Court Opinion

ID: 9649979
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 15:16:39.231917+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:12:16.486876
License: Public Domain

Duncan, J.,
dissenting: Unlike the district courts of Massachusetts which are courts of “superior and general jurisdiction” (Berlandi v. Commonwealth, 314 Mass. 424, 442, relied upon by the majority), the municipal courts of New Hampshire have limited jurisdiction, which does not carry with it the inherent power to punish for contempt. See also, Opinion of the Justices, 314 Mass. 767, 776, 784. I concur in the foregoing opinion by the Chief Justice. In so doing I would not have it appear that I would concur in the majority opinion if I believed that *14the municipal court had jurisdiction.
Misrepresentations made by these defendants which gave rise to contempt charges occurred when no action was pending before the municipal court, and took place “out of the presence of the court” (RSA 169:35 (supp)) during interrogation of the police. Moquin made no representations to the court by pleading nolo. Houghton made none by preserving silence before the court, in the exercise of his constitutional right against self-incrimination.
If contempt could properly be found, it was at most indirect contempt. See In re Oliver, 333 U. S. 257, 274-275. Due process of law in such a proceeding dictates that trial shall be before a tribunal free from bias. This suggests if it does not require that some judge other than the justice found to have been subjected to fraud should have conducted the proceedings. See Goldfarb, The Constitution and Contempt, 61 Mich. L. Rev. 283, 330-333. Cf. RSA 169:35 (supp) supra. “It is the right of every citizen to be tried by judges as impartial as the lot of humanity will admit.” Art. 35th, Pt. I, N. H. Const.
The express transfer by the municipal court justice of the question of “Whether Judge Chretien had authority to try the respondents in the contempt proceedings” goes unanswered by the opinion of the majority, except by implication. Other problems which surround criminal contempt proceedings likewise go unconsidered. The Constitution and Contempt, supra. Since I join the view that the municipal court had no jurisdiction to punish for contempt in this case, there is no occasion to here pursue other issues.