Terms Used In New Hampshire Revised Statutes 654:42

  • Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • justice: when applied to a magistrate, shall mean a justice of a municipal court, or a justice of the peace having jurisdiction over the subject-matter. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 21:12
  • petition: when used in connection with the equity jurisdiction of the superior court, and referring to a document filed with the court, shall mean complaint, and "petitioner" shall mean plaintiff. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 21:51
  • state: when applied to different parts of the United States, may extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall include said district and territories. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 21:4
Any citizen of the state may, in term time or vacation, file a complaint with the superior court stating that his name is illegally kept from, or his name or that of some other citizen is illegally placed upon, the checklist of a town or ward, and the facts upon which the complaint is based. Said complaint shall be deemed sufficient if it sets forth the basis of the complaint and may be filed by the complainant with the clerk of court or any justice thereof. The complainant may appear with or without counsel. Thereupon, the presiding justice in term time, or any justice of the superior court in vacation, shall order that a copy of the complaint be served on the supervisors of the checklist of the town and on the citizens other than the complainant named in the petition and shall set a time and place for an immediate hearing. The justice hearing the case may order the name of the voter concerning whom the complaint is made to be added or removed from the checklist as justice requires, and his decision shall be final on questions of fact as in equity cases.