Rich Bergeron: A recent experience with jury selection in Belknap County

To The Daily Sun,

I recently had the opportunity to observe how Belknap Superior Court conducts the jury selection process. I was "lucky" enough to have my name called twice. The first was a civil case. The judge asks questions that might disqualify you as a juror if you answer yes to any of them. I had to answer a big yes since I personally investigated Attorney Paul Fitzgerald, who represented the plaintiff in the case. I investigated Fitzgerald because former Judge James D. O'Neill III (recently retired) and Fitzgerald are very close friends who grew up living right across the street from each other on Old North Main Street in Laconia. This was a fact they each had an obligation to disclose in every case Fitzgerald and O'Neill worked together. This paper covered the Governor's Island case involving Richard Homsi very closely. Fitzgerald represented Governor's Island against Homsi, and Judge O'Neill filed multiple adverse rulings against Homsi in the case, including a massive judgment against Homsi filed on O'Neill's final day on the bench. When I spoke to Judge Elizabeth Leonard about my jury duty conflict I simply stated, "I personally investigated Paul Fitzgerald for his failure to disclose his personal relationship with Judge O'Neill in a prior case." I then looked to my right where Fitzgerald himself was standing, and he would not make eye contact with me at all. He further made no attempt to deny the allegation. In fact, he was literally speechless, just as he has been in the wake of multiple phone calls to his office inquiring about his friendship with O'Neill. Fitzgerald and O'Neill appear to be "untouchable" in the local justice system. I have alerted all the appropriate authorities of their collusion, but I am aware of no action being taken to hold either accountable.

Rich Bergeron

Belmont