Massachusetts Federal Court Structure at a Glance
Court Locations in Massachusetts — 28 U.S.C. § 101
The district structure of Massachusetts is set by statute, quoted below from 28 U.S.C. § 101:
“Massachusetts constitutes one judicial district.”
Court locations under the statute:
Court shall be held at Boston, New Bedford, Springfield, and Worcester.
Federal White-Collar Cases in Massachusetts
Federal fraud offenses committed in Massachusetts are prosecuted in the district where the offense occurred. Jurisdiction is statutory: “The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States.” (18 U.S.C. § 3231).
Circuit assignment is statutory as well. 28 U.S.C. § 41 provides:
“First Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico , Rhode Island.”
The First Circuit hears appeals from the district courts in Massachusetts. The district courts listed above maintain public websites with local rules, judge information, and case-location details; the federal court finder at uscourts.gov also covers Massachusetts.
The principal federal fraud statutes — mail fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1341), wire fraud (§ 1343), and bank fraud (§ 1344) — apply in every federal district. Bank fraud carries a statutory maximum of 30 years: “shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.” (18 U.S.C. § 1344).
This page is part of the White-Collar Case Law Research Desk reference library. Additional research notes are published as new court decisions are issued.
Primary sources
- 28 U.S.C. § 101 — Massachusetts (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “Massachusetts constitutes one judicial district.”
- 28 U.S.C. § 41 — Number and composition of circuits (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “First Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico , Rhode Island.”
- 18 U.S.C. § 3231 — District courts (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States.”
- 18 U.S.C. § 1344 — Bank fraud (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.”
White-Collar Federal Defense Reference by State
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