Three New Magistrates Sworn Into Office

Concord, NH – New Hampshire Circuit Court Administrative Judge Ellen V. Christo today swore into office three new full-time Magistrates, Jaye Duncan, Stephanie Johnson and Frank Weeks.  The new Magistrates were appointed for five-year terms by Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Gordon J. MacDonald, in consultation with Judge Christo and Superior Court Chief Justice Mark E. Howard.   

The position of Magistrate is new to the Judicial Branch.  It was established by House Bill 318 (codified at RSA chapter 491-B), enacted earlier this year.   In creating this position, the Legislature intended to ensure that a person arrested on a serious offense would appear before a Magistrate within 24 hours of arrest, including weekends and holidays. 

Pursuant to the new statute, earlier this year, the Supreme Court issued an Administrative Order establishing the scope of authority, work schedule, qualifications, training requirements and compensation for Magistrates.  Chief Justice Howard led a selection committee that recommended the appointment of the new Magistrates.  More about the new Magistrates:

Attorney Jaye Duncan: Attorney Duncan is currently with the New Hampshire Public Defender in Manchester.  She has extensive experience in criminal litigation, including a brief tenure as an Assistant County Attorney in the Rockingham County Attorney’s office.

Attorney Frank Weeks:  Attorney Weeks is currently a certified police officer with the University of New Hampshire Police Department in Durham.  He holds the rank of Captain.  He has both a law degree and an Executive MPA.  He has prosecuted thousands of cases in the Circuit Courts and has extensive experience with self-represented defendants.

Attorney Stephanie Johnson: Attorney Johnson is currently in private civil practice in Portsmouth.  She served many years as an Assistant County Attorney in Rockingham, as well an Assistant Attorney General in the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the New Hampshire Department of Justice.

“We were fortunate to have many qualified candidates with wide and varied experience in the law who applied for these new and important roles,” said Judge Howard. “Serving as a Magistrate primarily in criminal cases will not be an easy task, and there is a high volume of cases that need to be processed. The Magistrates will serve a critical function to give the Judicial Branch more capacity to process these cases more efficiently. They will also simultaneously need to make accurate assessments of which defendants are a risk and need to be held in custody, and who can be released without jeopardizing public safety under appropriate conditions of release. We are confident we have chosen accomplished legal professionals who understand the important responsibility they will soon take on, and we look forward to fully implementing our piece of the new law.”

Chief Justice MacDonald has delegated administrative authority over the Magistrates to Administrative Judge Christo.  The new Magistrates will begin extensive training today in order to prepare for assuming their new duties as of January 1, 2025.

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