Gov. Charlie Baker has nominated Associate Justice for the Boston Municipal Court, Serge Georges, to serve as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Judicial Court.
“Judge Georges has served on the Boston Municipal Court with great distinction and treats all those that come before him with dignity and respect,” said Gov. Baker. “His unique voice and real world experiences will improve the quality of discussion and debate on the Commonwealth’s highest court and I am pleased to nominate him.”
The Supreme Judicial Court is the Commonwealth’s highest appellate court, consisting of the Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The seven Justices hear appeals on a broad range of criminal and civil cases from September through May and issue written opinions that are posted online.
Judge Serge Georges serves as an Associate Justice of the Boston Municipal Court. He had a successful and diverse career as an experienced litigator prior to his appointment to the bench in 2013 by Gov. Deval Patrick. Directly prior to his appointment, he managed his own successful solo practice concentrating in commercial and business litigation, criminal defense, and matters involving professional licensure and liability. He represented businesses and individuals in a wide range of civil disputes including breach of contract, fiduciary duty suits, employment matters, housing litigation and personal injury cases. In private practice, he also defended criminal cases, including motor vehicle offenses and violent and drug related charges. Prior to establishing his solo practice, Georges was a partner at Barron & Stadfeld, P.C., the Managing Director for Major, Lindsey & Africa, LLC, and an associate at both Todd & Weld and Rackemann, Sawyer & Brewster. He served on multiple boards during his legal career, including the Board of Governors of the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Lawyers, and he was the President of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association in 2013.
In his role as Associate Justice of the Boston Municipal Court, over the last seven years, he has had jurisdiction over both criminal and civil matters, including housing matters, mental health hearings, restraining orders and small claims and civil litigation cases. Judge Georges sits in the Dorchester Division of the Boston Municipal Court, one of the most active and busiest urban courts in the Commonwealth. From 2014 to 2018, Judge Georges presided over the Dorchester Drug Court. The Dorchester Drug Court is a multidivisional team working with community providers, representatives from Suffolk Lawyers for Justice and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office to offer treatment options to those whose addictions have led them into the criminal justice system.
Judge Georges graduated from Boston College in 1992, and from Suffolk University Law School in 1996, where he has served as an adjunct professor for the past twenty years. At Suffolk Law he teaches courses in Professional Responsibility, Evidence and Trial Advocacy. He also teaches Trial Advocacy at UMass Law School. He attended Boston College High School and currently serves as vice-chair of the Board of Trustees for BC High, and remains involved with the school.
In January of this year, BC High awarded Judge Georges The James E Cotter ’55 Courage Award. This award is presented to a member of the BC High Community in recognition of courage in the face of adversity, tenacious spirit and force of will. He grew up in Kane Square, in Dorchester, and currently resides in Randolph with his wife Michelle and his two daughters, Olivia and Samantha.