Search Norfolk County Criminal History

Norfolk County criminal history records are accessible through the Massachusetts CORI system and the state's online court portal. The county covers 28 municipalities across 400 square miles south of Boston, and criminal cases here are filed in district courts and the Superior Court in Dedham. This guide walks through the courts, the Sheriff's office, the DA's office, and the steps you can take to look up records for a person or a specific case in Norfolk County.

Criminal History in Norfolk County

Norfolk County is one of the more populous counties in Massachusetts. It sits just south of Boston and includes cities like Quincy, as well as suburbs such as Brookline, Weymouth, and Dedham. The county's criminal cases are divided between six district courts and the Norfolk County Superior Court, all of which report into the state's CORI system. CORI stands for Criminal Offender Record Information. It is managed by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services, or DCJIS, which is a state agency based in Chelsea.

Every arrest, charge, and final disposition in Norfolk County feeds into the CORI database. The legal framework for this system is set out in M.G.L. c. 6, § 167, which defines the CORI system and what records it must include. Access rules and sealing provisions come from M.G.L. c. 6, § 172 and M.G.L. c. 276, § 100A. These statutes determine who can request a CORI report, how long records stay active, and when a person can apply to have a record sealed.

If you want to check a court case rather than get a CORI report, the state's case portal gives you docket-level access. Both tools are useful, and which one you need depends on the type of information you are after.

Norfolk County Superior Court

The Norfolk County Superior Court is at 650 High Street, Dedham, MA 02026. The clerk's office phone is (781) 329-4777. This court handles felony cases, serious criminal charges, and cases transferred up from the district courts. It is the highest-level trial court in the county for criminal matters. Judges here preside over jury trials for offenses that carry longer sentences, and the court also handles grand jury proceedings for felony indictments.

Case records from the Superior Court are part of the public record. You can search them through the Massachusetts court portal at masscourts.org. Docket entries, hearing dates, and case status are available through the portal. To get physical copies of documents, you can request them at the clerk's office window or by mail. Certified copies of documents cost $2.50 per page. Non-certified copies are $0.05 per page.

The official Mass.gov page for the Norfolk County Superior Court lists current hours, directions, and contact information. If you need a record from a case filed years ago and the online portal does not show it, contacting the clerk's office directly is the next step.

The Massachusetts court system page shows the Superior Court location and how to reach the clerk's office.

The Superior Court in Dedham is the county's main venue for felony criminal trials and grand jury matters.

District Courts in Norfolk County

Norfolk County has six district courts that handle the bulk of criminal case volume. They cover misdemeanors, lower-level felonies, arraignments, and bail hearings. Cases that need a jury trial on felony charges are typically indicted and moved to Superior Court, but many cases resolve at the district court level. The six district courts serving the county are: Brookline, Dedham, Quincy, Wrentham, Stoughton, and Natick. Note that Framingham District Court also serves some Norfolk County municipalities, though Framingham sits in Middlesex County.

Each district court maintains its own case files, and records from all of them are searchable through the state case portal. If you know which district court handled a case, you can narrow your search there. If you are not sure, a name search across the portal will return results from all courts. The Quincy District Court handles cases from Quincy, Braintree, and some nearby towns. The Brookline District Court serves Brookline only. Dedham District Court covers Dedham and several surrounding communities.

District court records go back many years, but older paper files may not be in the online system. For those, a written request to the specific court's clerk is the way to go. Copy fees are the same as at Superior Court: $2.50 per page certified, $0.05 per page non-certified.

Norfolk County Sheriff's Office

The Norfolk County Sheriff's Office is at 200 Unity Drive, Milton, MA 02186. The phone number is (617) 698-4700. Sheriff Patrick W. McDermott heads the office. The Sheriff manages the county's correctional facilities, which hold people who are pre-trial or serving sentences of up to 2.5 years. The office also runs inmate programs and works with courts on transport and custody matters. You can find more about the office at norfolksheriff.com.

The Probate and Family Court for Norfolk County is at 35 Shawmut Road, Canton, MA 02021. The phone number is (781) 830-1200. Probate Court handles guardianships, conservatorships, and other civil matters. It is not a criminal court, but some records that arise from criminal proceedings, like guardianship of a person found incompetent to stand trial, may pass through this court. The official page for the Norfolk Probate and Family Court has current contact details.

The Norfolk Sheriff's office website lists current programs, facility information, and inmate services.

The Sheriff's Office at Milton manages Norfolk County's jail and house of correction for pre-trial and sentenced individuals.

Norfolk County Probate Court and DA

The Norfolk County District Attorney's Office is at 45 Shawmut Road, Canton, MA 02021. The phone number is (781) 830-4800. DA Michael W. Morrissey runs the office. The DA's office prosecutes criminal cases in all Norfolk County courts. This office does not offer public record search services directly. Its job is to bring criminal charges and take cases through the court system. Final case outcomes from DA prosecutions become part of the CORI record for the person charged.

If you are a victim of a crime in Norfolk County, the DA's office has a victim-witness advocate program. Advocates can help you understand the case process and tell you what records or information you may be entitled to see. For the general public looking to search criminal history records, though, the CORI system and the court portal are the right tools.

The Probate and Family Court page shows location details and services for this Norfolk County court facility.

The Probate Court in Canton is a separate court from the criminal courts but is part of the county's full judicial network.

How to Get Norfolk County Criminal Records

You have two main options. The CORI system gives you a statewide criminal history report. The court portal lets you look up specific case records. Both are legitimate ways to get criminal history information in Norfolk County, and many people use both depending on what they need.

To request a CORI report on yourself, go to the iCORI portal. You will need to create an account and verify your identity. The fee is $25 for a standard personal CORI. Open-access CORI reports, which show a fuller record, cost $50. DCJIS handles all CORI requests. Their office is at 200 Arlington Street, Suite 2200, Chelsea, MA 02150. The phone number is (617) 660-4600. The state's CORI individual request guide walks through each step. If you want to understand the full law, see the Massachusetts CORI law overview page.

For court records, use masscourts.org. Search by name or case number. The portal covers all Norfolk County courts. If a case is there, you can see docket entries and hearing history. Document copies can be ordered from the clerk's office of the court that handled the case. Certified copies run $2.50 per page, and plain copies are $0.05 per page. Older files that predate the online system may require a written request to the specific court clerk.

Cities in Norfolk County

Norfolk County has 28 municipalities. The three largest cities have dedicated pages with more detail on local criminal history resources.

Nearby Counties

Norfolk County shares borders with four other Massachusetts counties, each with its own court system and criminal record resources.