From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

Green v. Dolan

Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts
Oct 30, 1975
336 N.E.2d 908 (Mass. 1975)

Opinion

October 30, 1975.

Herbert Murphy for the plaintiff.

Philip A. Beattie for William Dolan.

Mitchell J. Sikora, Jr., Assistant Attorney General, for the Superior Court.



The defendant William Dolan moved for a physical examination under Mass. R. Civ. P. 35, 365 Mass. 793 (1974), of the plaintiff without the presence of counsel. The motion was allowed. The plaintiff then filed a petition for relief as a class action under G.L.c. 211, § 3, to establish his right to have counsel present at the examination. The single justice in the exercise of his discretion dismissed the petition. No abuse of discretion is shown here. We have previously stated that we are extremely reluctant to invoke G.L.c. 211, § 3, in matters of this nature which do not involve both the protection of a substantive right and the absence of an alternative, effective remedy. Costarelli v. Municipal Court of the City of Boston, 367 Mass. 35, 41-42 (1975). Whitmarsh v. Commonwealth, 366 Mass. 212, 215-216 (1974). Enbinder v. Commonwealth, 361 Mass. 871 (1972).

Judgment affirmed.


Summaries of

Green v. Dolan

Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts
Oct 30, 1975
336 N.E.2d 908 (Mass. 1975)
Case details for

Green v. Dolan

Case Details

Full title:ERROL GREEN vs. WILLIAM DOLAN another

Court:Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts

Date published: Oct 30, 1975

Citations

336 N.E.2d 908 (Mass. 1975)
369 Mass. 959

Citing Cases

Soja v. T. P. Sampson Co.

It should be exercised only in exceptional circumstances and where necessary to protect substantive rights in…