New chief named to head Mass. District Court

BOSTON (AP) - Judge Paul Dawley has been appointed chief justice of the District Court in Massachusetts, the largest court department in the state.

Dawley has served on the court since 2001, and as a regional administrative judge since 2004. His appointment was announced Friday by Judge Paula Carey, chief justice of the Trial Court.

"He is committed to court modernization on issues ranging from case flow management to professional enhancement to recidivism reduction," Carey said.

The District Court is made up of 62 divisions with 158 judicial positions.

As regional administrative judge for District Court Region 2, Dawley has overseen nine courts and 30 judges and served as first justice of Brockton District Court.

Dawley began working in the Plymouth County district attorney's office in 1990 and later became the deputy first assistant district attorney.

Dawley's five-year term begins Sept. 1.

"I look forward to working every day with the hardworking men and women of the District Court - staff, probation officers, clerks and judges - in order to achieve excellence in the administration of public justice," Dawley said.

Dawley, of Scituate, is also an adjunct faculty member at Stonehill College, where he teaches classes in substantive and procedural criminal law.

Cox Media Group