Chapter 496: Terms of the Superior Court

I. Terms of the superior court shall be held annually at the following places in the following counties or judicial districts thereof:

(a) For the county of Belknap: At Laconia.

(b) For the county of Carroll: At Ossipee.

(c) For the county of Cheshire: At Keene.

(d) For the county of Coos: At Lancaster.

(e) For the county of Grafton: At North Haverhill in the Town of Haverhill.

(f) For the county of Hillsborough: At Manchester for the northern judicial district and at Nashua for the southern judicial district. The northern judicial district shall include and serve the city of Manchester and the towns of Amherst, Antrim, Bedford, Bennington, Deering, Francestown, Goffstown, Greenfield, Hancock, Hillsborough, Lyndeborough, Mont Vernon, New Boston, Peterborough, Weare and Windsor. The southern judicial district shall include and serve the city of Nashua and the towns of Brookline, Greenville, Hollis, Hudson, Litchfield, Mason, Merrimack, Milford, New Ipswich, Pelham, Sharon, Temple and Wilton.

(g) For the county of Merrimack: At Concord.

(h) For the county of Rockingham: At Brentwood.

(i) For the county of Strafford: At Dover.

(j) For the county of Sullivan: At Newport.

II. The times for holding the terms of court at the places designated in each county shall be established by rule of the superior court, which shall provide for the holding of not less than 2 terms annually in each county.

III. For offenses committed on or after the effective date of this paragraph in the county of Hillsborough, where the trial is scheduled at a time when the courthouse for the northern judicial district of the county of Hillsborough is closed for renovations, the judicial district for purposes of part I, article 17 of the New Hampshire Constitution, as well as for jury selection pursuant to RSA 500-A:2, shall be the entire county of Hillsborough.

IV. For civil jury trials in the county of Hillsborough, where the trial is scheduled at a time when the courthouse for the northern judicial district of the county of Hillsborough is closed for renovations, the judicial district for purposes of jury selection pursuant to RSA 500-A:2, shall be the entire county of Hillsborough.

In counties having more than one place for holding terms, the court may, for the convenience of parties, adjourn its sitting to any other of the places in such county designated for holding terms.

When such adjournment involves transferring the jury, jurors so transferred shall be entitled to such extra mileage as may be reasonable, to be determined by the presiding justice.

The clerk of court, and the sheriff and his deputies in attendance, shall, upon such adjournment, be allowed such extra compensation as may be reasonable, to be determined by the presiding justice.