It's long past time we returned to the tradition of placing non-lawyers on the bench

From Instapundit

Massachusetts High Court Rules Armed Robbery Not Violent Enough to Hold Suspects Until Trial.

We’ll wait; see if he kills anyone next time.

Bloomberg Law:

Vacancies Prime Top Massachusetts Court for Liberal Makeover

December 4, 2023, 5:00 AM EST

Massachusetts’ highest court is poised to become even more progressive on issues including reproductive rights, immigration, and criminal justice after Gov. Maura Healey (D) fills two impending vacancies just a year into her term.

Justices Elspeth Cypher and David Lowy’s early retirements from the seven-member bench give Healey an unexpected opportunity to put her liberal stamp on the Supreme Judicial Court, whose current justices were all appointed by her moderate Republican predecessor, Charlie Baker.

“This is an opportunity for Governor Healey to fashion a court that is maybe more left of center than it is,” and to cement the court’s liberal bent “if the political winds do change” in the legislature down the line, said Daniel Medwed, a professor of law and criminal justice at Northeastern University.