Free Claim of Appeal - Massachusetts

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS ________________,SS: HOUSING COURT DEPARTMENT _______________ DIVISION COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS VS. ________________________ DEFENDANT(S)

CRIMINAL CLAIM OF APPEAL
(To be read and delivered to defendant and counsel)

Having been found guilty, you have the right to appeal to the Appeals Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts within twenty (20) days. (If the sentence is not imposed on the same day as the Verdict or Finding, the defendant shall be informed that an appeal shall be claimed within twenty (20) days after the judgment). You must file a Notice of Appeal with the Clerk of the Housing Court

______________________ within twenty (20) days after the entry of judgment. The Notice of Appeal must specify the name of the defendant and must designate with particularity, the judgment or Order of part thereof which is being appealed. The Clerk will notify the Commonwealth that a Notice of Appeal has been filed. You may, upon a showing of excusable neglect, be granted an extension of thirty (30) days in which to file a Notice of Appeal. It is your responsibility (if attorney present in action, attorney is obligated to act if so advised by client) to order from the Court, those portions of the transcript which are designated both by you and the Commonwealth. You may order at transcript of the entire proceeding. If less than the entire transcript is requested you must, within ten (10) days after filing the Notice of Appeal, file in the Housing Court Department, ___________________ Division, and serve on the Commonwealth, a description of the parts of the transcript you have ordered or intend to order and a statement of the issues which you intend to present on appeal. If no transcript of the proceedings is available, you may prepare a

statement of the evidence and proceedings and serve that on the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth has ten (10) days to object to, or propose amendments to the statement; the statement must then be submitted to the Housing Court Department, ______________________ Division, for approval and inclusion in the Record.