New Bedford District Court

The New Bedford District Court sits at 75 North Sixth Street, New Bedford, MA 02740, and is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Clerk’s office and probation department: (508) 999-9700
• Criminal and civil fax: (508) 990-8094
• Small claims fax: (508) 990-9332
• Clerk’s email: cmnewbedforddc@jud.state.ma.us

Metered street parking and a paid garage are available to the public. The Southeastern Regional Transit Authority serves the courthouse, which sits downtown near Route 18 and I-195.

The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office prosecutes criminal cases in the New Bedford District Court. The court hears cases from New Bedford and nearby towns. Many New Bedford defendants are not United States citizens. For a noncitizen defendant, the immigration consequences of a charge are often more serious than the criminal penalty.

The Commonwealth prosecutes cases indicted by a grand jury in the Bristol County Superior Court, which also holds sessions in New Bedford. Attorney Joe Serpa has practiced Massachusetts criminal defense since 1995. He has represented clients in courts across Southeastern Massachusetts.

The firm’s page on how a Massachusetts criminal case can be dismissed explains when the prosecutor or a judge can dismiss a case before trial.

Communities Served. New Bedford, Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, and Freetown.

Immigration-Sensitive Defense. In many New Bedford cases, Attorney Serpa completes an immigration analysis before taking any other step. An arraignment creates a court record that an immigration officer may later ask about. Federal immigration law can treat a continuance without a finding as a conviction. Attorney Serpa evaluates each possible plea under the federal immigration categories. He seeks a denial of the application at the clerk-magistrate hearing whenever a denial is possible, because a denial prevents an arraignment.

Drug, Firearms, OUI, and Domestic Violence Cases. In drug and firearms cases in the New Bedford District Court, Attorney Serpa files a motion to suppress when the police violated the defendant’s rights. The court also hears many OUI and domestic violence cases and holds 209A restraining order hearings.

A driver who receives a citation for a misdemeanor motor vehicle offense, with no felony charge and no arrest, has four days from the date of the violation to ask the clerk-magistrate in writing for a hearing before a criminal complaint issues. G.L. c. 90C, § 3(B)(2).

Prepared for Trial From Day One. Attorney Serpa prepares every New Bedford case for trial. The firm’s Massachusetts Criminal Defense Results page describes past outcomes. Call 617.936.0201 for a confidential consultation before your New Bedford date.

Related Serpa Law Office Resources: Immigration Consequences • Clerk-Magistrate Hearings • Drug Crimes Defense • Firearms Charges • OUI Defense • Courts Across Greater Boston Nearby: Fall River District Court • Wareham District Court