Massachusetts Legal Overview: Providence-Fall River-Warwick The Providence-Fall River-Warwick metropolitan area is defined by the Census Bureau as covering five counties in Rhode Island and part of Bristol County in Massachusetts. Other parts of Bristol County are included in the Boston, Brockton and the New Bedford MSAs. All three are part of the Greater Boston CSA or combined statistical area. The Providence-Fall River-Warwick MSA is not a part of Greater Boston. The main cities and towns in Bristol County, MA that come under the Providence-Fall River-Warwick metro area are listed below.
Top Massachusetts cities for Legal Issues: Fall River
1. The Bristol Superior Court has courthouses in Taunton, New Bedford and Fall River. The court in Fall River comes under the Providence-Fall River-Warwick MSA. Bristol County has four district courts. The ones in Atteboro and Fall River are part of the Providence-Fall River-Warwick MSA, while the district courts in Taunton and New Bedford are not. The superior court is the main trial court with general jurisdiction, while the district court has limited jurisdiction over misdemeanors, ordinance violations, small claims not exceeding $7,000, and civil lawsuits amounting to less than $25,000.
Trending Legal Topics: Appeals against trial court decisions in Massachusetts have to be filed in Boston, with the Appeals Court. The Supreme Judicial Court is the court of last resort and offers one more opportunity to file for an appeal. The main trial court in the state for the federal court system is the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, which has divisions in Boston and Greenbelt. Federal court appeals must be filed in with the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals. |