MANCHESTER, N.H.- New Hampshire Supreme Court Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald has resigned from the state’s high court.
According to a press release the associate justices of learned Tuesday morning that a specially assigned panel of justices approved a Stipulation and Agreement resolving a judicial conduct matter involving
MacDonald.
As for what exactly why MacDonald was under investigation by the Judicial Conduct Committee, officials say it was due to his actions related to the employment and performance of his former Administrative Director Dianne Martin, who was laid off and then rehired 48 hours later in a new position as general counsel to the Office of Bar Admissions. And during that time Martin reportedly received $50,000 in unused sick and vacation time, along with other benefits due to the fact she was laid off.
As a result, the Judicial Conduct Committee came to an agreement with MacDonald, allowing him to resign if he admitted to violating three provisions of the Code of Judicial Conduct, for failing to avoid any appearance of impropriety, bypassing rules and procedures of the Judicial Branch in extending a position to Martin without the same process required of every other employees in that branch and failing to exercise the power of administrative appointment impartially.
Following word that the JCC and MacDonald had reached an agreement Governor Kelly Ayotte said she would accept MacDonanld’s resignation, effective immediately. and issued the following statement published Tuesday afternoon by WMUR-TV;
“It is essential that the Judicial Branch maintain the public’s trust in its mission to impartially adjudicate matters brought in front of the courts,” the governor said in a written statement. “I am extremely disappointed to learn today of the former Chief Justice’s violations of the Judicial Code of Conduct, and I received his resignation this morning.”
The news comes as MacDonald had been on a medical leave since July 24, which resulted in four associate justices assuming his responsibilities with respect to the administration of the courts.
