Budget Resource
Center

...providing state budgets, reports, and current news to help the court community make informed budgetary decisions.

New Hampshire

Actions Underway

• New Hampshire is a state-funded court system. New Hampshire’s budget was reduced by $2 million (less than 4%) in FY09.  The Legislature has not yet established the FY10 budget.
• New Hampshire has 7 judicial vacancies (out of 59 positions) and is holding 54 non-judicial positions vacant (out of 614 positions.)  New Hampshire has given non-judicial employees the opportunity to take voluntary unpaid furloughs and has given judges and masters the ability to take unpaid leave.
• The Court eliminated court reporters and now relies exclusively on digital audio recording.
• In December of 2008, court employees who are age and service eligible were offered the opportunity to retire with the possibility of being rehired at fewer hours in the same or different positions.
• New Hampshire has postponed jury trials, asked the Governor to refrain from nominating people to fill vacancies on the bench,  instituted a hiring freeze by order of the Supreme Court, curtailed out of state travel, reduced travel reimbursement rates, ceased paying professional dues, and reduced use of part-time judges in the district courts and family division.
• New Hampshire is proposing the creation of a dedicated fund for information technology maintenance, saving $1.8 million in FY 2010 General Fund expense.  NH is considering raising an additional $2 million in fees.  New Hampshire is supporting consolidation of 6 courts to save lease expenditures.
• Earmarked court revenue in FY09 and FY10 includes $340 thousand (7% of filing fees) for facilities improvements; $250 thousand from marital filing fees for guardian ad litem expense; $300 thousand in fees and registrations to fund ADR; $110 thousand from defaulted defendants in criminal cases and violations to be used for court purposes; $70 thousand in pro hac vice fees and copying fees for the law library; and $70 thousand in fees to pay service costs in probate cases.
• In addition, New Hampshire is proposing a dedicated IT fund which would use a penalty assessment increase in criminal fines and a filing fee increase in civil cases to pay for IT infrastructure maintenance, about $1.8 million annually.
• New Hampshire is implementing an integrated electronic case management system and is moving towards video conferencing, video arraignments and digital recording.
• New Hampshire is consolidating financial and clerical functions.

Reports and Articles

• Elaine Grant. "Superior Court Struggles with Shortage of Judges, Staff." NHPR.org. June 17, 2009.
• Daniel Barrick. "Court Cases Unresolved; Judges Few." Concord Monitor. June 12, 2009.
• "Judicial Branch: 2010 - 2011 Budget Presentation." State of New Hampshire Senate Finance Committe. April 24, 2009.
• "Capital Comments: NH Courts Suffer Under Budget Constraints." Sunapee News. March 30, 2009.
• "Chief Justice Says Court System is Under "Maximum Stress" But “Doing all it Can ” To Serve The Public." News Release: Judicial Branch, State of New Hampshire. March 25, 2009.
• Norma Love. "Top N.H. Judge Tells Lawmakers Courts Are Stressed." Seacoastonline.com. March 25, 2009.
• Norma Love. "Financial Woes Delay Justice for State Courts." Seacoastonline.com. February 27, 2009.
• Elizabeth Dinan. "Chief Justice Pushes Frugality to Avoid Court Layoffs." Seacoastonline.com. February 24, 2009.
• Tom Moroney. "'Justice Denied' in New Hampshire as Recession Delays Law Cases." Bloomberg.com. February 12, 2009.
• Katie Zezima. "Governor Proposes Closing 8 Courts in New Hampshire." The New Yor Times. February 12, 2009.
• Abby Goodnough. "Jury Trials to Be Halted in One State Feeling Pinch." The New York Times. December 8, 2008.
• John T. Broderick, Jr. "Budget Cuts Letter to the Governor." The State of New Hampshire Supreme Court. November 18, 2008.

Gavel to Gavel

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State Links

• Court Budget Web Sites
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• State Budgets for 2009
• State Budget Offices