East Brookfield, Dudley jury trials to take place in Worcester for more than year during construction

WORCESTER — Jury trials from Western Worcester District Court in East Brookfield and Dudley District Court will be held in Worcester’s Central District Court for as long as 18 months beginning Monday because of courthouse renovations, state officials confirmed this week.

Trial Court spokeswoman Jennifer Donahue confirmed Thursday that the trials will shift to Worcester on account of a previously announced project to improve the HVAC system in East Brookfield District Court.

East Brookfield District Court currently hosts its own jury trials as well as trials from Dudley District Court. Those jury trials — criminal, civil and small claims appeals — will now be held in Worcester.

Brian M. D’Andrea, clerk magistrate of Central District Court, said Friday that he’s worked closely with Dudley District Court Clerk-Magistrate Jennie Caissie and East Brookfield District Clerk Magistrate Elizabeth Maunsell to make the transition as seamless as possible.

Notices have been sent out to criminal defendants regarding the change, he said, and both courts are expected to provide personnel and other resources to help manage case flow.

“There has been a lot of pre-planning to try and assuage the inconvenience of the relocation,” D’Andrea said, so that defendants, litigants, witnesses and law enforcement will be directed to the appropriate locations.

“Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for them when they arrive here in Worcester,” he said.

Criminal jury trials are expected to be heard in courtroom 23, D’Andrea said, with civil jury trials in courtroom 16.

D'Andrea said that appeals to a judge or jury in small claims cases will also be heard in Worcester. All other parts of the small claims process will continue to take place in their original courts.

Four jury trials from East Brookfield, all for driving under the influence of alcohol charges, are scheduled for trial in Worcester the week of Dec. 13, D’Andrea said.

Donahue said the East Brookfield courthouse will still conduct all its other business at a temporary location of 68 Maple St. in Spencer.

Spencer officials told the Telegram & Gazette in October that negotiations were underway to relocate the court to the building, which houses the town’s senior center.

Town Administrator William Ross at the time said that the court might occupy the building’s second floor and a small part of the first floor.

Donahue noted that although the building’s physical location is changing, its telephone numbers and hours will not change.

Its mailing address will be 68 Maple St., Spencer, 01562, she said.

Donahue said the HVAC project is expected to take about 18 months.

The move means Central District Court will now host jury trials from five jurisdictions in addition to Worcester, D’Andrea confirmed, as it already hosts trials from the district courts in Westborough, Milford and Uxbridge.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: East Brookfield, Dudley jury trials to take place in Worcester for more than year