Essex County Criminal Defense Lawyers

Essex County is located on the northeastern part of Massachusetts. The county was created by the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony on May 10, 1643, which is when it was decided that the county be divided into four shires. At that time, Essex was comprised of the following towns: Salem, Lynn, Wenham, Ipswich, Rowley, Newbury, Gloucester and Andover – which have now been subdivided into the current cities and towns that now exist. Like several other Massachusetts counties, Essex County exists today only as a historical geographic region, and has no county government. County functions were assumed by Massachusetts state agencies in 1999. The sheriff and some other regional officials with specific duties are still elected locally to perform duties within the county region, but there is no county council, commissioner, or county employees.

Essex County’s history is quite rich; it is famous as the area that Elbridge Gerry, the American diplomat and fifth vice-president of the county, districted into a salamander like shape in 1812 that gave rise to the word “gerrymandering.” Because of the county’s history, which includes 17th century colonial history, maritime history spanning its existence, and leadership in the expansions of the textile industry in the 19th century, the entire county has been designated the Essex National Heritage Area by the National Park Service.

Between 1999 and 2008 there were 181,642 total crimes reported in Essex County, Massachusetts and out of that number, 23,575 of the crimes were violent. Of the 18,164 crimes that happen every year in Essex County, nearly one-half occur less than one mile from home. On average, someone is a victim of a crime in Essex County, Massachusetts every 28 minutes. This average includes 113 murders, 1,289 rapes, and almost one hundred and twenty-three thousand thefts, which include 28,319 auto thefts. This county is vulnerable to crime and it is important to gain experienced criminal legal defense if you find yourself at all accused or involved with a crime in this county.

The court system in Essex County includes the Essex Superior Court, which can be found at 38 Federal St., Salem, Massachusetts. The Essex Superior Court serves Shire Towns Salem, Lawrence and Newburyport. The Gloucester Division, which houses the Gloucester District Court, is also located at 195 Main St., Gloucester, Massachusetts. The Gloucester District Court has jurisdiction over the municipalities of Essex, Gloucester, and Rockport. The Haverhill Division, which houses the Haverhill District Court, is located at 45 James P. Ginty Blvd., Haverhill, Massachusetts. The Haverhill District Court has jurisdiction over the municipalities of Boxford, Georgetown, Groveland and Haverhill. The Ipswich Division, which houses the Ipswich District Court, is located at 188 State St., Newburyport, Massachusetts. The Ipswich District Court has jurisdiction over the municipalities of Hamilton, Ipswich, Topsfield and Wenham. The Lawrence Division, which houses the Lawrence District Court, is located at 2 Appleton St., Lawrence, Massachusetts. The Lawrence District Court has jurisdiction over the municipalities of Andover, Lawrence, Methuen, North Andover. The Lynn Division, which houses the Lynn District Court, is also located at 580 Essex St., Lynn, Massachusetts. The Lynn District Court has jurisdiction over the municipalities of Lynn, Marblehead, Nahant, Saugus and Swampscott. The Newburyport Division, which houses the Newburyport District Court, is also located at 188 State St., Newburyport, Massachusetts. The Lawrence District Court has jurisdiction over the municipalities of Amesbury, Merrimac, Newbury, Newburyport, Rowley, Salisbury and West Newbury (which shares a building with the Ipswich Division). The Peabody Division, which houses the Peabody District Court, is also located at 1 Lowell St., Peabody, Massachusetts. The Lawrence District Court has jurisdiction over the municipalities of Lynnfield and Peabody. The Salem Division, which houses the Salem District Court, is also located at 33 Federal St., Salem, Massachusetts. The Salem District Court has jurisdiction over the municipalities of Beverly, Danvers, Manchester, Middleton and Salem.

Patrick J. Murphy has nearly twenty years of criminal defense experience providing expert legal representation for clients charged with crimes throughout Essex County. Boston criminal defense lawyer Patrick J. Murphy's law office is conveniently located at One South Market Street, Fourth Floor in downtown Boston, about a little over an hour drive from the heart of Essex County. Attorney Murphy also lives on the South Shore and is available to meet clients locally. If you would like a free, confidential consultation regarding your Essex County criminal case contact Attorney Murphy 24/7 directly at (617) 367-0450 or complete the contacts tab on the website today.