Section 20. Except as provided in section twenty-nine, in counties in which separate sittings of the court are established for civil and criminal business, criminal cases only shall be tried by jury at the criminal sittings, and civil cases only at the civil sittings; but jurors summoned for either civil or criminal business may by order of the court be used interchangeably for either civil or criminal business as occasion may require.
Structure Massachusetts General Laws
Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases
Title I - Courts and Judicial Officers
Chapter 212 - The Superior Court
Section 1 - Number of Superior Court Justices; Chief Justice; Definitions
Section 1a - Deputy Court Administrator
Section 2 - Court; Manner of Holding
Section 3 - Exclusive Original Jurisdiction
Section 3a - Statement to Accompany Complaint for Civil Action for Damages
Section 4 - Original Jurisdiction
Section 5 - Appellate Civil Jurisdiction
Section 6 - Criminal Jurisdiction
Section 7 - Indictments; Transmittal
Section 8 - Security in Civil or Criminal Cases to Stand on Appeal
Section 9 - Orders or Decrees of Supreme Judicial Court; Recording
Section 12 - Affirmation of Judgment on Non-Entry of Appeal
Section 13 - Late Entry of Appeal
Section 14 - Sittings of Court; Places
Section 14a - Sittings; First Justices; Powers and Duties; Terms; Removal
Section 20 - Civil and Criminal Business; Separation; Jurors
Section 20a - Central Pools of Jurors
Section 21 - Special Jury Sittings for Criminal Business
Section 22 - Return Day in Criminal Cases
Section 23 - Grand Jury; Assembling
Section 24 - Precedence of Certain Prosecutions
Section 25 - Continuance of Sitting
Section 26a - Land Title Actions; Jury-Waived Civil Actions; Transfer to Land Court
Section 29 - Speedy Trial of Persons Held in Default of Bail
Section 30 - Labor Dispute Cases; Panel of Justices; Hearing; Review