Northampton District Court Hearings

Northampton is the 2nd largest municipality in Hampshire county in Western Massachusetts, and the county seat. The Northampton district court has jurisdiction over the rural towns of Chesterfield, Cummington, Easthampton, Goshen, Hatfield, Huntington, Middlefield, Northampton, Plainfield, Southampton, Westhampton, Williamsburg, and Worthington.

The courthouse is a little complicated to get around. District court is through security down the hall to the right, up the stairs on the second floor. Allow extra time to navigation this building

When coming for a court date, allow a lot of extra time to navigation this building, as well as find parking.

Where is the Northampton District Court located?

The building is in downtown Northampton at:

15 Gothic Street
Northampton, MA 01060

Where Do I park?

There is no parking lot at Northhampton, but there is plentiful metered parking across the street. The meters take quarters, dimes, and nickels and have a 2-hour limit. there are also a number of private paid parking lots in the area if you are concerned about going over the 2 hour limit of a metered spot, such as for a trial.

Public Transportation?

Northhampton is in the heart of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) bus system, so if you are getting here from somewhere in the local region, that is an option. Bus routes include Route 39, 39E, B43, M40, R42 and R44.

Are phones allowed in the Northhampton Courthouse?

Yes, mobile phones and electronic devices are allowed in the courthouse. You will not be allowed to take any pictures at all inside the building or use your phone inside a courtroom.

Clerk Magistrate’s Hearing at Northhampton District Court

The Clerk’s office is straight off the stairs at the end of the hall to the left. If you do not have an attorney representing you at your Clerk Magistrate’s hearing, you can check in at the Clerk’s office yourself and ask which courtroom the Clerk-Magistrate is having hearings that day.

Of course, representation at a Clerk Magistrate’s hearing has many advantages and is almost always your best chance to get the case dismissed and avoid any criminal incident from appearing on your record.

Arraignment at Northhampton District Court

An arraignment is the first court appearance after an arrest. I’m sure you are nervous, but in most cases very little happens at an arraignment session. In any case, leave yourself plenty of time to get through the basic court processes, including getting through security, and getting to the right courtroom.

You need to check in with the probation department first. Probation is off the stairs to the right at the end of that hall on the right. They will have you on the arraignment list, and note that you are present in the courthouse. They will also evaluate you for a court-appointed lawyer for future court appearances if you are interested, and haven’t hired a private defense attorney.

Arraignments are held in courtroom #1 which is located off the stairs to the right. Sessions usually start promptly at 9am. When your name is called, you will stand and hear the charges entered into the record, and formally plead not guilty. The court will then assign you a date for a pretrial conference.

If you have an attorney representing you at your arraignment, things may go differently depending on your strategy. Your attorney might try to continue the arraingment so you aren’t formally charged, if there are options to avoid a criminal charge from being formally entered.

You attorney might also talk to the assistant district attorney and try to work out a deal on the spot to avoid future court appearances, if that is your intention.

It depends on your legal strategy and how you want to proceed.

Pretrials and Trials in Northhampton District Court

Pretrial conferences, pretrial hearings, and trial sessions depend on court scheduling that day as far as time and location. Your attorney will walk your through where and when you need to be somewhere.