Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 212, § 6 (2026)

Criminal jurisdiction

✓ current as of July 2026

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Section 6. The court shall have original jurisdiction of all crimes. Crimes committed in that part of Scituate described in chapter three hundred and ninety-four of the acts of nineteen hundred and twelve shall be within the territorial jurisdiction of the court both in Norfolk county and in Plymouth county, and arrests and service of process in such cases may be made by an officer qualified to serve criminal process in Cohasset. Crimes committed in any part of Cambridge, Watertown or Newton lying in the Charles river basin shall be within the territorial jurisdiction of the court both in Middlesex county and in Suffolk county.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 13 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1926–2026 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Yee, 281 N.E.2d 248 (Mass. 1972).

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Commonwealth v. Yee, 281 N.E.2d 248 (Mass. 1972). · cites it 2× “48 of the Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth, The Referendum, III, § 2. The chief thrust of c.”

Commonwealth v. Raposa, 437 N.E.2d 215 (Mass. 1982). · cites it 2× “G.L.c. 212, § 6, as amended through St. 1978, c.”

Gillespie v. City of Northampton, 460 Mass. 148 (Mass. 2011). “The Superior Court, which has exclusive original jurisdiction over, inter alia, criminal charges punishable by imprisonment in the State prison for more than five years, see G. L. c. 212, § 6; G. L. c. 218, § 27, and all civil matters where the amount in controversy exceeds…”

Commonwealth v. Perella, 982 N.E.2d 526 (Mass. 2013). “See G. L. c. 212, § 6 (Superior Court has original jurisdiction over all crimes).”

Commonwealth v. Haley, 296 N.E.2d 207 (Mass. 1973). “G. L. c. 212, § 6; c. 278, § 11. Commonwealth v.”

Mann v. Commonwealth, 271 N.E.2d 331 (Mass. 1971). “He may also appeal to a twelve man jury in the Superior Court pursuant to G. L. c. 212, § 6, and G. L. c. 278, § 18.”

Commonwealth v. Lobo, 432 N.E.2d 496 (Mass. 1982). “” 21 See G. L. c. 212, § 6, prior to St. 1978, c. 478, § 117.”

Opinions of the Justices to the Governor, 271 N.E.2d 335 (Mass. 1971). “G. L. c. 212, § 6; c. 278, § 2. Alternatively, in certain counties, a defendant convicted of a misdemeanor may elect trial de nova before' a jury of six in the [District [C]ourts.”

Commonwealth v. Kemp, 254 Mass. 190 (Mass. 1926). “The Superior Court is a court of original and general jurisdiction. It possesses the inherent powers of such a court under the common law, unless expressly limited, as well as those conferred by statute.”

Commonwealth v. Garrity, 682 N.E.2d 937 (Mass. App. Ct. 1997). “He maintains that, because sanctions against the defendant were available in the Probate Court, the matter should not have been the subject of a criminal prosecution.”

Commonwealth v. Doughty (Mass. 2023). “" G. L. c. 212, § 6. The failure of an indictment charging the attempted burning of a dwelling to set forth the crime charged or an overt act does not strip the court of the power to hear the cause, let alone the category of criminal actions generally; in other words, a defect…”

Commonwealth v. Milan (Mass. App. Ct. 2026). “212, § 6. "[A] defect in an indictment is not a question concerning the subject matter jurisdiction of the court.”

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