---
title: "Shelley Joseph | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/shelley-joseph-ma"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-10-07"
---

# Shelley Joseph

Massachusetts Boston Municipal Court · Justice

## Profile

- Court: Massachusetts Boston Municipal Court
- State: Massachusetts
- Role: Justice
- Service status: active

## Summary

Shelley Joseph — Massachusetts Boston Municipal Court

## Sources

- [Boston Municipal Court Justices](https://www.mass.gov/info-details/boston-municipal-court-justices)

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## Biography

### Professional career

- On September 11, 2026, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) imposed a public reprimand — one of the rarest sanctions for a sitting judge — citing that Joseph created an appearance of impropriety and violated courtroom recording rules
- Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph is an associate justice of the Newton District Court in Massachusetts, appointed by Governor Charlie Baker in 2017
- Before joining the bench, she co‐founded the criminal defense law firm Joseph & Joseph and served as an assistant attorney general from 1993 to 2000.
- A court officer, Wesley MacGregor, used a security card to open a rear door, and the defendant left through the basement lockup without being seen by the ICE agent
- Federal prosecutors alleged Joseph and MacGregor conspired to obstruct justice and aided and abetted obstruction of a federal proceeding, with MacGregor also charged with perjury
- The SJC found no evidence she authorized or knew of the plan to let the defendant leave through the back door, but concluded her conduct was “prejudicial to the administration of justice”

### Education

- Bachelor’s degree from Boston College and a J.D. from New England School of Law

### Additional information

- After a public hearing in June 2025, the Commission’s Hearing Officer issued a report with proposed findings.
- In September 2022, federal prosecutors dropped all obstruction charges against Joseph as part of an agreement requiring her to self‐refer to the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct (CJC) and make certain admissions
- Joseph instructed the clerk to turn off the courtroom’s audio recorder for 52 seconds, then dismissed the state charge and released the defendant.



## 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.