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N.H. High Court To Hear Texting While Driving Case

IntelFreePress via Flickr Creative Commons

New Hampshire's Supreme Court will decide whether reading a text message while driving is a crime, even though it's not barred by law.

Thirty-year-old Chad Belleville, of Barnstead, is serving a 3 ½-to-7-year sentence for second-degree assault and vehicular assault related to a December 2010 car accident in Pittsfield that seriously injured a teenager.

Belleville's lawyer argues that reading a text message on his phone amounted to a momentary distraction, not reckless or negligent conduct.

State prosecutors maintain that Belleville was so inattentive that he crossed a median lane and didn't realize he almost struck one car before hitting the victim's car.

The court will hear arguments Thursday at Concord High School in its "On the Road" series to educate the public about the court.

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