.state.ma.us (Office of Jury Commissioner)

Court’s Business Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday

The Central Division of the Boston Municipal Court currently conducts most court business virtually and only specific cases are heard in-person. A presiding judge may require a participant in an in-person hearing to participate virtually if the presiding judge has COVID-19 concerns.

Eastern Housing Court

The Eastern Housing Court serves the Back Bay neighborhood in Boston. The court hears civil and criminal matters, including small claims cases, eviction cases, discrimination claims, property damage cases, and cases bordering on the welfare and safety of the owner or occupant of a residential building. The court’s jurisdiction also extends to hearing appeals of the Local Zoning Board’s decisions that relate to residential buildings.

Eastern Housing Court

24 New Chardon Street

Boston, MA, 02114

Phone: (617) 788-8485 (Clerk’s Office)

Phone: (617) 788-6233 (Housing Specialist Department)

Email: EasternHousingCourt@jud.state.ma.us

Phone: (617) 788-6547 (ADA Accessibility)

Phone: (800) 843-5879 (Office of Jury Commissioner)

Court’s Business Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday

The Eastern Housing Court is open for limited in-person business. The majority of the court’s business is handled virtually. The Eastern Housing Court has a virtual Clerk’s Office front counter and virtual Housing Specialist Department front counter to assist with inquiries on the court’s case management, virtual proceedings, and more.

Massachusetts Land Court

The Massachusetts Land Court serves the Back Bay neighborhood and has original jurisdiction over most matters pertaining to real property. However, the court also has exclusive jurisdiction over specific matters such as the registration of title to real property and any disputes relating to such registration. The Massachusetts Land Court shares jurisdiction with other courts over certain matters as well, and such matters include the specific performance of contracts relating to real estate.

Massachusetts Land Court is located at

3 Pemberton Square

Boston, MA, 02108

Phone: (617) 788-7470 (Recorder’s Office and Virtual Recorder’s Office)

Email: LandCourt.Title@jud.state.ma.us (Land Court Title Examination Department)

Email: LandCourt.Survey@jud.state.ma.us (Land Court Survey Department)

Email: LandCourt.Emergency@jud.state.ma.us (Land Court Emergency)

Phone: (617) 788-7474 (ADA Accessibility)

Fax: (617) 788-8953 (ADA Accessibility)

Court’s Business Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday

The Massachusetts Land Court is open, although most of the court’s business is handled virtually. Drop-in visits to the Recorder’s Office are discouraged, except for emergency cases or when there is a pre-scheduled meeting. The court has a Virtual Land Court Recorder’s Office which handles inquiries and gives assistance to parties on court processes. The Virtual Recorder’s Office operates from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but not on legal holidays.

Boston Juvenile Court

The Suffolk County Juvenile Court in Boston serves the Back Bay neighborhood and has jurisdiction over cases that are juvenile-related. The court’s jurisdiction extends to delinquency cases, youthful offenders, a child requiring assistance (CRA) among others.

Suffolk County Juvenile Court - Boston

Edward W. Brooke Courthouse

24 New Chardon Street

PO Box 9663

Boston, MA, 02114

Phone: (617) 788-8525 (Clerk’s Office)

Phone: (617) 788-8571 (Probation Department)

Fax: (617) 788-8991 (Clerk’s Office)

Fax: (617) 788-8972 (Probation Department)

Email: suffolk-jccallctr@jud.state.ma.us

Phone: (617) 788-8525 (ADA Accessibility)

Fax: (617) 788-8991 (ADA Accessibility)

Phone: 1-800-THE-JURY (1-800-843-5879) (Office of Jury Commissioner)

Court’s Business Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday

The Suffolk County Juvenile Court in Boston is open for limited purposes and most court business continues virtually. The court also virtually hears cases brought before it, unless an in-person hearing is necessary. However, youthful offenders and delinquency bench trials may be heard in-person, unless the judge and all concerned parties prefer and agree to a virtual hearing.

Suffolk Probate and Family Court

The Suffolk Probate and Family Court serves the Back Bay neighborhood and has jurisdiction over divorce cases, child support cases, paternity cases, adoption cases, and custody cases, among others.

Suffolk Probate and Family Court

24 New Chardon Street

Boston, MA, 02114

Phone: (617) 788-8301 (Register’s Office)

Phone: (617) 788-8210 (Probation Department)

Fax: (617) 788-8962 (Register’s Office)

Fax: (617) 788-8957 (Register’s Office)

Email: Suffolkquestions@jud.state.ma.us

Phone: (617) 788-8364 (ADA Accessibility)

Fax: (617) 788-8983 (ADA Accessibility)

Court’s Business Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday

The Suffolk Probate and Family Court is open for limited in-person business and the court’s business is substantially handled virtually. Also, only trials and evidentiary hearings may be held in person while other hearings are conducted virtually, except the peculiarities of the case warrants an in-person hearing. The court has an eFiling platform where specific cases can be filed electronically.

The virtual registry for the Suffolk Probate and Family Court offers registry assistance remotely. The virtual registry is available between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., from Monday through Friday.

Massachusetts Appeals Court

The Massachusetts Appeals Court serves the Back Bay neighborhood. The court reviews the decisions of the trial court departments on civil and criminal cases. The court’s jurisdiction also extends to appeals from the final decisions of the Commonwealth Employment Relations Board, the Industrial Accident Board, and the Appellate Tax Board.

Massachusetts Appeals Court sits at

1 Pemberton Square

Boston, MA, 02108

Phone: (617) 921-4443 (Appeals Court)

Email: MacClerkMatter@Jud.State.Ma.Us (Clerk’s Office)

Phone: (617) 723-1533 (Human Resources Department)

Phone: (617) 725-8114 (Oral Argument Postponement or Cancellation Updates)

Phone: (617) 723-1502 (ADA Accessibility)

Fax: (617) 626-7906 (ADA Accessibility)

Court’s business hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday

The Massachusetts Appeals Court handles most court business virtually. Accordingly, the court encourages litigants to use the eFiling option to electronically file appeals. For litigants who prefer to hand-deliver filings, the court provides a drop-box at the courthouse’s entryway for that purpose.

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court serves the Back Bay neighborhood, and it is the highest court in Massachusetts. The court has jurisdiction over a wide range of civil and criminal appeals from the Appeals Court. Also, the court has exclusive jurisdiction over appeals of first-degree murder cases decided by Superior Courts.

Supreme Judicial Court sits at

1 Pemberton Square

Boston, MA, 02108

Phone: (617) 557-1000 (Supreme Judicial Court)

Phone: (617) 557-1140 (ADA Accessibility)

Fax: (617) 557-1052 (ADA Accessibility)

The Supreme Judicial Court is open for limited in-person business. Parties may use the e-filing option. Litigants may contact the respective Supreme Judicial Court Office for inquiries and assistance on the court’s virtual processes and case management.