Case Title: Miranda v. Superior Court Department

Citation: 

Docket Number: SJC-12590

State: massachusetts

Court: Massachusetts Supreme Court

Date: 2019-04-25T00:00:00Z

Document:
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SJC-12590 
 
CHRISTIAN MIRANDA  vs.  SUPERIOR COURT DEPARTMENT.1 
 
 
April 25, 2019. 
 
 
Practice, Civil, Action in nature of certiorari. 
 
 
 
Christian Miranda appeals from a judgment of the county 
court denying, without a hearing, his complaint seeking relief 
in the nature of certiorari pursuant to G. L. c. 249, § 4.  In 
that complaint, Miranda, who has been convicted of certain drug-
related offenses, sought relief from an order of the Superior 
Court denying his motion for postconviction discovery.  That 
order was subject to review in the ordinary appellate process.  
"It would be hard to find any principle more fully established 
in our practice than the principle that neither mandamus nor 
certiorari is to be used as a substitute for ordinary appellate 
procedure or used at any time when there is another adequate 
remedy."  Myrick v. Superior Court Dep't, 479 Mass. 1012, 1012 
(2018), quoting Rines v. Justices of the Superior Court, 330 
Mass. 368, 371 (1953).  The single justice properly denied 
relief. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Judgment affirmed. 
 
 
 
Greg T. Schubert for the plaintiff. 
 
Thomas E. Bocian, Assistant Attorney General, for the 
Commonwealth. 
                     
 
1 In his complaint, Miranda named, as the sole defendant, a 
judge of the Superior Court.  The single justice ordered the 
judge's name stricken from the case caption and replaced with 
the Superior Court.  The real party in interest, which was not 
named as a party in these proceedings, is the Commonwealth.