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For Immediate Release
Posted: May 12, 2020

Contact

Susan Warner, Communications Manager
(802) 299-6945 | SWarner@courts.state.nh.us

Supreme Court Orders Closure of Plaistow Circuit Court

Building does not meet security or ADA requirements

CONCORD, NH – The New Hampshire Supreme Court has issued an order for the closure of the Plaistow Circuit Court, effective June 30, 2020.  The Elm Street building, which houses the District Division of the 10th Circuit Court, has physical limitations which prevent it from meeting ADA accessibility requirements and presents significant security concerns.  Family Division cases from this jurisdiction have always been held at other locations, due to the limitations of the building.  The boards of selectmen and Police Chiefs of the affected towns, as well as local legislators, were notified in January that the facility had failed accreditation by the New Hampshire Court Accreditation Commission following results of inspections by the Commission, the Governor’s Commission on Disability, the U.S. Marshal Service, and the Office of the New Hampshire Fire Marshal.

The Administrative Judge of the Circuit Court, David D. King, commented on the reason behind the court closure, “The Court determined that because the building presented significant issues both for mobility-challenged citizens and for the security of the public and court staff, which could not be rectified within the footprint of the existing building, the state would not pursue a renewal of the lease which expires at the end of June.  The last day of hearings in Plaistow will be June 15, 2020, after which all district and family division matters arising out of the Plaistow jurisdiction will be divided between our courthouses in Salem and Brentwood.”

King added, “We regret having to close a facility that was important to the Plaistow community but recognize that ensuring safe and ADA-accessible access to courthouses is critical for all members of the public.  Fortunately, we were able to provide all stakeholders with notice back in January so that we could all plan in advance for this move.”

For more information, see the closure order on the New Hampshire Judicial Branch website.

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