Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 218, § 60 (2026)

Jurisdiction over offenders; rule making power

✓ current as of July 2026

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Section 60. Within the territorial limits prescribed in section fifty-seven, the divisions of the juvenile court department shall have and exercise jurisdiction, exclusive of all municipal and district courts, over cases of juvenile offenders under age seventeen and cases of neglected or delinquent children, and over proceedings referred to it under the provisions of section four A of chapter two hundred and eleven. In addition to the powers conferred in section ten of chapter two hundred and eleven B, the chief justice for the juvenile court department may, from time to time, provide procedural forms and make general rules and issue standing orders in reference to practice and procedure for the conducting of business in the juvenile court department, subject to the approval of the supreme judicial court. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, said chief justice may make and promulgate rules providing for the transfer of petitions brought in the Boston court of the Suffolk county division of the juvenile court department under sections thirty-nine E to thirty-nine I of chapter one hundred and nineteen for hearing in other courts of the Suffolk county division of the juvenile court department as may be appropriate.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 11 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1974–2025 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Dwyer, 859 N.E.2d 400 (Mass. 2006).

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Commonwealth v. Dwyer, 859 N.E.2d 400 (Mass. 2006). “See G. L. c. 218, § 60 (Juvenile Court department has exclusive jurisdiction of “juvenile offenders under age seventeen”).”

Wallace W. v. Commonwealth, 128 N.E.3d 581 (Mass. 2019). “See G. L. c. 218, § 60. The court may only exercise jurisdiction, however, over delinquency complaints charging juveniles with offenses identified under § 52's definition of the term "[d]elinquent child.”

Care & Prot. of Sharlene, 840 N.E.2d 918 (Mass. 2006). “The authority of the Juvenile Court to promulgate standing orders, pertinent to the practice and procedure for conducting the business of the court, is derived from G. L. c. 218, § 60, which makes such orders effective “subject to the approval of the supreme judicial court.”

Commonwealth v. Nanny, 971 N.E.2d 762 (Mass. 2012). “See G. L. c. 218, § 60 (with certain limited exceptions, Juvenile Court only has jurisdiction over cases of juvenile offenders under age seventeen).”

Commonwealth v. Clerk of the Boston Div. of the Juv. Court Dep't, 738 N.E.2d 1124 (Mass. 2000). “725 (1996), also illustrates the limits of the juvenile’s reliance on G. L. c. 218, § 60. This statutory provision establishes that the Chief Justice for the Juvenile Court Department may, “from time to time, provide procedural forms and make general rules and issue standing…”

Commonwealth v. Ulysses H., 754 N.E.2d 736 (Mass. App. Ct. 2001). “See G. L. c. 218, § 60 (the juvenile court department has exclusive jurisdiction of “juvenile offenders under the age of seventeen”).”

Sch. Comm. of Worcester v. Worcester Div. of Juv. Court Dep't, 410 Mass. 831 (Mass. 1991). “See G. L. c. 218, § 60 (1990 ed.); Parents of Two Minors, supra at 852.”

Commonwealth v. White (No. 1), 311 N.E.2d 543 (Mass. 1974). · cites it 2× “” G. L. c. 218, § 60, as amended by St. 1969,c.”

Commonwealth v. Fayad F., a Juv. (Mass. 2025). · cites it 4× “See G. L. c. 218, § 60 ("the juvenile court department shall have and exercise jurisdiction .”

Commonwealth v. Leopold L., a Juv. (Mass. App. Ct. 2020). “G. L. c. 218, § 60. 16 "The probation violation hearing shall be scheduled to commence on the date of the pretrial hearing for the new delinquency or criminal complaint or youthful offender indictment, unless the court expressly orders an earlier hearing.”

Commonwealth v. Vince v. A Juv. (Mass. 2024). “In 2018, as part of "An Act relative to criminal justice reform," the Legislature amended the definition of "[d]elinquent child" to exclude children between the ages of twelve and eighteen who commit a "first offense of a misdemeanor for which the punishment is a fine,…”

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