Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 6, § 177 (2026)

Violations; civil liability

✓ current as of July 2026

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Section 177. Any aggrieved person may institute a civil action in superior court for damages or to restrain any violation of sections one hundred and sixty-eight to one hundred and seventy-five, inclusive. If it is found in any such action that there has occurred a willful violation, the violator shall not be entitled to claim any privilege absolute or qualified, and he shall in addition to any liability for such actual damages as may be shown, be liable for exemplary damages of not less than one hundred and not more than one thousand dollars for each violation, together with costs and reasonable attorneys' fees and disbursements incurred by the person bringing the action.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 10 cases, 1979–2020 · leading case: New Bedford Stand.-Times Publ'g Co. v. Clerk of the Third Dist. Court, 387 N.E.2d 110 (Mass. 1979).

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New Bedford Stand.-Times Publ'g Co. v. Clerk of the Third Dist. Court, 387 N.E.2d 110 (Mass. 1979). · cites it 2× “See also G.L.c. 6, § 177. *417 Second, I think we should reject the argument of the Attorney General appearing for the defendants, that the only power courts possess is "that necessary for their very existence.”

Roggio v. Grasmuck, 18 F. Supp. 3d 49 (D. Mass. 2014). · cites it 3× “He did prove one willful violation of the CORI Act by each remaining defendant, and was awarded $400 in exemplary damages, as well as attorneys’ fees and costs. II. Attorneys’Fees The CORI Act authorizes civil suits for improper dissemination of an individual’s criminal record…”

Morra v. Casey, 960 F. Supp. 2d 335 (D. Mass. 2013). · cites it 3× “As another judge of this court recently noted, “Defendant does not cite, and the Court has not found, any eases that have interpreted Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 6, § 177 [the private right of action at issue] as a penal statute.”

Roggio v. Grasmuck, 988 F. Supp. 2d 130 (D. Mass. 2013). · cites it 4× “Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 6 § 177. 4. To prove a CORI violation, a plaintiff must show that (1) the information at issue was protected under CORI; (2) the defendant received or obtained that protected information; (3) the defendant collected, stored, disseminated, or used that…”

Bellin v. Kelley, 724 N.E.2d 319 (Mass. App. Ct. 2000). · cites it 3× “He also brought claims under G. L. c. 6, § 177, 4 against the company, Kelley, Minichielli, and the town of Hopedale al *575 leging the wrongful dissemination of the plaintiff’s CORI in violation of G.”

Whirty v. Lynch, 539 N.E.2d 1064 (Mass. App. Ct. 1989). “G. L. c. 6, § 177. 1 As to matter specifically related to a contemporaneous criminal proceeding, the board has specifically authorized the release of such information.”

Doe v. Bd. of Reg. in Med. (Mass. 2020). · cites it 2× “See G. L. c. 6, §§ 177, 178. 16 We recognize that this case comes to us before the board has decided whether to discipline Doe; thus, whether the board may make Doe's record sealed under § 100C publicly available is not yet ripe.”

Alexander v. Clarke, 28 Mass. L. Rptr. 291 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2011). · cites it 2× “Kidder (“Kidder”) (collectively, “Defendants”) seeking to recover under G.L.c. 6, §§177 & 178 (Count I), G.L.c. 214, §1B (Count II), G.”

Hamani v. Commonwealth of Exec. Off. of Pub. Saf. & Sec., 32 Mass. L. Rptr. 416 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2014). · cites it 2× “5 The plaintiff brings her CORI-based claims under G.L.c. 6, §177, which provides a remedy for violations of sections 168 through 175 of the CORI statute.”

Est. of Strong v. Am. Drug Stores, Inc., 14 Mass. L. Rptr. 353 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2002). “Violations of the applicable laws and regulations pertaining to the CHSB maybe enjoined in a civil proceeding, G.L.c. 6, §177, or punished criminally. G.”

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