New Hampshire

As bail reform goes to negotiations, some say a compromise is finally possible • New Hampshire Bulletin

Published

2 years ago

June 4, 2024

As bail reform goes to negotiations, some say a compromise is finally possible • New Hampshire Bulletin

Ever since the New Hampshire Legislature passed a bill aimed at reducing the number of people held without bail in 2018, lawmakers – particularly Republican ones – have sought to roll it back. But among those seeking to limit who can be released on bail, divisions have emerged, and those disagreements have doomed past efforts.

This year, lawmakers are in the same position: considering a bill to reduce the availability of bail and wrestling over the best way to do it. But this time, some say a deal is closer than ever.

“It has taken years of debate to figure out how to fix our broken bail system but this bill now presents a solution to fix the problem,” argued Sen. Sharon Carson, the Senate majority leader and a Londonderry Republican, in a statement.

On Wednesday, House and Senate negotiators will meet to try to hammer out an agreement on House Bill 318. As passed by the House, that bill would have created a system that would allow magistrates to adjudicate bail issues when judges are unavailable, an idea intended to reduce the amount of time people have to wait behind bars after being arrested.

The House bill would have also required that people charged with a series of felonies be held in jail until they can be seen by a judge or magistrate. Currently, people who are arrested during non-court hours may be seen by a bail commissioner, who may make an initial determination of whether they can be released before seeing a judge. The House bill would block the bail commissioner option for those charged with certain felonies.

To House representatives, the legislation was intended as a compromise with the Senate. It came after months of efforts to cobble together a bill that could please both chambers. And it included most – but not all – of the 13 felonies and misdemeanor charges that Senate President Jeb Bradley had requested lead to automatic jail time until the defendant’s arraignment.

But the Senate has made its own tweaks to the compromise bill. And now, the matter is getting another round of negotiations.

Here are some of the sticking points.

The standard of evidence

One major difference between the House and Senate versions of the bill is how much evidence the judge would be required to see before holding someone charged with a violent felony without bail.

Currently, the standard is high. In order to deny bail, a judge must determine by “clear and convincing evidence” that releasing the defendant “will endanger the safety of that person or the public.”

But there is another, easier, standard to meet: “preponderance of the evidence,” in which the judge need only determine that the risk of danger is more likely true than not true.

The House had sought to create a new category – “substantial evidence” – to serve as a middle ground. Substantial evidence is defined as “more than a preponderance of evidence and less than clear and convincing evidence.”

But the Senate wants to lower the standard for bail denial down to preponderance of the evidence for all those charged with violent felonies.

The question of magistrates

Recently, bail reform proponents have pushed one recurring idea: adding magistrates to the system. Magistrates would present an alternative to judges when it comes to holding arraignments, potentially reducing the amount of time defendants are waiting in jail without bail, advocates say.

Both the House and the Senate’s bills require the judicial branch to hire magistrates, and both would require the branch to determine the cost of doing so and would authorize funding for it out of the state’s general fund. But the Senate would require at least three, and the House would require at least 10.

Both the House and the Senate bills would require either a judge or a magistrate to hold the arraignment within 24 hours of their arrest. But the Senate would also allow the magistrate to hold telephonic arraignments. Under the Senate bill, if a defendant wanted to appeal the magistrate’s telephonic hearing, they could request a new hearing in person.

Electronic monitoring and protective orders

The House version of the bill would require courts to order electronic monitoring of any defendant who is the subject of a domestic violence or stalking protective order. Currently, electronic monitoring is an option for judges in those cases, but not mandatory.

Under the House bill, defendants would be responsible for covering the cost of that monitoring, unless the court determined that the defendant couldn’t afford to do so. The state’s counties would develop criteria to determine when a defendant was sufficiently indigent.

The House bill would also require police departments to attempt to contact the alleged victim within an hour, to warn them if a bail commissioner was releasing the defendant ahead of their arraignment.

The Senate removed many of those provisions from the bill – including the requirement that courts order electronic monitoring.

Paying bail commissioners

New Hampshire’s bail commissioners are meant to earn $40 for each defendant for whom they hold a hearing. But commissioners must collect that fee from the defendant directly, and many have testified that the defendant does not have it when arrested, making recovery very difficult.

Both the Senate and the House bills would change the system so bail commissioners would be paid directly by the court, instead of the defendant; the court would then be responsible for collecting the fee from the defendant. And both chambers’ bills raise the payout to $50 per bail commissioner visit. But while the House bill would pay the commissioners on a monthly basis, the Senate bill would pay them every 90 days.

A ‘political reality’

For advocates of rolling back or limiting the state’s 2018 bail reform, the proposed compromises in the House and Senate are welcome: They allow courts to more easily hold defendants of violent crime.

“No one should be denied bail solely because they cannot afford it. This bill does not change that,” said Sen. Daryl Abbas, a Salem Republican, in a May 16 statement. “However, defendants accused of violent crimes should go in front of a judge to determine if they are a threat to the public. This bill is a comprehensive solution to a complex problem we are facing, and it is critical we pass this bill to ensure the safety of our state.”

And for supporters of the 2018 bail reform, the bills offer measures that could ensure defendants of other crimes are released more quickly after their arrest, allowing them to return to their lives.

If it were up to Buzz Scherr, professor and chairman of the International Criminal Law and Justice Program at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law, lawmakers wouldn’t be changing anything about the 2018 law. Scherr, who has followed and testified on the bills for years, has pointed to falling crime rates in New Hampshire in recent years as evidence that the 2018 law has not made the state less safe and that reforms aren’t needed.

But, said Scherr in an interview: “That’s not political reality. That’s just not going to happen.”

Of the two proposals for reform, Scherr personally prefers the House version – which he terms the “grand bargain” – and argues that the lower evidentiary standard for holding a defendant in the Senate version would lead to more people being held after being arrested, “but not necessarily the right people.”

Those who want to pare back bail reform have argued that police departments have been overwhelmed with defendants who are released and reoffend. But Scherr said the impact of making bail stricter could upend individuals’ lives in the interest of cracking down. If people are held in jail for days or weeks after their arrest, they can lose everything – even if they are ultimately found not guilty at the end of the trial.

“You’re going to hold people who shouldn’t be held,” he said. “And it’s going to ruin their lives.”

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New Hampshire

Pakistan hosts diplomatic discussions on ending war

Published

11 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Pakistan hosts diplomatic discussions on ending war

Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt will meet in Islamabad today in an attempt to come up with a plan to de-escalate the Iran war.

The meeting comes as several thousand more U.S. troops arrived in the region and after another group got involved in the expanding conflict: Yemen’s Houthis.

The Iran-backed Houthis launched missiles towards Israel, and there’s concern their involvement could threaten another vital global shipping lane in the Red Sea.

Here are more updates on day 30 of the Iran war.

Diplomacy Push in Pakistan

The four foreign ministers from regional powers will meet in Islamabad today and Monday for a push towards diplomacy to end the war.

In a statement ahead of the meeting, the Egyptian government said: “Discussions are expected to focus on recent developments related to regional military escalation and ongoing diplomatic efforts to contain tensions and promote de-escalation.”

“The talks come amid heightened concerns about regional stability, with participating countries seeking to coordinate their stances and support political solutions to emerging crises,” it added.

Whether whatever consensus the countries known as “the quad” come up with will be accepted by the US, Israel, and Iran is another question.

Pakistan has emerged as a possible peace-broker in the conflict, passing messages between the U.S. and Tehran. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Saturday that “dialogue, diplomacy, and such confidence-building measures are the only way forward.”

Dar also welcomed the fact Iran has agreed to allow 20 Pakistan-flagged ships – or two a day – through the Strait of Hormuz.

Houthis enter war

Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen launched the first missile they have fired since the war began toward Israel on Saturday. Israel’s military successfully intercepted it but the Houthis’ attack opens another front in a war that has now moved into its second month.

Up until Saturday’s missile launch the Houthis had stayed out of this war. But a Houthi spokesman said attacks will continue until “the aggression on all resistance fronts stops.”

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs / AP

In this photo released by the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, left, meets with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, March 29, 2026.

The Yemen-based rebels were active during Israel’s war in Gaza, firing on cargo ships in the Red Sea and disrupting global commercial traffic.

With Iran essentially blockading the Strait of Hormuz, driving up global oil prices, there are concerns that if the Houthis start attacking ships in the Red Sea again global shipping will be even more disrupted.

Iran also hit multiple sites around Tel Aviv and Jerusalem Saturday and Israel’s military says Iran is increasingly using cluster bombs.

Designed to detonate at high altitude the munition disperses dozens of smaller bombs that are more challenging for Israel’s multi-layered air defense system to intercept and can cause damage over a wider area.

Dozens of countries have signed onto a cluster munitions treaty banning the weapons – except Iran, Israel and the U.S.

Iran threatens U.S. universities in region

Iranian authorities and residents say more airstrikes hit them overnight. Social media videos from across Iran showed strikes hitting all over the country.

Israel’s military said it had completed what it called a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting weapons production and storage sites.

Iran claims U.S.-Israeli strikes hit a Tehran university over the weekend and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened American university campuses in the Middle East in retaliation.

“We advise all employees, professors, and students of American universities in the region and residents of their surrounding areas” to stay a kilometer away from campuses, the statement, carried by Iranian media, said.

Several US universities have campuses in the Gulf, including New York University in the United Arab Emirates and Texas A&M University, among others, in Qatar.

Meanwhile, Iran continues to fire drones and missiles at Gulf countries, with Kuwait saying it was intercepting missile and drone attacks early Sunday. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed ten drones.

Iran also claimed it had attacked two major aluminium sites in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Emirates Global Aluminium confirmed an Iranian attack wounded several and caused significant damage to its plant.

U.S. Troops injured, more arrive

At least 15 U.S. service members were wounded Friday in an Iranian strike on a Saudi air base that hosts American troops, according to the Associated Press, including at least five in serious condition. The missile and drone strikes targeted Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan air base, located outside the capital Riyadh.

A first responder assists an injured boy following a strike that hit a residential building amid the U.S.-Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, March 28, 2026.

Iran has targeted U.S. service members at bases throughout the region since the war began a month ago, in retaliation for the U.S. attacks and seeking to drive troops out of the region. Overall, the Pentagon has put the U.S. casualty toll at 13 killed and more than 300 injured.

On Saturday, troops from the Japan-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, made up of around 3,500 sailors and Marines, arrived in the Middle East, according to U.S. Central Command.

The U.S. military will not say where and how they might be deployed. Thousands more soldiers from the U.S. military’s 82nd Airborne Division are also expected to be deployed.

Journalists killed in Lebanon

Three Lebanese journalists covering the Israeli invasion of the country’s south were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Jezzine.

Women hold posters showing Al-Mayadeen TV reporter Fatima Ftouni, left, and, in another poster, Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV correspondent Ali Shoeib, center, and cameraman Ali Ftouni during their funeral at a temporary cemetery in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, March 29, 2026. — Women hold posters showing Al-Mayadeen TV reporter Fatima Ftouni, left, and, in another poster, Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV correspondent Ali Shoeib, center, and cameraman Ali Ftouni during their funeral at a temporary cemetery in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, March 29, 2026.

One of them worked for a TV channel affiliated with Hezbollah and Israel accuses him of being a militant rather than a journalist – but has not provided evidence. The journalist Israel says it targeted was Ali Shaeb, a veteran TV correspondent and household name in Lebanon. After killing him, Israel’s military issued a statement accusing him of exposing the locations of Israeli troops.

The other two journalists killed were siblings, TV correspondent Fatima Ftouni and her cameraman brother, Mohammed Ftouni. Afterward their father appeared on TV, saying he was proud of his children.

All three had been covering Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon.

Lebanese officials called the attack a flagrant violation of international law, and said they’re complaining to the UN Security Council. Hundreds of fellow journalists marched at a protest vigil in Lebanon’s capital.

The three journalists were among at least 47 people killed Saturday in Israeli attacks, according to Lebanese health officials.

Nine of those killed were paramedics, which the head of the World Health Organization called “a tragedy,” noting health workers are protected under international law.

Residents inspect their home after it was struck by an Iranian missile in Eshtaol, central Israel, Saturday, March 28, 2026.

Israel has intensified its attacks across Lebanon, mostly in the South, where Israeli ground troops are moving northward to try to oust Hezbollah militants.

Another Israeli soldier was also killed in Lebanon, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing his condolences on X over the weekend.

Developments in Syria, Iraq

The war is spreading to more parts of the Middle East. On Sunday, Syria said it had intercepted a drone strike from Iraq targeting a U.S. military base. Pro-Iran Iraqi groups have claimed responsibility for some attacks on US interests.

Separately, the Syrian and UAE governments condemned an attack targeting the residence of the Kurdish region’s president Nechirvan Barzani.

French President Emmanuel Macron also condemned the attack saying: “The sovereignty of Iraq, and of Kurdistan within it, is essential to regional stability. Everything must be done to prevent Iraq from being drawn into the ongoing escalation.”

On Sunday, the Israeli army said it had launched its “first” attack into Lebanon from Syria.

Jane Arraf in Amman, Emily Feng in Van, Turkey, Lauren Frayer in Jezzine, Lebanon, Carrie Khan in Tel Aviv, and Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg contributed to this report.

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New Hampshire

Abandoned Camper Fire On South Main Street Knocked Down By Concord Fire And Rescue Teams

Published

23 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Abandoned Camper Fire On South Main Street Knocked Down By Concord Fire And Rescue Teams

CONCORD, NH — The Concord Fire Department is investigating the cause of a camper fire on South Main Street late Friday night.

Around 11:30 p.m., fire and rescue teams were sent to South Main Street, not far from Langdon Avenue, for a report of a camper on fire. Dispatch said it was unknown if anyone was inside or if the camper was abandoned.

“We have a couple of calls on it,” a dispatcher said. “It’s fully involved.”

A few minutes later, the fire was confirmed, and firefighters worked to extinguish it. The battalion commander confirmed no one was inside, and it appeared to be abandoned. Dispatch said, if they recalled correctly, the camper had been there for “quite a while.”

News 603 posted videos from the scene on Facebook here:

And here:

The bulk of the fire was knocked down after about 20 minutes, with firefighters overhauling and dealing with “the hot spots.”

Not long after the overhaul update, firefighters were sent to a business on South Main Street, near the camper fire, in response to a report of an alarm activation.

After investigating, there did not appear to be an activation at the business, a commander said. Later, dispatch said the alarm appeared to restore itself automatically. Firefighters cleared the scene of the business alarm just after midnight on Saturday.

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New Hampshire

New Hampshire may see rare Atlas V rocket launch. Here’s when to look

Published

1 day ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

New Hampshire may see rare Atlas V rocket launch. Here’s when to look

A 20-story tall, 1.3 million-pound Atlas V rocket will blast off from Florida this weekend, and Granite Staters waking up very early might able to see it if the clouds in the sky don’t cover it.

Teams with United Launch Alliance are prepping for the Atlas V rocket launch, the fifth Amazon Leo constellation mission. Liftoff is planned at 3:53 a.m. ET Sunday, March 29, 2026, from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Pending weather conditions and cloud cover, the Atlas V-Amazon Leo predawn launch could be visible from Florida to New England, according to ULA. That is, if their city falls on the ULA Atlas V rocket launch visibility map (see below), and if they’re awake at the time of liftoff.

The Atlas V rocket will be equipped with five solid rocket boosters to launch the next batch of Amazon Leo broadband satellites (previously referred to as Project Kuiper) into low-Earth orbit, giving a great show to those watching.

However, weather could disrupt viewing, as the New Hampshire area on the visibility map is set for isolated snow showers before 10 p.m. on Saturday night as well as partly cloudy skies, the National Weather Service said.

Here’s what to know about ULA Atlas V rocket launch visibility from New Hampshire.

When will ULA Atlas V launch?

The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida in the early morning hours on Sunday, March 29. The 29-minute launch window will begin at 3:53 a.m.

The visibility map provided by ULA shows about when and where your best chances are to see the rocket as it streaks northeasterly into space.

Will New Hampshire be able to see the ULA Atlas V launch

New Hampshire, specifically just outside Concord, New Hampshire, falls in the semi-outer periphery of the visibility area for the ULA Atlas V rocket launch, according to ULA’s visibility map.

Estimated visibility will occur at launch +330 seconds, or about five minutes and 30 seconds, following the launch in Florida. However, viewing chances depend on weather conditions, and Concord, New Hampshire is currently set for isolated snow showers before 10 p.m. and then partly cloudy skies on Saturday night into Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service. This might block visibility, as clear skies are essential for best views.

What is ULA Atlas V?

United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket is a spacecraft with five solid rocket boosters that will send a batch of Amazon Leo broadband satellites into outer space, to low-Earth orbit.