Access Brookline Felony Records
Brookline felony records are processed through the Brookline District Court on Washington Street and, for serious charges, the Norfolk County Superior Court in Dedham. Brookline is technically a town under Massachusetts law, but it functions as a dense urban community bordering Boston and has its own dedicated district court. The MassCourts portal at masscourts.org lets you search public docket records from both courts for free. Full statewide felony history is available through DCJIS CORI. This page explains how to find and access Brookline felony records from both public and official sources.
Brookline Overview
Brookline Felony Records: District and Superior Court
Felony cases in Brookline start at the Brookline District Court at 360 Washington Street. This is where arraignments take place and where bail hearings and pretrial proceedings are handled. The court is right across from Brookline Town Hall, making it easy to find. Serious felony charges that proceed to trial get bound over to the Norfolk County Superior Court in Dedham at 649 High Street.
Norfolk County Superior Court handles the most serious criminal cases from across the county, which includes cities and towns like Quincy, Weymouth, Braintree, and Brookline. If you are looking for records of a Brookline felony that went to trial, the Dedham courthouse is where the full trial docket will be. You can search both courts at masscourts.org before making the trip in person.
Brookline is unique in Massachusetts because it borders Boston but sits in Norfolk County, not Suffolk County. That means felony cases from Brookline go to Dedham, not to the Suffolk County courthouse in Boston. This county boundary distinction matters when you are searching records. A quick check on MassCourts will confirm which court handled a specific case and where the files are kept.
Brookline Court and Police Contact Details
The Brookline District Court and the Brookline Police Department records division are the two main local sources for felony records. The court has the case docket. The police have arrest records. For a complete picture of a felony case, you may need information from both.
| Court | Brookline District Court |
|---|---|
| Address | 360 Washington Street, Brookline, MA 02445 |
| Phone | (617) 232-4660 |
| Superior Court | Norfolk County Superior Court, 649 High Street, Dedham, MA 02026 |
| Police Department | 350 Washington Street, Brookline, MA 02445 |
| Police Phone | (617) 730-2222 |
| Online Search | masscourts.org |
The Brookline District Court page on mass.gov has current hours and court session schedules. The Norfolk County Superior Court page has details on the Dedham courthouse. Call ahead if you are visiting in person, as clerk window hours for records requests can be more limited than general court hours.
Brookline Felony Records Through CORI
The CORI system run by DCJIS at (617) 660-4600 is the most complete source for felony records in Massachusetts. CORI reports pull from court data statewide. If someone has charges from Brookline and also from other counties in Massachusetts, one CORI request will show all of it.
Personal CORI requests cost $25 through the iCORI portal at mass.gov. The fee is waived if you are indigent. Under MGL Chapter 6, DCJIS controls who can access criminal offender information and under what rules. Felony convictions are visible in CORI for ten years. Convictions for murder and sex offenses have no time limit.
The Brookline District Court image below shows the courthouse at 360 Washington Street where local felony proceedings begin.
The Brookline District Court sits near Brookline Town Hall and handles all arraignments and early proceedings for felony cases in the town. Cases involving more serious charges are transferred to Norfolk County Superior Court in Dedham.
Third parties who need to access CORI for someone else must have a valid legal purpose and, in most cases, a CORI access agreement with DCJIS. Misusing CORI information carries penalties under state law. If you are not sure what you can or cannot access, the MassLegalHelp CORI rights guide is a good starting point.
Norfolk County and Brookline Felony Cases
Brookline is part of Norfolk County, which covers a wide swath of the south shore and suburbs south and west of Boston. The Norfolk County Sheriff's Department handles the county jail and house of correction. Their website at norfolksheriff.com has information on inmate status and county corrections. If someone from Brookline is held on a felony charge awaiting trial, they would typically be held in Norfolk County custody.
The Norfolk County DA's office prosecutes felony cases from Brookline and all other communities in the county. For case searches, official records from masscourts.org or the clerk's office are the authoritative source. The clerk at Norfolk County Superior Court can help with records that are not fully indexed in the online system.
The Norfolk County Superior Court image below shows the courthouse in Dedham where Brookline felony trials are held at the superior court level.
Norfolk County Superior Court in Dedham handles the most serious felony trials from Brookline and across Norfolk County, including cases involving major drug charges, violent crimes, and other serious offenses.
Sealing Brookline Felony Records
Massachusetts allows felony convictions to be sealed after a seven-year waiting period. That clock starts when your sentence ends, including any probation period. Under MGL Chapter 276, Section 100A, a sealed record will not appear in standard public court searches or most CORI requests. Law enforcement can still see sealed records, but they become much harder for civilians to find.
The sealing petition is filed with the court that handled the original case. For Brookline cases, that is the Brookline District Court or the Norfolk County Superior Court depending on how far the case went. The clerk's office at either court can provide the sealing form. There is no filing fee for sealing petitions in Massachusetts.
Expungement in Massachusetts is more limited. It generally applies to dismissed cases, acquittals, and juvenile records. Adult felony convictions cannot typically be expunged, so sealing is the practical option for most Brookline residents. Greater Boston Legal Services may be able to help Brookline residents who qualify for free legal help with record sealing.
Nearby Cities
These cities near Brookline have felony records pages with court and access details.
Norfolk County Felony Records
Brookline is in Norfolk County. Serious felony cases from Brookline are tried at Norfolk County Superior Court in Dedham. Visit the county page for broader Norfolk County felony records information.