More people are being left in legal limbo due to increased caseloads, more complex cases and shortages of judges and clerical staff at New Hampshire’s Superior Courts.
Judges have 60 days to render a decision in any type of case after its final hearing. Superior Court Chief Justice Robert Lynn says there used to be one or two late decisions a month statewide a few years ago, but the average now is five to 10. Most of the time, judges are simply overworked.
Three decisions were overdue this month in Cheshire County. In Hillsborough County Superior Court South, there were four. In Hillsborough County Superior Court North, there were none, but a shortage of clerical staff means the decisions sometimes don’t get mailed for weeks.