Also on today’s menu:
Hanging Hate Case On ‘Trespass’ Is Unconstitutional
Christie Takes On Trump In Campaign Kick-Off
Two Killed During Virginia Graduation Ceremony
Edward “Ned” Gordon of Bristol, a former senator, representative, and judge, along with Margaret Huang, alternative dispute resolution coordinator within the New Hampshire Office of Mediation and Arbitration, advocated for changes in the court system’s Family Division to help resolve cases involving divorce, parenting, child support, domestic violence, guardianship of minors, termination of parental rights, abuse and neglect, children in need of services, juvenile delinquency, and adoptions.
Speaking before a special legislative committee, Gordon said the court has long recognized that standard trial procedures are not always the best way to solve highly emotional family disputes. The state once had a system of marital masters who had practiced family law and knew that aspect of the law. As a state senator, Gordon had pushed for the creation of the Family Division, with pilot programs in Rockingham and Grafton counties that had a single judge hearing those cases. “Now we are appointing judges with no experience in family law and I think that is an issue we should look at,” he said.
Court staffing is another problem, he said. “I’ve seen orders ruled on and not sent out for two or three weeks or longer. That is not acceptable when dealing with families and children.”
Gordon now is involved in a new effort, the Neutral Case Evaluation program, in which retired judges such as he are available to help parties understand the process, how a judge would likely rule if the case goes to court, and whether they would be better off with a settlement, all without charge.
Huang said mediation also is a voluntary, informal process to work out decisions, providing an opportunity to resolve the concerns of parents and children.
Hanging Hate Case On ‘Trespass’ Is Unconstitutional
Rockingham County Superior Court Judge David Ruoff has ruled that the state took an unconstitutional approach to its case against Christopher Hood, Leo Anthony Cullinan, and the Neo-Nazi group NSC-131 when it argued that they violated the Civil Rights Act by hanging a banner proclaiming “Keep New England White” on a Route 1 overpass in Portsmouth last summer. The civil case alleged that the group trespassed on public property to hang the banner.
“The conduct alleged in the Complaints, while reprehensible by most civilized standards, does not fit any definition of ‘trespass’ other than the one the Court has concluded is unconstitutional (at least as to public property,)” Ruoff wrote. He gave the state 10 days to challenge his ruling.
Michael Garrity, communications director for the Attorney-General, said, “We will be filing a motion for reconsideration within the 10-day deadline.”
Absent the trespass argument, the state would have a hard time proving the action constituted a crime, given the free-speech guarantees of the First Amendment.
Christie Takes On Trump In Campaign Kick-Off
Steve Schmidt was right: “After all, in a real fight it would be foolish to bet against someone from New Jersey in a fight against a spoiled, rich kid from Queens.”
Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie launched his presidential campaign in Manchester on June 6, taking on Donald Trump. “The person I am talking about, who is obsessed with the mirror, who never admits a mistake, who never admits a fault, who always finds someone else and something else to blame for whatever goes wrong — but finds every reason to take credit for anything that goes right — is Donald Trump,” he said during his announcement at Saint Anselm College.
Christie ran for president and lost to Trump in 2016, going on to become a close off-and-on adviser before breaking with the former president over Trump’s refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election. Now Christie is out to keep Trump from winning a second term.
“There’s a big argument in our country right now about whether character matters, and we have leaders who have shown us over and over again that not only are they devoid of character, they don’t care,” Christie said. “We can’t dismiss the question of character anymore, everybody. If we do, we get what we deserve, and we will have to own it.”
Two Killed During Virginia Graduation Ceremony
An 18-year-old man who was graduating from Richmond Public Schools in Virginia and his 36-year-old father were killed, and five others were injured, in a shooting outside the Altria Theater on June 6.
A 19-year-old believed to have known at least one of the victims was arrested as he tried to flee on foot, and he will be charged with at least two counts of second-degree murder, police said. Police, who did not fire their weapons when apprehending him, recovered several guns.
A 31-year-old who was shot sustained life-threatening injuries and is in a critical condition, while four males, aged 14, 32, 55, and 58, were injured but are stable, according to the BBC.
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