Reprinted with permission from the Dec. 13, 2004, Dover edition of Foster’s Daily Democrat.

Sitting behind his desk on a Wednesday afternoon, Stephen Morrison took a break from wrapping up any unfinished business in the law firm he has spent the past 15 years building up. On Friday [Dec. 10], Morrison left his firm permanently and today he takes the bench as presiding justice of Dover District Court.

Morrison is no stranger to the district court on St. Thomas Street, about a mile from his office. He spent the last 18 years as a special justice under Judge Robert Cullinane, who retired on Friday.

With only two full days left, Morrison was spending his time at his Central Avenue office at Gregoire, Morrison & Indorf introducing his clients to his law partner, Ronald Indorf, and tending to stacks of paper scattered in his modest-looking office.

Morrison’s appointment was up in the air for a short time after questions were raised about whether his confirmation should be delayed until Gov.-elect John Lynch takes office in January. The confirmation process went on and Morrison was the only judicial nominee out of four to get unanimous support from the Executive Council.

He was confident after his 18 years in Dover District Court and what he considers to be a good relationship with prosecutors and the defense bar. "This is something I looked forward to for a long time," he said. "To have it not work out would have been very disappointing."

At first glance, Morrison looks less like a judge than a high school teacher. He doesn’t wear designer suits, but khaki pants, a white button-down shirt and a tie. Morrison doesn’t claim to be perfect on the bench and understands that judges, like all people, are fallible. "When they give you a robe, they don’t give you a crystal ball too," Morrison said. "You can’t always make the right decision ... but I’ve always made what I thought was the right decision."

Like his predecessor, Cullinane, Morrison sees the district court system as the people’s court since it is where the state’s general population most often encounters judicial process. Because of that, Morrison is conscious of how he must treat each defendant brought before him, whether in a shirt and tie or jail garb and handcuffs. He admits it may be difficult at times, but he makes it a point to make sure the person before him knows he’s listening and he cares about what they have to say.

When asked in his opinion what makes a good judge, he responded: "Someone who listens, is fair and someone that could use common sense to provide the greatest degree of justice." Like Cullinane, who grew up in Somersworth — one of the three communities served at Dover District Court — Morrison also has deep roots in the area. He was born and raised in Dover and went through the public school system until high school when he went on to graduate from St. Thomas Aquinas High School. He still lives in Dover with his wife, Susan, of 32 years. They have three children together.

Morrison’s law career didn’t necessarily start out of a strong conviction. After graduating from Assumption College in Worcester, Mass., in 1970, he decided he would give law school a try for one year. He enrolled at Suffolk University Law School in Boston and after the first year, he decided to continue on to his second. He finished school his third year and was admitted into the bar.

He spent the first five years of his career as a prosecutor in the Strafford County Attorney’s Office and switched to the other side of the aisle when he started his own private practice dealing mostly in criminal law. Before spending one year as Dover’s city attorney, he started a law firm, Gregoire, Calivas, Morrison and Indorf in 1979. He continued dealing mostly with criminal cases until 1986, when he was selected to be special justice.

While he could have continued practicing criminal law at the superior court level, he opted to end that field and deal mostly in domestic matters, personal injury cases and business issues. His decision stemmed from the fact he would have been dealing with the same police officers as an attorney in Superior Court and as a district court judge.

As he begins his new full-time job, Morrison will see to a number of issues affecting his court. The number of defendants who represent themselves continues to increase and is putting a strain on the system, he says. Another recent issue is a mediation program started in small claims court, which has helped to alleviate the case load. He hopes a similar program can soon be implemented in landlord-tenant issues.

As his time as an attorney wound down (he made his last appearance at Strafford County Superior Court on Wednesday morning), Morrison credits Indorf for helping to make his transition easier as his legal partner begins to take on his cases. He will also miss his clients, office staff and especially his secretary for the past 6 years, Susan Sirois.

Morrison will especially miss Cullinane, whom he describes as a wonderful mentor."It will be very difficult to walk in on Monday without Bob (Cullinane)," he said.

Cullinane offered similar appreciative words. "As I conclude my 32 years of service in Dover District Court, I have every confidence that the (court) will be in good hands with one of the most capable judges I know, Judge Morrison," Cullinane said. "Steve (Morrison) is competent, conscientious, dedicated and compassionate. He really is an outstanding judge and there is a lot of respect on both sides of the aisle."

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