NH CITIZENS COMMISSION ON THE STATE COURTS 
STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING NOTES 
JUNE 13, 2005 
Attendees: Kathy Eneguess, Will Abbott, Kelly Ayotte, Michael Ostrowski, Eric 
Herr, Ed Kelly, Ann McArdle, Laura Kiernan 
Guests: Kathy Mays, David Steelman 
Unable to Attend: Dr. James Squires, John Crosier, Nina Gardner 
Internal Communication: 
• We will need to focus on very effective internal and external 
communications. 
• We need to have realistic expectations regarding what will happen, when, 
and the structure for our work. 
• We need to be attentive, open and not send negative messages to anyone. 
We need to listen openly to all and to be perceived as doing so. 
• Ground rules: Everyone can be heard, no one monopolizes. 
• We decided that we would not allow “public input” at the Commission 
meetings. Instead, we’ll use the website to publish public input. 
• We need to make sure that all groups have input, including the more 
organizes groups, without being perceived as having undue influence. 
Everyone gets the same time limits in listening sessions. 
• We can ask groups to choose a representative to speak. 
• Need to include judges and court personnel in the input/listening process. 
• We should hold some listening sessions after the recommendations are 
developed. 
Debrief of Today’s Commission Meeting: 
• RSVP’s from Commission members are obviously very important, based 
on the number of people who showed up this morning. We need to plan 
to have more of the general public “drop in” to Commission meetings. 
• We may need a media person to work with the Co-Chairs and Steering 
Committee. 
• Need an active chair to be the “intermediary,” guide in helping the public 
feel heard and fairly treated. 
• Logistics of how to get the Commissioners and public into the Supreme 
Court building for next meeting – security, space. 
• At future Commission meetings, only Commission members will be 
allowed to speak (public input will be shared on website.) 

• Public input will be allowed via: email, website, regular mail, speaking at 
listening sessions. 
• We should encourage media attendance at Commission meetings. 
• We should follow 91A – Public Notice requirements – 3 places, 24 hours 
in advance, place on legislative calendars, post in statehouse. 
• Need to advise Commission members that if they are approached by a 
representative from the media, they are speaking as individuals and not 
for the whole Commission, and they should make that fact clear to the 
media. 
• All meetings should have some educational component. 
• We have one blind Commissioner. Need to contact Granite State 
Independent Living for advice on full inclusion. 
• Need to define our terms clearly. For example, “process” refers to our 
process as a Commission, not to the “judicial process.” 
• For further breakout sessions, make sure objectives, directions and 
processes are refined so that everyone is moving in the same direction. 
Our Work Process: 
• How to integrate our work with what is already going on in terms of 
court reform? 
• Encourage people to think creatively, not just revising what we have in 
the judicial system today. “What should the court system be?” 
• How to share information about judicial reforms that have taken place 
outside the western model? 
• Consultant in Hawaii used scenarios to flesh out creative thinking: 
o Under what situations would the judicial system collapse? 
o How to leverage technology 
o If nothing changes, what will the judicial system look like in 10 
years? 
o “Greenpeace” – Judicial systems in communities 
o If we were going to start from scratch, what would we do? 
• Thomas Jefferson’s advice: Every 25 years, throw it all out and start 
again. 
• Use emerging trends analysis. 
• Other states that have done this type of reform well have done it through 
a “Futures” lens (Virginia, Arizona, 18 other states.) (Get a futurist?) 
• What’s our planning horizon? 5 years? 25 years? 
• Need to set out a path with steps and timeframes. 
• Need to balance creativity with actually getting some work done. 
• Who is responsible for communicating with the legislature and the office 
of the Governor? 
• Commissioners will ultimately need to go out and advocate for the 
recommendations they develop. 

Next Steps: 
• Next Steering Committee Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, June 29 
from 12:30pm to 2:30pm at the Supreme Court. 
• Next Commissioners Meeting scheduled for Monday, July 25th from 9 to 
noon at the Supreme Court.