Saturday was a great day for NH because it’s the day Annie Kuster becomes ineligible to be a judge. You might be thinking, “So what, she’s been a private citizen for almost 2 years, and everyone eventually turns 70, assuming that they live that long.” Annie was an adoption lawyer, and family court is in extreme disarray. Just ask anyone who has lived it or tried to reform it. Regular court is also in disarray, and the last thing we need is removing what I call “the courts’ version of term limits.”
I have a theory that Judge Lynn resents the New Hampshire Constitution because Ruth Bader Ginsburg got to die in office as an octogenarian, but he was forced to change branches of government for turning 70. As a CACR sponsor and the House Judiciary chair, he has been an activist for giving judges a 5 year career extension. If you’d like to review some great talking points against that, there are articles available in the GG archives.
When Judge Lynn’s CACR made it to the Senate before the last election, I told Kevin I wanted him to vote NO. I went on to say that Nashua can’t afford an extra 5 years of Judge Temple. He obliged me, and it came out of the Senate with a 23-1 roll call vote and became a failed ballot question in November 2024. Rep Flanagan subsequently sponsored a redo of that CACR after the 2024 election.
While Kevin voted correctly, it’s important to remind the voters in Allenstown, Barnstead, Canterbury, Chichester, Deerfield, Epsom, Loudon, Northfield, Northwood, Nottingham, Pembroke, and Pittsfield that HOWARD PEARL VOTED TO KEEP BAD JUDGES IN OFFICE FOR AN EXTRA 5 YEARS. If I become the next District 17 senator, I will oppose another redo of this.
Lou D’Allesandro was observed commenting to Adam Sexton about Defend the Guard with the following words: “This is a bill that’s going to keep coming back, over and over again.” We see this with both ordinary bills and CACRs alike; another CACR example is Moffett’s repeated attempts to have a lieutenant governor in NH. I think that’s what’s happening, and it will keep happening, with efforts to retire judges at 75 instead of 70.
Vote for candidates who will give you their word right now that they will be a NO vote on this, and remember that NH will not be safe from Gordon MacDonald until 11/27/31, regardless of whatever medical privacy shenanigans continue until that date.
