The Hon. Patricia T. Poehler (Ret.) was first justice of the Eastern Hampshire District Court in Massachusetts. She was appointed to the bench by former Governor Paul Cellucci in 2001. Poehler retired in 2020.
While on the bench, she also presided as an associate justice of the Westfield District Court and the Appellate Division (Western District) of the District Court.
Poehler received a bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College in 1977. She then completed a J.D. at Western New England College School of Law in 1983.
After law school, Poehler served as a law clerk with the Massachusetts Appeals Court before becoming an attorney at O’Connor, Martinelli & Cohn in 1984. She maintained her practice at the firm until 1998.
In addition to her private practice, Poehler also served as an assistant city solicitor (1987 to 1998), staff attorney (1987), and prosecutor (1987) in the Law Department of the City of Springfield.
After leaving O’Connor, Martinelli & Cohn in 1998, Poehler became associate city solicitor for the City of Springfield. She was serving in that capacity at the time of her appointment to the bench.
She was born in Springfield, Massachusetts.