The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court will be asked to decide whether clerk magistrate hearings where the clerk finds probable cause but declines to issue the complaint should be open to the public. \u00a0As a criminal defense lawyer that has handled many clerk magistrate hearings, clerks do sometimes find probable cause but do not issue the complaint and essentially keep the case open at the clerk level. \u00a0This typically happens in very minor cases, like leaving the scene of property damage or negligent operation of a motor vehicle. \u00a0In most cases, the person has no record so the clerk’s resolution of the case approximates what would have happened in court. In all most all of these situations, the police department is in agreement with the resolution of the case in this manner. \u00a0The clerk magistrate hearing helps the court reduce the backlog of cases in the court and allows for a practical resolution that does not result in the defendant receiving a criminal record for a minor offense.<\/p>\n
Who are the Judicial Clerk-Magistrates?<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Judicial Clerk-Magistrates have their authority under statute G.L. c. 218, \u00a7 35A, case law, and standards set by the Massachusetts Judiciary.\u00a0 They act as a filter between the police and the prosecutor and were intended as a way to weed out cases not likely to result in a conviction or cases that were relatively minor in nature where a resolution could be better sought outside the court system.\u00a0 Currently, cases declined for prosecution are sealed and later destroyed.<\/p>\n