---
title: "Joseph F. Johnston | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/joseph-f-johnston-ma"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-10-07"
---

# Joseph F. Johnston

Massachusetts Juvenile Court · Justice

## Profile

- Court: Massachusetts Juvenile Court
- State: Massachusetts
- Role: Justice
- Service status: active

## Summary

Joseph F. Johnston — Massachusetts Juvenile Court

## Sources

- [Juvenile Court Justices](https://www.mass.gov/info-details/juvenile-court-justices)

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## Biography

### Professional career

- 2001–Present: Associate Justice, Suffolk County Juvenile Court, appointed by former Acting Governor Jane Swift
- Associate Justice of the Suffolk County Juvenile Court in Massachusetts, serving since 2001 and currently based at the Boston Juvenile Court

### Education

### Additional information

- Long‐serving, respected juvenile court justice in Massachusetts, with a background in private legal practice and a record of handling complex child welfare cases, including high‐profile care and protection matters
- The First Justice in the Suffolk County Juvenile Court, which handles delinquency, harassment, criminal cases, care and protection, and child requiring assistance (CRA) matters for Brighton, Charlestown, Roxbury, and South Boston.



## Published courtroom rules

### Shared court rules

- [Supreme Judicial Court Rule 1:19: Electronic access to the courts](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-20acbd9da185f40e1f10b2b2) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim.  Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://www.mass.gov/supreme-judicial-court-rules/supreme-judicial-court-rule-119-electronic-access-to-the-courts). Collected 2026-07-26.