Mass. Gen. Laws » Part III Title I Chapter 218
Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 218, § 26 (2026)

General provisions

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Section 26. The district courts and divisions of the Boston municipal court department shall have original jurisdiction, concurrent with the superior court, of the following offenses, complaint of which shall be brought in the court of the district court department, or in the Boston municipal court department, as the case may be, within which judicial district the offense was allegedly committed or is otherwise made punishable:— all violations of by-laws, orders, ordinances, rules and regulations, made by cities, towns and public officers, all misdemeanors, except libels, all felonies punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than five-years, the crimes listed in paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of section eight of chapter ninety B, subparagraph (1) of paragraph (a) of subdivision (1) of section twenty-four, paragraph (a) of section twenty-four G and paragraph (1) of section twenty-four L of chapter ninety, paragraph (a) of section thirty-two and paragraph (a) of section thirty-two A of chapter ninety-four C, and section thirty-two J of chapter ninety-four C, section 38B of chapter 127, section one hundred and thirty-one E of chapter one hundred and forty, sections thirteen K, 15A, 15D, 21A and 26 of chapter two hundred and sixty-five and sections sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty-eight, thirty, forty-nine and one hundred and twenty-seven of chapter two hundred and sixty-six, and sections one, fifteen and fifteen A of chapter two hundred and seventy-three, and the crimes of malicious destruction of personal property under section one hundred and twenty-seven of chapter two hundred and sixty-six, indecent assault and battery on a child under fourteen years of age, offenses under section 13B of chapter 268, conspiracy under section 7 of chapter 274, solicitation to commit a felony under section 8 of said chapter 274, escape or attempt to escape from any penal institution, forgery of a promissory note, or of an order for money or other property, and of uttering as true such a forged note or order, knowing the same to be forged. They shall have jurisdiction of proceedings referred to them under the provisions of section four A of chapter two hundred and eleven.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 67 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1923–2024 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Muckle, 90 Mass. App. Ct. 384 (Mass. App. Ct. 2016).
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Commonwealth v. Muckle, 90 Mass. App. Ct. 384 (Mass. App. Ct. 2016). · cites it 23× “" G. L. c. 218, § 26. She concluded that this language provided the Boston Municipal Court with jurisdiction only over charges under that section alleging intimidation of a "witness" or a "juror.”
Commonwealth v. Graham, 445 N.E.2d 1043 (Mass. 1983). · cites it 11× “" G.L.c. 218, § 26, as appearing in St. 1981, c.”
Commonwealth v. Clemmons, 346 N.E.2d 864 (Mass. 1976). · cites it 4× “94C, § 32, an offense outside the final jurisdiction of the Municipal Court (see G.L.c. 218, § 26) and that, therefore, a probable cause hearing was being held.”
Commonwealth v. Perella, 982 N.E.2d 526 (Mass. 2013). · cites it 4× “The District Court has concurrent jurisdiction over all misdemeanors, G. L. c. 218, § 26, and this offense may therefore be tried on a complaint in the District Court.”
Commonwealth v. Lovett, 372 N.E.2d 782 (Mass. 1978). · cites it 3× “See G. L. c. 218, § 26. The fact that the complaint contained the phrase “in violation] of G.”
Commonwealth vs. a Juv., 425 N.E.2d 294 (Mass. 1981). · cites it 3× “265, § 15A), and, when the crime was committed and the complaint was filed, the crime was not within the jurisdiction of the District Court Department (see G. L. c. 218, § 26, as amended through St.”
Commonwealth v. Brown, 92 N.E.3d 1189 (Mass. 2018). “a judge, juror, grand juror, prosecutor, police officer, [F]ederal agent, investigator, defense attorney, clerk, court officer, probation officer or parole officer.”
Commonwealth v. Zawatsky, 670 N.E.2d 969 (Mass. App. Ct. 1996). · cites it 3× “2 We conclude that the District Court lacked jurisdiction under G. L. c. 218, § 26, to try the civil rights offenses charged under G.”
United States v. Moore, 286 F.3d 47 (1st Cir. 2002). “See Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 218, § 26 . 2 . The ACCA defines a "violent felony” as any crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year .”
Commonwealth v. Love, 895 N.E.2d 744 (Mass. 2008). · cites it 3× “94C, § 32A (b) charge, possession of a Class B substance with intent to distribute, subsequent offense.”
United States v. Weekes, 611 F.3d 68 (1st Cir. 2010). “Weekes acknowledges that his crimes were potentially punishable by ten years’ imprisonment, but calls this irrelevant because he was in each instance tried in the alternative prosecutorial venue of a state district court, see Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 218, § 26 , which was not…”
Commonwealth v. Delaney, 682 N.E.2d 611 (Mass. 1997). “” In addition, District Courts have jurisdiction of all misdemeanors, G. L. c. 218, § 26, and violation of a c.”
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