The judicial conduct committee -- or JCC � has lost two members to resignation. Chairman David Hodges and Member John Newsom say that with a reconfigured conduct commission in the offing, now�s the time to make way. NHPR�s Josh Rogers has more.
While the departed committee members both say they relish moving on, they began their days as what they termed �ordinary citizens� by issuing a lengthy reflection on their commission tenures.�..Their written statement stresses that the conduct committee was been widely misrepresented and misunderstood. John Newsom says he�s well aware the duo�s six-page missive could meet a similar end, but allowed the record needs to be set straight.
This may be an inappropriate statement for us to have made, but I insist that there have been intensely critical appraisals of out work out there and I�m not a paranoid character, I�m just a concerned citizen. It my take on it.
Newsom�s take on things includes a zealous defense of the JCC�s rules of confidentiality as appropriate due process, and a touting of the commissions� track record in properly policing judicial misconduct. He says he regrets as much has largely been lost on the general public.
The perception is that we are intensely secretive and deliberately so. That we are captive to the system and that we aren�t able to come to objective and tough-minded decisions.
Newsom says such an image has been propagated by players ranging from the media
How do you react to that�..It�just another god damn editorial in the Union Leader. Yeah, to some extent. However, some of the news reporters over there, I�ve had the impression that they knew what they were going to write before the wrote it. They weren�t looking for the news they were looking to substantiate a point of view.
To Governor Jeanne Shaheen
The governor said just two days ago that we were living in a world of secrecy�.That�s highly pejorative.
To lawmakers dead set on making things tough on the judiciary.
I think that they�re scornful of it. I don�t think they have a proper respect for the chief justice, for what ever reasons. Whether it�s the Claremont decision, or whether they don�t like him personally I don�t know. But I think the impeachment was inappropriate.
But according to Henry Mock chairman of the house judiciary committee investigation that lead to last years� impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice David Brock, Newsom�s allegations are ill founded. And as for the Brock impeachment itself, Mock assures Claremont had nothing to do with it.
That all sounds good and it�s good rhetoric. But I don�t believe the Claremont decision had anything to do with Chief Justice Brock�s recusal policy. I don�t believe the Claremont decision had anything to do with the replacement Judges for Justice Thayer�s divorce case�.and I could go on and on.
So too, for the time being will speculation concerning the future of the JCC itself. Last week, Governor Shaheen signed into law a plan to take the commission out from under Supreme Court oversight. But earlier this year the Judiciary proposed it�s own reforms. Those would give the commission it�s own offices and staff, while retaining the high court�s ultimate authority over the body�s rulemaking. While the court has yet to indicate whether it will adopt the legislature�s proposal, that plan is set to take effect on September 1st. Meanwhile, the JCC is investigating allegations that associate Justices John Broderick and James Duggan improperly interfered in the committee�s investigation of Chief Justice Brock. That ongoing inquiry proceeds with the court�s full cooperation.
