The Heartless NH Justice System, and the Bureaucrats Who Run it

by Sam Dodson | Oct 20, 2009 | 17 comments

While in the Cheshire County Jail, I requested to use the law library on a few occasions to defend myself. The requests were generally approved after anywhere from 3-8 days later after several follow-up requests, and in one case, a petition signed by 20 other prisoners.

Unfortunately the law library at the jail is severely deficient. The New Hampshire RSA set, updated last in ’94, has volumes missing. They have the RSA’s on one computer, which was down for weeks, but that doesn’t include much useful case law.

The Federal code volumes are from the 50’s and have more volumes missing than on the shelves. The NH court rules haven’t been updated since 1979, and that’s important because they have added hoops to jump through to call witnesses in your own defense, which are not even in the 1979 rules. The Keene city ordinances are nowhere in sight,  and several activists continue to be charged with them.

While in the Jail Richard Van Wickler said it’s not his responsibility, and that I should call the Public Defenders office because they maintain the law library, and they have assured him that it’s up to date.

Today I called and spoke with Jan who has managed the Public Defenders office for over 20 years.

Guess what, they have never been responsible for the law library at the jail. (more…)