Lynn District Court to offer extended hours

LYNN – The Lynn District Court Clerk’s Office will remain open until 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month to better accommodate customers at the sixth-busiest district courthouse in the state.”The staff has been responsive, have recognized the need for it, and realize it’s not optimal to have people have to take off time from a full-time job to come to court,” Lynn District Court Clerk-Magistrate Jane Brady Stirgwolt said Monday.The clerk’s office currently operates from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and the court covers the communities of Lynn, Marblehead, Nahant, Saugus and Swampscott. Lynn District Court was the sixth-busiest district courthouse in Massachusetts last year with 19,817 cases filed, according to Massachusetts Trial Court statistics.The expanded hours are a pilot program resulting from a Massachusetts Trial Court Innovation Grant. The office will be open for payments, filings and inquiries. There will be no hearings scheduled during the extended time, but a clerk will be available. The program is scheduled to extend through September with the hope that it becomes permanent, according to Brady Stirgwolt.The grant provided $500 for advertising the new hours. Brady Stirgwolt said staffing levels will not change in the office. The new hours will be filled using staffers’ comp time and by reworking current schedules.Brady Stirgwolt also praised the security staff and justices with supporting the pilot program.Attorney Chris Burke praised the program as well as other amenities – such as a photocopier, computer and work area – available for attorneys at the courthouse.”Lynn District Court is one of the most innovative courts in terms of making it convenient for attorneys,” Burke said.The extended hours will be held May 13 and 27; June 10 and 24; July 8 and 22; Aug. 12 and 26; and Sept. 9 and 23.