Massachusetts Legal Overview: Springfield The Springfield metropolitan area in Massachusetts is defined by the Census Bureau as covering parts of Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties. Not all cities and towns in these three counties fall under the Greater Springfield metro region. For example, Hampden County is spread across Greater Springfield and the Worcester MA-CT metro area. Sunderland is the only town in Franklin County included in the Springfield metro area. Listed below are the major cities and towns in all three counties that are included in the Springfield metro area.
Top Massachusetts cities for Legal Issues: Springfield
1. The Hampden Superior Court located in Springfield is the main trial court with general jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases filed in the county. The Springfield District Court has limited jurisdiction over local ordinance violations, traffic infractions, misdemeanors, small claims not exceeding $7,000 and civil lawsuits below $25,000. Civil complaints exceeding this amount are handled by the superior court. In addition to Springfield, other cities in Hampden County, which have their own district courts, include Chicopee, Holyoke, Palmer and Westfield.
Trending Legal Topics: The Franklin Superior Court is located in Greenville, and the county has one district court each in Greenville and Orange, MA. Note that neither city falls under the Springfield metro area. However, residents of Sunderland Town, which is in Franklin County and the Springfield metro area, are served by the Franklin County courts in Greenville. Appeals against trial court verdicts in all three counties may be filed with the Massachusetts Court of Appeals in Boston. Federal cases must be filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. |