Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Gants Dies, at 65

Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Ralph Gants addresses an audience moments after being sworn in as chief justice by Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick during ceremonies at the John Adams Courthouse, Monday, July 28, 2014, in Boston. Gants has been an associate justice on the court since 2009, and before that served as a Superior Court judge.

By Katie Lannan | State House News Service

September 14, 2020

Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph Gants has died, the court's associate justices announced Monday afternoon.

Gants, 65, had served as the high court's top judge since July 2014, when he was sworn in to the post by Gov. Deval Patrick. He had announced last Tuesday that he underwent surgery after suffering a heart attack on Sept. 4.

Later in the week, Justice Frank Gaziano said that Gants was following proceedings in a lawsuit around Gov. Charlie Baker's powers during the COVID-19 emergency and planned to participate in the final decision.

The other justices said they were announcing Gants' death "with deep sadness."

"Our hearts and prayers are with his family. We have no further information at this time," the statement said.

Gants, along with Justice Barbara Lenk, are the only justices on the seven-judge SJC bench not appointed by Baker. Lenk plans to retire on Dec. 1.