An assistant clerk magistrate in the Haverhill District Court was nominated by Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday as clerk magistrate of the Newburyport District Court.
Kerrin D’Arcangelo Costello has worked for the Trial Court for more than 20 years.
“Kerrin Costello has dedicated years of public service to her community and she is well suited for this role as clerk magistrate,” Baker said.
The Governor’s Council, which vets and votes on judicial nominees, did not immediately schedule a public hearing on Wednesday due to scheduling uncertainty caused by the coronavirus emergency. North Shore Councilor Eileen Duff said Costello’s interview will be held within the next couple of weeks. Costello’s husband is former Rep. Michael Costello, who served six terms in the House and is now a partner at Boston law firm Smith, Costello and Crawford.
Costello has worked in the court system since 1997, when she joined the Essex County Juvenile Court as a probation officer. There, in addition to supervising juvenile probationers on delinquency and child in need of services cases, she also developed and co-facilitated a program for pregnant, court-involved women. In 2008, Costello became the probation officer-in-charge of the Salisbury Office of Community Corrections, where she helped establish an Opiate Task Force. She then joined the Haverhill District Court as an assistant clerk magistrate in 2016, where she presides over small claims motions and trials and conducts civil motor vehicle hearings, while assisting the clerk magistrate in managing personnel and court operations.
She also served on the team that worked to develop and implement the Haverhill District Court’s Drug Court. Previously, Costello worked for the Massachusetts Department of Revenue’s Child Support Enforcement Division in a variety of roles from 1991 through 1997. She began as a financial assistance technician, then worked as a paralegal, child support enforcement worker and coordinator for court scheduling and service of process. Costello holds a Master’s of Education from the University of Massachusetts Boston and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Vermont.
State House News Service’s Sam Doran contributed to this report.