Retirements and other circumstances that are keeping judges off the bench are straining the resources of the district courts. The situation will ease if judicial nominations made by Gov. Benson are approved either before he leaves office, or are accepted by Gov. Lynch.

By the end of this year, three of 20 full-time judges will have retired, including Lawrence Warhall of Derry (see Nov. 5 Bar News), Cullinane, and Arthur Robbins of Concord (see next issue of Bar News.) Two other judges are not currently sitting: Franklin Jones remains on suspension for disciplinary reasons and another judge, Edward Thornton of Franklin is on extended leave due to illness. A full-time position in Nashua has also not been filled.

District Court Administrative Judge Edwin Kelly said the system's 45 part-time judges are helping to fill the gap, but the system is extremely shorthanded. "The situation is critical," wrote Kelly in an email to Bar News. "We will do the best we can to keep the courts in the affected areas staffed until additional appointments are made."

At presstime, on Wednesday, Nov. 10, Gov. Craig Benson nominated four attorneys for district court judgeships, three full-time:

• Army Maj. John Coughlin, of Mont Vernon, for the Derry District Court, replacing Judge Warhall. Coughlin, who was elected Hillsborough County Attorney in 2003 and then resigned after he was mobilized to active duty, has not yet returned from Iraq.

• Mario (Marc) Coro, of Milford, to the Nashua District Court, to fill the vacancy created by retirement of Judge Philip Howorth. Coro is a solo practitioner in Milford. He was admitted to the NH Bar in 1988.

• Stephen Morrison, currently associate justice, to Justice of Dover District Court, replacing Judge Cullinane. Morrison was first appointed to the Dover court in 1986.

• Stanley J. Mullaney, of Rochester, special justice, Dover District Court. He practices with the law firm of Mullaney & Richardson, and was admitted to the Bar in 1970. He fills a vacancy created by retirement last January of Judge Clyde Coolidge. His position would be part-time.

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