BOSTON, MA -- Housing Court Chief Justice Steven D. Pierce today announced that he will retire on September 30, 2015. First named Chief Justice in 2006, he was reappointed to a second five-year term in January 2011. He became a Housing Court judge in 2003 after serving as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency and in varied positions for the Executive and Legislative branches.
Chief Justice of the Trial Court Paula M. Carey said, “The Trial Court has benefitted greatly from the able leadership of Chief Justice Pierce. He was an early proponent of management reforms that have increased accountability and transparency across the court system. His leadership of the Trial Court’s Fiscal Task Force was key to our efforts to avoid layoffs through the fiscal crisis. We will miss his thoughtful perspective and we extend best wishes as he begins a new chapter.”
Court Administrator Harry Spence noted that the Housing Court, under the leadership Chief Justice Pierce, is now more widely recognized for the importance of its expertise and resources, such as housing court specialists who mediate cases, saving time and expense of litigation. Bills are currently under consideration in the Legislature to expand the Housing Court to the entire state. Thirty percent of the state's population is not served by the Housing Court. Statewide access to Housing Courts is a critical component of access to justice for court users across the state.
Chief Justice Pierce said, “Our judges, clerk-magistrates, housing specialists, court personnel and the bar have ensured the Housing Court’s success over the last nine years. I greatly value their daily commitment and dedication to ensuring the delivery of justice across the state, particularly through the challenging fiscal times we have experienced.”
The Housing Court Department is comprised of five Divisions with 10 authorized judicial positions across the Commonwealth. The Massachusetts Trial Court includes seven court departments with 379 judges who deliver justice in 100 courthouses across the state.