Bar News - October 15, 2010
Candidates Air Views on Court Costs, Judicial Selection
By: Dan Wise
 | This year, for the first time, the Bar News circulated a brief survey to candidates seeking state office – the Governor’s office, Executive Council, and the NH Senate and House.
The survey sent to legislators sought candidates’ responses on:
- how to balance the financial realities of a strained state budget with the need to preserve fundamental rights of access to justice;
- concrete suggestions on how the courts can reduce costs without impairing essential functions;
- the importance of a community court presence balanced against the need to control costs;
- whether the candidate, if elected, would be willing to vote to close a courthouse in his or her community, and if so, what circumstances would persuade them to do that.
The Governor and Executive Council candidates also were asked whether they wished to maintain the judicial selection commission process now used to screen judicial candidates, and what qualities they seek in judicial nominees.
Read a selection of the candidates’ responses. Bar members are encouraged to contact legislative candidates to exchange views on issues of importance to them.
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