New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Today, Governor Charlie Baker nominated James Manitsas as Associate Justice of the Superior Court. Attorney Manitsas has 29 years of legal experience.
“Attorney Manitsas’ decades of experience have prepared him well to serve as an Associate Justice of the Superior Court,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “I am pleased to submit this qualified candidate to the Governor’s Council for their advice and consent.”
“Throughout his career, Attorney Manitsas has demonstrated a deep knowledge and commitment to the law,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “If confirmed by the Governor’s Council, I am confident that he will continue to serve the Commonwealth well as an Associate Justice of the Superior Court.”
The Superior Court, the trial court of general jurisdiction for Massachusetts, is committed to delivering high quality justice in a timely and fair manner in accordance with the rule of law. The Court’s 82 justices sit in 20 courthouses in all 14 counties of the Commonwealth. The Superior Court has original jurisdiction in civil actions over $25,000 and in matters where equitable relief is sought.
It also has original jurisdiction in actions including labor disputes where injunctive relief is sought, exclusive authority to convene medical malpractice tribunals, appellate jurisdiction over certain administrative proceedings, and may hold sittings for naturalization in any city or town. The Superior Court also has exclusive original jurisdiction of first-degree murder cases and original jurisdiction of all other crimes.
For more information about the Superior Court, please visit their homepage.
Judicial nominations are subject to the advice and consent of the Governor’s Council. Applicants for judicial openings are reviewed by the Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) and recommended to the governor. Governor Baker established the JNC in February 2015 pursuant to Executive Order 558, a non-partisan, non-political Commission composed of volunteers from a cross-section of the Commonwealth’s diverse population to screen judicial applications. Twenty-one members were later appointed to the JNC in April 2015.
About James Manitsas
James Manitsas began his law career in 1992 in private practice where he specialized in bar advocacy and landlord tenant law. He joined the Law Office of Lawrence McAuliffe in 1994, working as Staff Counsel for Sentry Insurance Company. From 1997 to 2004, Attorney Manitsas worked for the Law Office of Mark Salomone as a Personal Injury Trial Attorney, and he currently serves as a partner at Murphy & Manitsas, LLC. Attorney Manitsas volunteers with Western Mass Intensity Softball, a competitive travel tournament softball program that he helped establish. He received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1988, and his Juris Doctorate from Quinnipiac University School of Law in 1992.
