Bay Village Neighborhood, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Crime Index
Bay Village is a small residential neighborhood wedged between Back Bay, the South End, and the Theatre District. It is the smallest officially recognized neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts. Being a sparsely populated area, there are very few reports of crimes committed in Bay Village.
Boston Municipal Court - Central Division
The Boston Municipal Court - Central Division is a trial court with jurisdiction over most felonies and misdemeanors in Bay Village that do not require a state prison sentence. This includes felonies punishable by a sentence of up to 5 years imprisonment, as well as violations of city and town ordinances and by-laws.
The Boston Municipal Court also has concurrent jurisdiction with the Probate And Family Court and the Superior Court over petitions for abuse prevention orders. Additionally, it shares jurisdiction with the Suffolk Superior Court over actions in Bay Village for harassment prevention orders. Some of the services that the Boston Municipal Court offers include:
- Alternative Dispute Resolution to assist parties to settle cases without a trial
- Legal assistance for litigants in search of legal guidance and professionals offering legal services
- Indigency (waiver of court fees) for parties who cannot pay for court fees and costs
- Model Jury Instructions to explain the jury's role and what laws apply to the specific case
- Section 35 petitions to involuntarily commit people with addictions to a treatment facility for up to 90 days
In keeping with the required health safety precautions arising from the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Boston Municipal Court conducts most of its court hearings remotely. It may be by videoconference, telephone, email, or a combination of all three. Interested parties may also listen to ongoing Court events using a public access telephone line. Nonetheless, the courthouse remains accessible to people who need to
- Meet with a staff person or probation officer
- Be in-person at court proceedings
- Do business in-person with a register's, clerk's, or recorder's office
- Conduct business at other offices that are within the courthouse and is open to visitors
Interested parties may contact the Court at:
Central Division, Boston Municipal Court,
24 New Chardon Street,
Edward W. Brooke Courthouse,
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 788-8600, Probation Department (617) 788-8426
Fax: (617) 788-8465, Probation Department (617) 788-8432
Email: bmccentral@jud.state.ma.us
In 2020, the Boston Municipal Court - Central Division received 5,591 criminal case entries and adjudicated 7,211 criminal show cause hearings.
Eastern Housing Court
The Eastern Housing Court has jurisdiction over all cases involving residential housing in Bay Village. It handles eviction matters, consumer protection cases, and other issues concerning the safety, health, or welfare of the residents or owners of residential housing. The Court also handles criminal matters pertaining to the enforcement of local ordinances or building, sanitary, and fire prevention codes.
However, the Eastern Housing Court has no jurisdiction over cases related to commercial property. Homeowners, landlords, and tenants may obtain injunctions and restraining orders from the Court. People who received tickets from the fire marshal’s office and other local and state code enforcement agencies may also appeal to the Eastern Housing Court.
The Eastern Housing Court is accessible to members of the public for limited purposes, including specific in-person proceedings. However, the courthouse carries out most of its business remotely and provides a virtual front counter for court users to receive assistance from the Clerk's Office. Interested parties may also use the Court's eFiling option to file court documents.
The Eastern Housing Specialist Department has a front counter where its staff can provide virtual assistance. Interested parties may contact the Court at
Eastern Housing Court,
24 New Chardon Street,
Boston, MA 02114
Telephone: Clerk's Office (617) 788-8485, Housing Specialist Department (617) 788-6233
Email: EasternHousingCourt@jud.state.ma.us
The Eastern Housing Court in 2020, received over 300 criminal case entries and disposed of 328 cases.
Suffolk Juvenile Court - Boston
The Boston Juvenile Court handles various kinds of cases regarding the treatment and care of juveniles in Bay Village such as
- Adoption
- Youthful offender
- Adult contributing to the delinquency of a minor
- Delinquency
- Care and protection
- Children requiring assistance
- Termination of parental rights proceedings
- Guardianship
For any questions on how to access the Court's remote options and services, interested parties may contact the Court at
Boston Juvenile Court,
Edward W. Brooke Courthouse
24 New Chardon Street,
P.O. Box 9663, Boston, MA 02114
Phone: Clerk’s Office (617) 788-8525, Probation Department (617) 788-8571
Fax: Clerk’s Office (617) 788-8991, Probation Department (617) 788-8972
Email: suffolk-jccallctr@jud.state.ma.us
In 2020, the Suffolk County Juvenile Court handled 3,061 cases, including 4 adult criminal matters, 72 adoption cases, 29 youthful offender cases, and 620 delinquency matters.
Massachusetts Land Court
The Land Court is a specialized court that handles the registration of title to real property and adjudicates all matters and conflicts related to such title after the registration. It conducts only bench trials and generally sits in Boston, although it may hold trials in other cities if the circumstances warrant.
The Land Court's remote options and services are available via the Recorder’s Office virtual front counter which operates on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Interested parties may visit the court at
Land Court,
3 Pemberton Square,
Boston, MA 02108
Monday - Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
In 2020, the Land Court had 7,325 new case entries and presided over 26,037 matters including those carried over from 2019 and those that were reopened.
Suffolk Probate and Family Court
The Suffolk Probate and Family Court is a trial court with jurisdiction over family-related and probate cases in Bay Village. This includes conservatorships, paternity establishment, divorce, child support, guardianships, elderly abuse protection, wills, adoption, family abuse protection, abuse prevention, and child custody.
The Suffolk Probate and Family Court provides a virtual registry to assist parties using the court’s remote services. The Court's electronic filing platform is also available for attorneys and self-represented litigants to file the following types of cases:
- Complaint for a Divorce 1B
- Petition for Formal Probate
- Joint Petition for Divorce 1A
- Petition for Guardianship of Incapacitated Person
- Petition for Late and Limited Formal
- Voluntary Administration Statement
- Petition for Informal Probate
Interested parties may contact the court at:
Suffolk Probate and Family Court,
24 New Chardon Street,
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: Register's Office (617) 788-8301, Probation Department (617) 788-8210
Fax: Register's Office (617) 788-8962, Probation Department (617) 788-8957
Email: Suffolkquestions@jud.state.ma.us
The Court received 11,576 cases in 2020. Over 35% of these cases were probate matters while 64.8% were family-related cases.
Suffolk Superior Court
The Suffolk Superior Court handles felonies punishable by a sentence of over 5 years of imprisonment and all other crimes that are outside the jurisdiction of the Boston Municipal Court. It has exclusive original jurisdiction over first-degree murder cases. The Suffolk Superior Court also shares jurisdiction with the Boston Municipal Court on felonies with possible punishment below a state prison sentence and may review certain decisions of the lower courts.
The Court conducts most of its proceedings remotely, by telephone or video, particularly for the following criminal matters:
- Conferences
- Arraignment if the suspect is still detained
- Bail reviews
- Dangerousness hearings, in certain situations
- Proceedings on non-evidentiary motions
- Bail determinations after an arrest or surrender following a Superior Court warrant
Interested parties may contact the Court at
Suffolk County Courthouse,
3 Pemberton Square,
Boston, MA 02108
Email Address for Criminal Clerk’s Office (for Criminal Business): Suffolkcriminal.clerksoffice@jud.state.ma.us
Email Address for Civil Clerk’s Office (for Civil Business): Suffolkcivil.clerksoffice@jud.state.ma.us
The Suffolk Superior Court in 2020 received a total of 4,668 case entries. 1,322 of the cases were criminal matters.
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
The Court of last resort in Massachusetts, including Bay Village is the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC). It is the administrative head of the judiciary and bar in the state and only reviews cases that a lower court has tried. The SJC comprises a Chief Justice and six other Justices who hear appeals on a wide range of criminal matters from September through May.
In line with appropriate health protocols, the SJC conducts most of its business virtually, via telephone, emails, and videoconferencing. Regardless, the courthouse remains accessible to attorneys, litigants, and other specific members of the public. For any inquiries, interested parties may contact the Court at:
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court,
John Adams Courthouse,
1 Pemberton Square,
Boston, MA 02108
Monday - Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Telephone: (617) 557-1000
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, in 2018, received a total of 102 direct case entries.
Massachusetts Appeals Court
The Appeals Court is a general appellate court with statewide jurisdiction to review the decisions of lower courts as well as that of the Industrial Accident Board, the Appellate Tax Board, and the Commonwealth Employment Relations Board. Interested parties may contact the Court at
Appeals Court
John Adams Courthouse,
1 Pemberton Square, Room 1200,
Boston, MA 02108
Judges' Lobby: (617) 725-8085
Clerk's Office: (617) 921-4443
Oral Argument Postponement or Cancellation Updates Line: (617) 725-8114
Human Resources Department: (617) 723-1533
In 2020, the court received 736 criminal appeals. 388 were appeals from the Superior Court, 303 from the District Courts, and 30 were from the Juvenile Court.
