Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Mark Gravito v. Commonwealth

November 25, 2025

Summary

The court held that the automatic sealing statute permits a defendant to access records from the defendant's own criminal case that were sealed after acquittals in a mixed-verdict case. That interpretation harmonizes the sealing statute with the statutory scheme governing criminal-record information and avoids impairing the defendant's effective assistance of appellate counsel. The court remanded for an order vacating the limitation on appellate counsel's access.