Governor Healey Makes Nominations to Appeals Court and District Court

Governor Healey Makes Nominations to Appeals Court and District Court 

BOSTON – Governor Maura Healey today nominated Judge Zachary Hillman to serve on the Appeals Court and attorneys Raquel Webster and Thomas Johnson to serve as Associate Justices of the District Court.  The nominations will now be considered by the Governor's Council. 

“Judge Hillman, Attorney Webster and Attorney Johnson are exceptionally qualified, dedicated public servants who have earned the respect of their colleagues and communities,” said Governor Maura Healey, “Each brings extensive legal experience, sound judgment and a deep commitment to fairness. I am proud to nominate them and am confident they will further strengthen our courts.” 

 "Massachusetts benefits from a judiciary that reflects excellence, integrity and a commitment to public service," said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. "Judge Hillman, Attorney Webster and Attorney Johnson have distinguished themselves throughout their careers, and I look forward to working with the Governor's Council as it reviews these nominations.” 

The Appeals Court is the state’s intermediate appellate court. The Appeals Court is a court of general appellate jurisdiction, which means that the justices review decisions that trial judges from the several Departments of the Trial Court have already made in many different kinds of cases. The Appeals Court consists of a Chief Justice and 24 Associate Justices. 

For more information about the Appeals Court, visit its homepage. Governor Healey has previously nominated Associate Justice Amy L. Blake as Chief Justice, Associate Justice Jennifer Allen, Associate Justice Gloria Tan, Associate Justice Chauncey Wood and Associate Justice Robert E. Toone. 

The District Court Department hears a wide range of criminal, civil, housing, juvenile, mental health, and other types of cases. District Court criminal jurisdiction extends to all felonies punishable by a sentence up to five years, and many other specific felonies with greater potential penalties, all misdemeanors, and all violations of city and town ordinances and by-laws. In civil matters, the District Court hears cases in which the damages are not likely to be more than $50,000 and small claims cases up to $7,000. The District Court is located in 62 courts across the state. 

Governor Healey has already nominated 33 attorneys to the District Court: Heath Antonio,Paul Anthony, Patrick Burke, Tonomey Coleman, Lisa Core, Frances Dallmeyer, Frederick DeCubellis, Brian Doxtader, Mark Fabiano, Leo Fama,  Lauren Greene, Stuart Hurowitz, Edward Kacasinas, Francis V. Kenneally, Sarah Kennedy, Edward Jr. Krippendorf, Cara Krysil, Courtney C. Linnehan, Hilary McCamic, Suzanne McDonough, Becky Michaels, Craig Mulcahey, Jerry Parisella, Georgia Petropoulos, Polly Phillips, William Powers, Joanna Rodriguez,  Gregory Teran, Marjorie P. Tynes, Amanda Ward, Shelly-Ann Sankar, Liza Williamson,and Hector Zumbado.  

For more information about the District Court, visit its homepage. 

About the Nominees: 

Judge Zachary Hillman has served as an Associate Justice of the District Court since 2021, where he presides over a wide range of criminal and civil matters. He currently serves as the First Justice of the Worcester District Court and Regional Administrative Justice for Region 5. Prior to joining the bench, he served as General Counsel in the Administrative Office of the District Court where he advised the Chief Justice, Justices, and Clerks on complex legal matters including developments in the law, new legislation, and ethics issues.  Before joining the Administrative Office of the District Court, he served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Appeals Unit in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, where he wrote more than 140 appellate briefs, argued more than 90 appeals in the Appeals Court and the Supreme Judicial Court, drafted and argued a broad range of post-conviction motions, and tried multiple cases in the Superior Court as lead counsel and as a second chair. Judge Hillman sits on the Editorial Board of the Massachusetts Law Review and is a member of the Worcester County Bar Association. Born and raised in Fitchburg, Judge Hillman earned a Bachelor’s degree from Plymouth State College and a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School.  

Attorney Raquel J. Webster has served as Senior Commercial Litigation Counsel at National Grid since 2022, where she represents the company in a wide range of civil commercial litigation matters and internal investigations. From 2012 to 2022 Attorney Webster served as Senior Regulatory Counsel at the company.  From 2010 to 2012, she served as Senior Corporation Counsel in the City of Boston Law Department, where she represented the city in state and federal court in tort and employment cases. Prior to that, she spent seven years as a litigation associate at Bingham McCutchen LLP where her practice focused on representing clients in commercial litigation and securities matters.  Attorney Webster has also provided 209A restraining order legal advocacy through the Massachusetts Women's Bar Foundation's Family Law Project.  She has also dedicated significant time to pro bono and community service, including as a volunteer foster care case reviewer for the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families and a hearing officer for the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers.   Attorney Webster is a member of numerous legal and civic organizations, including the Boston Bar Association, the Massachusetts Black Women Attorneys, and the Women's Bar Association. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Boston Bar Foundation, the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association, Northeastern University School of Law Alumni Association, and Stone House. Born and raised in Dorchester, she earned a Bachelor's degree from Boston College and a Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of Law. 

Attorney Thomas Johnson has served as an Assistant Clerk Magistrate in the Roxbury Division of the Boston Municipal Court since 2014, where he is responsible for conducting show cause hearings, reviewing applications for search warrants, assisting judges with managing courtroom sessions, and helping staff, litigants and members of the public navigate the court system.  Prior to joining the Clerk’s Office, Attorney Johnson served as Assistant Attorney General in the Fair Labor Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office where he was responsible for enforcing the Massachusetts labor laws, including non-payment of wages, overtime, minimum wage, and child labor laws. Before joining the Attorney General’s Office, Attorney Johnson operated a solo practice in which he represented clients in both civil and criminal matters in the District and Superior Courts. He began his career as an Assistant District Attorney in the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, where he prosecuted cases in the District and Juvenile Courts. He earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School.