Judges are appointed by the Governor's Council, a relic from our days as an English colony. I'm pretty sure it's their only duty, and they're just a rubber stamp of the governor, who appoints the members of the GC.
Incidentally, you know who we have to blame for Chief Justice Marshall, the foreign-born idiot who crafted this decision? Noneother than former governor William Weld, RINO, who elevated her to the position of Chief Justice. Dukakis put her on the bench; Weld promoted her.