Governor nominates County Attorney Jim Carroll to be judge of Laconia District Court

LACONIA — Gov. John Lynch has nominated Belknap County Attorney James M. Carroll to be the presiding judge of the Laconia District Court.

Carroll is a Laconia native who, along with his extensive contributions to the area's young people, was the prosecutor for the city of Laconia, an attorney in a private practice, and a restaurateur.

"Amazing," said Carroll yesterday. "I am very honored by the governor's nomination and I'm looking forward to my interview with the governor's Executive Council."

Since former Presiding Judge David O. Huot retired on July 1, 2008, the position has been vacant and a number of judges, including a now-retired Huot, have presided over the court on an interim basis since then.

Carroll is a 1969 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and received his law degree from Franklin Pierce Law Center in 1987. He served in the U.S Army Reserve and has been married to Janet Thomas Carroll for 43 years.

He is the father of four and is the founder and chair of PACT or Parents and Children Together, serves on the Lakes Region Community College Advisory Committee and is on the board of the Youth Services Bureau.

Carroll has served on the N.H. Advisory Board to the Governor on Juvenile Justice and has been the state's prosecutorial representative for the Committee on N.H. Drug Courts.

Among his many awards for community service is the Norman Marsh Award for Leadership, the Lakes Region Boys and Girls Club (of which he was a founder) award for Vision of Youth of the Lakes Region, and the James R. Irwin Award of the Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce for Community Service.

In making this nomination, Lynch said Carroll has "demonstrated a commitment to our system of justice and to the people of the state of New Hampshire."

Lynch's Press Secretary Colin Manning said there will be a public hearing on Carroll's nomination and then the executive council will vote.

He said the next Executive Council meeting is scheduled for Dec. 8. When asked if his nomination could proceed that qu

ickly, Manning said, "Sure."

Carroll, a Democrat, is finishing his second term as Belknap County prosecutor. He succeeded Republican Lauren Nother who left to join the State Office of the Attorney General. He was just re-elected to a third term.

It is unclear what procedure would be used to fill the position of County Attorney should Carroll be confirmed and assume the bench before the end of the year because the term for which he was just elected does not begin until Jan. 1. The Belknap County Convention — or the 18 state represenatives from the county — is charged with appointing people to fill the remainder of unexpired terms of elected county officials who vacate their offices.