Howard Whitehead

Biography

The Honorable Howard Whitehead was appointed Massachusetts Superior Court judge in 1993. As a judge, he has presided over 700 civil and criminal jury trials and have ruled on ancillary matters in several thousand additional cases. As a prosecutor, he has tried over 65 felony jury cases in the Superior Court; prosecuted a total of more than 200 felony cases, including 26 murder cases; and supervised the prosecution of more than 6,000 felony cases. Was named “Prosecutor of the Year” by Parents of Murdered Children, in 1993. As a civil litigation attorney, he has handled cases at all levels of the state and federal judiciary, including briefing and argument of more than 20 appellate cases in the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, and the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

Judge Whitehead served as a legal advisor to the Lynnfield, Massachusetts, Middle School Mock Trial Team for 20 years. Has served as a Mock Trial Judge for the Massachusetts Bar Association High School Mock Trial Competition for 16 the years, including as presiding judge in the statewide final round at Faneuil Hall, in Boston. Has lectured at numerous educational programs sponsored by the Massachusetts Judicial Institute and the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Foundation. Has spoken on judicial and legal matters at various events sponsored by civic, educational and bar-related organizations.