The New Bedford District Court handles criminal and civil matters in Bristol County in the jurisdictions of Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Freetown, New Bedford, and Westport.
There are several highways within this district that are patrolled by the Massachusetts State Police, including I-195, and Route 140, so state troopers can also be present in the courthouse on cases resulting from highway stops such as OUIs.
The juvenile court is in the same building, so don’t be confused by the sign. You are in the right place. Many people do get confused by this (see the section on parking below.)
Where is the New Bedford District Court located?
The address of the courthouse is:
75 N. Sixth Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
Is there Parking Available at the New Bedford District Court?
There is no free public parking lot, which is a source of some confusion. There is a lot right next to the court house, but it is not public parking. It looks like it should be the courthouse parking, so people kept trying to drive in there. Instead, there are meters on both sides of Kempton St. They take coins and cards. I included a photo of the sign because 2 people approached me as I was walking in confused by the fact that the sign said “Juvenile Court”.
Instead, there are meters on both sides of Kempton St. They take coins and cards, and are good for up to 2 hours. Note the photo of the courthouse sign above, since people frequently are confused by the fact that the sign said “Juvenile Court”.
Is there Public Transportation to get to the court?
The city of New Bedford and the district courthouse are served by the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority. Check the New Bedford route schedules if you are traveling from other towns serviced by this courthouse jurisdiction, or from nearby Fall River.
Are Phones Allowed in the Building??
No, phones are not allowed through security, unless you are a court staffer or attorney with a bar card. Same with laptops, tablets, and other electronic devices.
Where do I go for a Clerk Magistrate’s hearing in New Bedford?
The Clerk’s office is through security to the right. There is a small claims desk straight ahead to the right, and the criminal clerk’s desk is to the left of that.
You should check in with the criminal clerk’s desk to find out the Clerk Magistrate’s hearing courtroom for that day, and identify yourself as someone there for a hearing.
If you are here with an attorney (and you should strongly consider hiring one), we will help you through this.
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Clerk’s hearings are almost always the best chance to avoid a criminal charge from appearing on your record. Even if you think you are guilty, this hearing can provide a number of opportunities to work out an arrangement that avoids that for an experienced attorney.
Where do I go if I have an Arraignment at the New Bedford District Court?
First, check in at the Probation department, which is through security to the left. They will log you as “present” for your arraignment, and direct you to the proper courtroom for the arraignment session that morning. They also can qualify you for a court appointed attorney, if you meet the criteria for being indigent. If you have hired a private attorney, or know you don’t qualify, you can ask to skip that evaluation.
Allow plenty of time to get through security, probation, and find the courtroom to be present for a 9am arraignment call.
If your attorney is representing you at the arraignment, he or she will take care of all this for you, and may have other options for advancing your case to deal with it more quickly, or some legal options to try to avoid the criminal charge from being formally issued at that time, such as a pretrial probation.
If you don’t have an attorney, you can manage just fine. Your plea of not guilty will be entered before the court after your name and charges are read, and you’ll be given another date to appear for a pretrial conference.
Is there anywhere to eat near the courthouse?
There are a number of restaurants close by in the city, mostly a few blocks south on Union St.
The Whaling City Dinner is one of the closest spots to the courthouse.
New Bedford historically has a sizeable Portuguese population, so you might want to consider a Linguica sandwich at Cobblestone.
You can get a burrito at the No Problemo taqueria.
For fancy burgers, check out dNB Burgers.
Nor a nice pizza, your best bet is probably the Brick Pizzeria.