Title LIX, Proceedings in Criminal Cases

As of July 1, 2025, all collections efforts under this section or former versions of this chapter shall be terminated. Any person subject to a court order for reimbursement may petition the court to vacate the reimbursement order.

Employees of the New Hampshire public defender program shall be entitled to participate in the state of New Hampshire employee health insurance plan. The public defender program shall reimburse the state for the cost of all insurance premiums for all participating employees. The …

No minor under the age of 18 years, except with the consent of the minor's parent, nor any person supposed to be of unsound mind shall be permitted to plead guilty or shall be put upon trial until counsel has been appointed to advise him or her and conduct a defense. If such pers…

Whenever counsel is appointed to advise with a minor or a person of unsound mind and to conduct his defense as provided by RSA 605:1, the counsel shall be entitled to receive, from the town or county in whose behalf the action is prosecuted, reasonable compensation for his servic…

A person indicted may plead guilty of any minor offense which is included in the indictment, and if such plea is accepted by the state's counsel, judgment shall be rendered thereon.

If a plea of guilty to a minor offense tendered under RSA 605:3 is not accepted, it may be withdrawn and a plea of not guilty may be entered, and in such case the former plea shall not operate against the accused at his trial.

Whenever a person indicted stands mute or refuses to plead, the court shall order the plea of not guilty to be entered, and it shall have the same effect as if the accused had pleaded not guilty.

A plea of nolo contendere may be accepted in any criminal case, and when such a plea is accepted, the court or justice may enter a finding of guilty upon such plea. Evidence of a plea of nolo contendere or of the finding entered thereon shall not be admissible in any civil action…

The agreement on detainers is hereby enacted into law and entered into by this state with all other jurisdictions legally joining therein in the form substantially as follows: The contracting states solemnly agree that: Article I The party states find that charges outstanding aga…

Petit jurors attending the court may be impanelled for the trial of any criminal case and may be examined as in civil cases and otherwise, as to their fitness and capacity to perform the duty of jurors on the trial.

I. As used in this section, "order" shall mean any decision by a court on a question of law including, but not limited to, any order, ruling, decision or judgment. II. An appeal may be taken by the state in criminal cases on questions of law from the district or municipal courts …

The following oath shall be administered to petit jurors in criminal cases: You solemnly swear or affirm that you will carefully consider the evidence and the law presented to you in this case and that you will deliver a fair and true verdict as to the charge or charges against t…

The phrase "appropriate court" as used in the agreement on detainers shall, with reference to the courts of this state, mean the municipal court, the district court or the superior court.

All courts, departments, agencies, officers and employees of this state and its political subdivisions are hereby directed to enforce the agreement on detainers and to cooperate with one another and with other party states in enforcing the agreement and effectuating its purpose.

Every person arraigned and put on trial for an offense may, in addition to challenges for cause or unless he stands wilfully mute, peremptorily challenge: I. 20 jurors for capital murder. II. 15 jurors for murder in the first degree. III. 3 jurors in any other case.

Nothing in this chapter or in the agreement on detainers shall be construed to require the application of the habitual offenders law to any person on account of any conviction had in a proceeding brought to final disposition by reason of the use of said agreement.

The state shall be entitled to the following number of peremptory challenges, in addition to challenges for cause, in the following cases: I. Upon the trial for capital murder, 10 challenges. II. Upon the trial for murder in the first degree, 15 challenges. III. Upon the trial fo…

The jury impanelled to try any criminal case may be kept separate from all other persons during the trial, if, upon cause shown, the court shall so order, and not otherwise.

It shall be lawful and mandatory upon the warden or other official in charge of a penal or correctional institution in this state to give over the person of any inmate thereof whenever so required by the operation of the agreement on detainers.

In capital cases witnesses may be called in behalf of the state to rebut or explain any evidence of new matter offered by the defendant, or to discredit his witnesses, though the names of such witnesses have not been furnished to the defendant, but time may be allowed the defenda…

The governor may designate an officer of the state to act as compact administrator of and information agent for the agreement.

Any defendant in the superior court in a criminal case other than a capital case may, if he shall so elect, when called upon to plead, or later and before a jury has been impanelled to try him, waive his right to trial by jury by signing a written waiver thereof and filing the sa…

Six persons shall constitute a jury for the trial in the superior court of any offense punishable by imprisonment for any period not exceeding one year.

Trials by juries of 6 shall proceed in accordance with provisions of law applicable to trials of criminal cases in the superior court, except that the number of peremptory challenges shall be limited to 2 for each defendant. The state shall be entitled to as many challenges as eq…

In this chapter, "felony" means: I. A crime committed against the laws of this state or of the federal government for which a sentence of death or imprisonment in the state prison or a federal prison or penitentiary; or II. A crime committed against the laws of another state for …

I. (a) A person sentenced for a felony, from the time of his or her sentence until his or her final discharge, may not: (1) Vote in an election, but if execution of sentence is suspended with or without the defendant being placed on probation or he or she is paroled after commitm…

Except as otherwise provided by this chapter or by the constitution of this state, a person convicted of a crime does not suffer civil death or corruption of blood or sustain loss of civil rights or forfeiture of estate or property, but retains all of his rights, political, perso…

I. This chapter does not affect the power of a court, otherwise given by law, to impose sentence, to suspend imposition or execution of sentence on any conditions, or to impose conditions of probation, or the power of the adult parole board to impose conditions of parole. II. Thi…

I. If the sentence was imposed in this state, the order, certificate, or other instrument of discharge given to a person sentenced for a felony upon his discharge after completion of service of his sentence or after service under probation or parole shall state that the defendant…

This chapter shall be so construed as to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the law of those states which enact it.

This chapter may be cited as the Uniform Act on Status of Convicted Persons.

If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of the chapter which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application and to this end the pro…

Anyone fearing that another person may do injury to himself, his family or property may make complaint thereof, under oath, before a justice, who shall, by warrant, cause the person accused to be brought before him or some other justice for examination.

A surety in a recognizance to keep the peace may commit the principal to the common jail, and shall be discharged in the same manner as sureties in other recognizances in criminal cases.

If, upon hearing the parties and their evidence, it appears to the justice that there is just cause to fear that the offense described in the complaint filed under RSA 608:1 may be committed, he may order the party named in the complaint to recognize, with sufficient sureties, in…

The party ordered to recognize may appeal to the superior court at the next term to be held for the county on giving the security required by the order and security to pay such costs as may be awarded against him on the appeal.

The superior court may affirm the order issued under RSA 608:2, discharge the appellant, or require him to enter into a new recognizance, with sufficient sureties, in such sum and for such time as it may think proper, and may make such order in relation to the costs of prosecutio…

If the appellant fails to prosecute his appeal, his recognizance shall remain in force, and the court may award such costs to the complainant as it deems just.

A person committed for not finding sureties or refusing to recognize as required by the court or magistrate may recognize agreeably to the order before any justice, and, on payment of the costs of his application, he shall be discharged.

Every recognizance taken in pursuance of the foregoing provisions shall be transmitted by the justice to the superior court for the county on or before the first day of the next term, and shall be filed by the clerk.

A person sentenced by a justice or court for a criminal offense, or ordered to recognize for his appearance before the same or another court, may be required to recognize to keep the peace and to be of good behavior for such time as the court or justice may direct.

A person who, in the presence of a court or justice, makes an affray, threatens to kill or beat another or to commit any violence or outrage to person or property, or who contends with hot and angry words to the disturbance of the peace, may be ordered, without process or any oth…

The county commissioners of any county, the city council of a city and the selectmen of a town are authorized, whenever in their opinion the public good requires it, to offer and pay from the treasury of such county, city or town a suitable reward, not exceeding $300 in any one c…

If any service is performed by a person by direction of a court or justice, of the attorney general, or of the county attorney in bringing to justice an offender charged with a crime or misdemeanor, the superior court shall allow a reasonable sum therefor to be paid from the coun…

In this chapter: I. "Acting chief medical examiner" means the physician designated pursuant to RSA 611-B:4. II. "Assistant deputy medical examiner" means a person appointed by the chief medical examiner pursuant to RSA 611-B:5. II-a. "Associate medical examiner" means the license…

The chief medical examiner may employ adequate administrative, clerical, and technical assistants to carry out the purposes of this chapter.