Two western Massachusetts candidates for Superior Court judgeships were confirmed Wednesday by the Governor’s Council
Northampton Attorney Jeffrey Trapani and Westfield District Court Judge Charles Groce each received unanimous votes from the council. During the meeting at the State House, there was no debate among the members and both were swiftly approved.
The pair was nominated in late April by Governor Maura Healey. That move came about a month after almost two dozen lawmakers told the governor vacancies on the bench in western Massachusetts were slowing proceedings and delaying justice for defendants.
Retired judges have recently been recalled to help the situation.
In Massachusetts, judges face a mandatory retirement age of 70, which can create several openings at once. They can be called back to the bench to help in certain situations, such as this.
Trapani and Groce went through confirmation hearings last week, where they had witnesses speak on their behalf, before they made statements and fielded questions from Governor’s Council members.
"I believe that I do have the skill set, temperament, independence and humility to be an effective justice, and to further the rule of law and continue to uphold what has been built in our commonwealth in the Superior Court," Trapani said during his confirmation hearing last week.
And later, during his hearing, Groce said judges have to be empathetic to those going before them.
"The heart matters just as much, if not more, because it's the heart not the head that can be hurt by the work," Groce told the councilors. "But it can also be healed by this work. The heart and the head need to have an equal place with us on that bench every day."
Trapani has focused his law practice on defending clients including municipalities and public employees on various claims for two decades. He is a former assistant district attorney in Suffolk County.
Groce has been on the district court bench for 13 years. In addition to his duties in Westfield, he also oversees a supervised drug treatment program at Springfield District Court.
