Belknap County Attorney hires part-time juvenile prosecutor

LACONIA — Belknap County Attorney Melissa Countway Gulbrandsen announced yesterday that Benjamin LeDuc of Concord has been appointed to the newly established part-time position of juvenile prosecutor.

LeDuc, who served an internship in the Belknap County Attorney's Office last year, graduated from the University of New Hampshire School of Law, where he was a Daniel Webster Scholar, in May. Graduating from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, with a major in political science, he served as an intern in the office of Congressman Tom Allen, who represented Maine's 1st congressional district for five terms. LeDuc prepared for a teaching career at the University of Southern Maine and before enrolling in law school spent three years teaching high school English and Social Studies in Windham, Maine.

Gulbransen said that LeDuc's experience as a teacher "set him apart from the other candidates. He has dealt with students and parents as well as school teachers and administrators," she continued. "He is familiar with those he will be dealing with in the juvenile justice system."

Gulbrandsen explained that she expected the juvenile prosecutor to handle the more serious and complex juvenile prosecutions and to assist municipal prosecutors with legal research and writing. She said that she intends to develop guidelines delineating the responsibilities of the position from information gathered from conversations with local police chiefs. "We want to assist local departments to achieve greater efficiencies," she said.

Meanwhile, Gulbrandsen said that LeDuc would also be speaking to schools and civic groups about the juvenile justice system. In particular, she said that he would be explaining the the complexities of the laws bearing on drug use and sexual assault, noting that young people are seldom aware of the serious consequences of the behaviors in which they may engage. "The educational component is an important aspect of the position," she said.

The appointment marks one of the first initiatives on the part of the Belknap County Commission to enhance the efficiency and reduce the cost of services to municipalities by placing them on a regional footing.