Governor Healey Nominates Two Western Mass Attorneys to the Superior Court

 Governor Healey Nominates Two Western Mass Attorneys to the Superior Court  

BOSTON – Governor Maura Healey today nominated Judge Charles W. Groce, III and Jeffrey Trapani to serve as Associate Justices of the Superior Court. The nominees, who both live in Western Massachusetts, will now be considered by the Governor’s Council for confirmation. 

“Both of these nominees are exceptional stewards of justice. Over the course of their respective careers, they’ve been able to bring empathy and consideration to the Court while delivering for the people of Western Massachusetts,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We look forward to working with the Governor’s Council to seek confirmation of these two nominees.” 

“With decades of experience, both of Judge Groce and Attorney Trapani bring tremendous knowledge and respect of the law to the Court,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We’re grateful to the Governor’s Council for their consideration of the nominees.” 

The Superior Court is a trial court of general jurisdiction for Massachusetts and is committed to delivering high-quality justice with dignity and speed. The court's 82 justices sit in 20 courthouses in all 14 state counties. The Superior Court has exclusive original jurisdiction of first-degree murder cases, and has original jurisdiction of all other crimes, civil actions over $50,000, matters where parties are seeking equitable relief, and actions including labor disputes where parties are seeking injunctive relief. The Superior Court also has exclusive authority to convene medical malpractice tribunals, has appellate jurisdiction over certain administrative proceedings, and may hold naturalization sittings in any city or town.  

For more information about the Superior Court, visit its homepage. Governor Healey has previously nominated twelve judges to the Superior Court: Tracy Duncan, John Fraser, Ira Gant, Keren Goldenberg, Julie Green, Sarah Hamilton, Adam Hornstine, Sarah G. Kim, Matthew Nestor, Michael Pineault, Adam Sisitsky and Deepika Shukla. 

About the Nominees 

Justice Charles W. Groce, III has served as an Associate Justice of the District Court for thirteen years and currently serves as the First Justice of the Westfield District Court. Judge Groce is responsible for the Westfield Court’s overall operations, including overseeing the efficient flow of cases. He also serves as the Presiding Justice of the Court Assisted Supervised Treatment Program in the Springfield District Court, a specialty court aimed at reducing recidivism by promoting rehabilitation, treatment, and healing to those affected by substance use disorder. Judge Groce is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and previously taught at Western New England University School of Law for six years. Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Groce was a criminal defense attorney at his own firm for thirteen years, and before that, an Associate at the Law Office of Perman Glenn, III. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Connecticut and Juris Doctorate from Western New England University School of Law.  

Jeffrey Trapani has represented individuals, public officials and employees, and municipalities in the defense of personal injury, employment discrimination, and civil rights claims for nearly two decades. He is currently a Partner with Pierce Davis & Perritano LLP. He previously served as an Assistant District Attorney at the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, and as a Law Clerk at the Massachusetts Juvenile Court. He has also held numerous volunteer roles, including with the Massachusetts Bar Foundation, the MBA House of Delegates, the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers, the Joint Bar Committee, the SJC Standing Advisory Committee on the Rules of Civil Procedure and the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce. Attorney Trapani holds a Bachelor of Arts from Wake Forest University and a Juris Doctorate from New England School of Law.