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New Hampshire bills look to judicial evaluation through either ballot or review board
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July 29, 2011
Concord, New Hampshire: The New Hampshire Legislature will be considering two new bills in the next session which would create checks on the judiciary through citizen action. The first bill, constitutional amendment CACR 11, would create elections for judges, replacing the current appointment system. Currently New Hampshire is one of three states that appoint judges for life, though unlike the similar federal judicial system, New Hampshire has a mandatory retirement at 70. The other bill, HB 344, would establish judicial reviews through a citizens commission. Currently the state conducts judicial reviews every three years. The reviews are conducted by state officials through surveys and are kept privileged from release and fail to mention individual judges. The new system would open up the reviews to citizens. Rep. Robert H. Rowe, R-Amherst, chairs the House Judiciary Committee in the New Hampshire House of Representatives explained the need for these two bills, stating "If a judge's job performance is bad, there is no way to remove the judge except by impeachment or address instituted by the Legislature, and this process is lengthy and expensive."[1]
See also
Footnotes
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Federal courts:
First Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of New Hampshire • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of New Hampshire
State courts:
New Hampshire Supreme Court • New Hampshire Superior Courts • New Hampshire Circuit Courts • New Hampshire Probate Courts • New Hampshire District Court • New Hampshire Family Division
State resources:
Courts in New Hampshire • New Hampshire judicial elections • Judicial selection in New Hampshire
