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Bar News - June 18, 2004 New Franklin District Court Judge Wants to Make Court Work Better for Public By: Anita S. Becker In his new position as presiding judge of the Franklin District Court, Judge Edward R. Thornton would like to create an environment of stability for court staff and the public alike. According to the judge, approximately 20 judges from around the state have been "filling in" at FDC since longtime presiding justice the Hon. W.H. Dale Townly Tilson left the post on medical leave in 2002. "Unfortunately, there has been no predictability, no consistency here for a long time," says Thornton. "Courts should be predictable places, and, most of all, should be consistent."  Although Thornton is a full-time judge, FDC is not a full-time court. He sits at Franklin on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and Special Justice Jay Boynton, an attorney with a law practice in Andover, sits there on Thursday. An increase of hours to two Fridays a month is expected eventually. He believes that no longer having a revolving door of judges in and out of the court and establishing a consistent routine will do a lot toward establishing a stronger court overall and toward building harmony among personnel. He credits Court Clerk Pat Kennison for her work during the tumultuous times of the court for the past two years and for providing continuity for the rest of the staff and public. Improving the court and instilling a customer-driven focus are Thornton’s goals. The judge says that he would like to: establish the reputation of the Franklin District Court as one of high-quality, fair decisions; provide a place where everyone who has a day in court will be listened to objectively; and provide a place where all who use the court can expect to be treated with the respect they deserve. "We need to keep in mind that the people who come here to the court, some in shackles, are our customers," notes Thornton. "I expect this to be an ongoing process that will be around long after I am gone." Gov. Craig Benson and the Executive Council confirmed Thornton, of Moultonborough, as presiding justice of the FDC on March 24. Sworn in a week later, he fills the vacancy left by Tilson, who recently retired. Thornton had to make an emotionally hard career decision to accept the judgeship. "It is difficult to be a judge and a lawyer," he explains. "The logistics of it are tough." The former part-time special justice of the Derry District Court, serving from 1987-2004, retired as one of the principals of Thornton & Thornton upon his full-time appointment to the FDC bench. He says the most challenging aspect of juggling careers on both sides of the bench was schedule conflict. Court duty often interfered with his ability to cover for his law partners or left them assisting with some of his casework. "It finally reached critical mass and I decided that I had to choose one over the other." He chose the judgeship because he "enjoyed being involved in the resolution of problems." The Manchester-based law firm is still being operated by Thornton’s brother William G. Thornton and was founded by his father, also Edward R. Thornton. Another attorney, Mark G. May, joined the firm as a partner in the 1980s and left to start his own practice in 1998. Thornton received his JD from the University of Maine School of Law and an AB from Dartmouth College. The Moultonborough resident has been a member of the NH Bar for almost 40 years and has been recognized by the NHBA with a President’s Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Service in 1986 and President’s Award for Distinguished Service in 1988. The NH Trial Lawyers Association, where he is a charter member and served as president from 1983-84, named him Member of the Decade in 1988.
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