--- title: "Michael A. Cahillane | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/michael-a-cahillane" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-07-26" --- # Michael A. Cahillane Massachusetts Superior Court · Associate Justice ## Profile - Court: Massachusetts Superior Court - State: Massachusetts - Role: Associate Justice - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-25 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### remote hearings Scope: courtwide Massachusetts Superior Court Standing Order 1-26 identifies which criminal and civil proceedings are presumptively remote or in person, while allowing the presiding judge to change the format under the order's standards. Evidence excerpt: certain criminal and civil proceedings may be conducted remotely (e.g., by computer, videoconference, or telephone) pursuant to this Standing Order [Superior Court Standing Order 1-26: Remote hearings](https://www.mass.gov/superior-court-rules/superior-court-standing-order-1-26-remote-hearings) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote recording Scope: courtwide Photographing, recording, or electronically transmitting a Massachusetts Superior Court remote or hybrid hearing requires prior authorization from the supervising judge or clerk-magistrate. Evidence excerpt: No person shall take any photographs, or make any recording or transmission by electronic means, of a remote or hybrid court hearing, without prior authorization from the judge or clerk magistrate [Superior Court Standing Order 1-26: Remote hearings](https://www.mass.gov/superior-court-rules/superior-court-standing-order-1-26-remote-hearings) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### recording and photography Scope: statewide In Massachusetts courts, photography, recording, or electronic transmission in a courtroom or related judicial space requires prior authorization from the judge or magistrate supervising that place, subject to Rule 1:19's separate provisions for registered news media. Evidence excerpt: No person shall take any photographs, or make any recording or transmission by electronic means, in any courtroom, hearing room, office, chambers or lobby of a judge or magistrate without prior authorization [Supreme Judicial Court Rule 1:19: Electronic access to the courts](https://www.mass.gov/supreme-judicial-court-rules/supreme-judicial-court-rule-119-electronic-access-to-the-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.mass.gov/info-details/superior-court-justices) - [Official roster](https://www.mass.gov/info-details/superior-court-justices) - [Massachusetts Court System official judicial roster](https://www.mass.gov/info-details/superior-court-justices) - [Superior Court Standing Order 1-26: Remote hearings](https://www.mass.gov/superior-court-rules/superior-court-standing-order-1-26-remote-hearings) - [Supreme Judicial Court Rule 1:19: Electronic access to the courts](https://www.mass.gov/supreme-judicial-court-rules/supreme-judicial-court-rule-119-electronic-access-to-the-courts) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/michael-a-cahillane", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/michael-a-cahillane", "name": "Michael A. 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Cahillane", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/michael-a-cahillane" } ] } ] } ``` ## Biography ### Professional career - In 2011, he joined the Bristol District Attorney’s Office, where he focused on prosecuting serious crimes, including murders and major felonies, with a particular emphasis on cases involving firearms. - Began his legal career in 2000 as an assistant district attorney in the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, initially prosecuting cases in the District Court and later in the Superior Court from 2004 to 2011 - Beyond his professional duties, Cahillane has been active in his community, volunteering with the Bristol District Attorney’s Office Volunteer Program, the Salvation Army, and the Fall River Shannon Community Safety Initiative ### Education - Suffolk University School of Law in — J.D. (1999) - Bachelor’s degree from St. Anselm College in 1992 ### Additional information - His work earned him recognition as the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association’s “Prosecutor of the Year” in 2010 - Seasoned legal professional with over two decades of experience in prosecution and public service. - His appointment to the Massachusetts Superior Court recognizes his expertise in handling complex criminal and civil cases, his dedication to justice, and his active engagement in community initiatives - Governor Charlie Baker nominated Cahillane to serve as an Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court, the trial court of general jurisdiction in the state, which handles civil cases over $25,000, first-degree murder cases, and other major criminal and civil matters. ## 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.