Month: September 2026

By Kirk Enstrom, Kaitlin Corbett

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    CONCORD, New Hampshire (WMUR) — New Hampshire Supreme Court Justice Gordon MacDonald has resigned his position following an investigation by the Judicial Conduct Committee.

In a brief letter to Gov. Kelly Ayotte, MacDonald said he was voluntarily resigning.

“I believe this is in the best interests of the New Hampshire Judicial Branch,” MacDonald wrote in the letter. “I accept responsibility and accountability for my conduct. It has been an honor to serve the people of New Hampshire.”

The JCC posted a document Tuesday stating it had been investigating MacDonald since November 2025 for his actions related to the employment and performance of Dianne Martin.

In March of this year, that investigation was elevated to a complaint.

The JCC said after an internal investigation related to job performance issues, which MacDonald was aware of, Martin was removed from her position as the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts in February 2025.

The document goes on to say Martin later emailed MacDonald about her termination.

MacDonald allegedly reacted in anger and frustration, slamming doors and using profanity towards other justices.

On April 1, 2025, the JCC said Martin was told her position was eliminated, and she was officially being laid off, allowing her to cash in on close to $50,000 in unused sick and vacation time and benefits.

After Martin was laid off from her position, she was rehired 48 hours later in a new position as general counsel to the Office of Bar Admissions, a position she was previously offered when terminated, but declined.

The document also said it was a whistleblower who said the whole idea to lay off and rehire Martin was MacDonald’s.

In the stipulation and agreement posted by the JCC, MacDonald admitted to violating three provisions of the Code of Judicial Conduct, including failing to avoid the appearance of impropriety, bypassing Judicial Branch rules and procedures in extending Martin a position without the same process required of every other Judicial Branch employee, and failing to exercise the power of administrative appointment impartially.

In a written statement, MacDonald said he fell short in his duties and took “full responsibility for my shortcomings.”

“To maintain the integrity of the judicial branch and to avoid the protracted and disruptive spectacle a public hearing would cause to the judicial branch and its dedicated employees, I have agreed to resign my position,” he said in the statement. “It is my sincere hope that the judicial branch can move forward without further distraction and do the critical work for the citizens of New Hampshire.”

The JCC posted MacDonald’s responses to its questions regarding the personnel decisions.

In his response, he also acknowledged rumors that he was having an affair with Martin, something that was false “and has caused great damage to me.” He “emphatically” stated that his relationship with Martin has always been professional.

In response to the whistleblower’s claim, MacDonald said the decisions to lay off and rehire Martin were made collectively by the then-sitting three justices and himself, on the advice of counsel.

The committee also asked about incidents in which MacDonald was accused of yelling at other justices.

Ayotte said she would accept MacDonald’s resignation effective immediately.

“It is essential that the Judicial Branch maintain the public’s trust in its mission to impartially adjudicate matters brought in front of the courts,” the governor said in a written statement. “I am extremely disappointed to learn today of the former Chief Justice’s violations of the Judicial Code of Conduct, and I received his resignation this morning.”

In a written statement, the Judicial Branch noted that the current associate justices of the Supreme Court were not members of the panel that approved the agreement with MacDonald.

“Chief Justice MacDonald had been on medical leave since July 24. During that time, the four associate justices have assumed the Chief Justice’s responsibilities with respect to the administration of the courts,” spokesman David Sakowich said in the statement. “The Judicial Branch remains focused on carrying out its responsibilities to the public and ensuring that the work of the courts continues without interruption.”

In late July, state court officials announced that MacDonald was taking a medical leave of absence effective immediately.

The Supreme Court’s next oral arguments are scheduled for Sept. 22.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Alanna Flood

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    MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (WMUR) — A New Hampshire Superior Court judge declared a mistrial Tuesday in the criminal case against Jeffrey Buskey, a former Youth Development Center employee charged with dozens of counts of sexual assault.

Judge William Delker made the ruling following an emotional morning of testimony. The decision came after a key witness for the prosecution alluded to alleged sexual assaults committed by YDC employees other than Buskey.

Delker determined that the outside abuse allegations should not be heard by the jury. He concluded that a second round of instructions to disregard the testimony would not be effective enough to correct the error.

“I am forced to declare a mistrial in this case,” Delker said. “I just don’t think further curative instruction is going to be effective to unring the bell a second time.”

Buskey faces 21 counts of felonious sexual assault stemming from his employment at the Manchester-based Youth Development Center during the 1990s. He has pleaded not guilty to all 21 charges.

The defense’s motion followed testimony from Buskey’s accuser, David Meehan, who has previously testified in separate cases against other YDC employees. Meehan was previously awarded a $38 million settlement in a civil lawsuit against the state related to the abuse allegations, though that amount was later reduced to $475,000.

News organizations typically do not share the identities of sexual assault victims, but Meehan has been publicly outspoken about his experience.

Assistant Attorney General Thomas Velardi explained that the state will review its options moving forward now that the initial trial has been halted.

“In this instance, the judge found that some of the evidence that came in should not be heard by the jury,” Velardi said. “So, when the judge believes such evidence does come in and there’s not an adequate way to instruct the jury to disregard it, the judge believes he must declare a mistrial.”

Velardi noted that the state can pursue the charges again.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Tim Nazzaro, Peter Eliopoulos

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    NORTHBOROUGH, Massachusetts (WCVB) — A local family is locked in a legal battle with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families over custody of their 15-year-old daughter in a story that is making national headlines.

The back-and-forth involves allegations of physical abuse and the child’s gender.

Joseph and Arlene Kutzko claim that DCF has for nearly two years assisted in the gender transition of their biological daughter against their will.

“We cry a lot, we pray a lot, we keep our faith strong,” said Arlene Kutzko.

The Kutzkos claim that in January 2025, the Northborough-Southborough schools were counseling their daughter privately and filed a report against them to DCF.

“[She] went into school and Arlene got a call [from the school]… the call [was] that ‘[She] is scared to go home,'” the Kutzkos told NewsCenter 5.

Court documents show that Joseph was arrested and charged with assault and accused of punching the child with a closed fist in the shoulder and pulling hair. He denies the allegations, and the charges are set to be dropped in December so long as he follows certain conditions including completing an anger management course, and staying away & having no contact with his child.

The Kutzkos’ daughter went to a counselor at Algonquin High School the day after and reported feeling unsafe, according to Joseph and Arlene Kutzko.

DCF stepped in and removed the child from the home.

“The state can retain custody pending a hearing on whether there’s unfitness, but they have long overshot the deadline for having a hearing; this case is going way over time,” said Vernadette Broyles, president and general counsel of the Child and Parental Rights Campaign and attorney for the Kutzko parents.

Over the last two years, Broyles said the state has been facilitating the gender transition of the Kutzkos’ daughter since she was 15, while the custody battle drags on.

Joseph and Arlene Kutzko are devout Catholics, who said this violates not only their religious beliefs, but their constitutional rights.

“It’s devastating, it’s absolutely devastating,” said Joseph Kutzko. He claimed that his daughter never expressed a desire to change her gender to him or Arlene.

“DCF, for whatever reason, has taken the position that they have total authority over this child even while the parents’ rights have not been terminated,” Broyles said. “There has never been a finding of unfitness against these parents.”

The couple is going public because they said the state sought to provide gender-affirming care for their now 17-year-old, but a juvenile court, however, ordered DCF to stop.

“The court is not going to allow giving testosterone, because DCF took the position that giving testosterone at high doses to a female is ‘ordinary care,'” Broyles said.

When asked Tuesday about the ongoing legal battle, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey only addressed the child’s removal from the parents, not what’s happened since.

“This child was not removed for a gender-affirming care issue; the child was removed by DCF following the presentation of criminal charges against the parents,” Healey said.

Joseph Kutzko said the parent/child relationship between him and his daughter has been “deeply damaged” and that his family has suffered greatly. Their child turns 18 in April.

The case has garnered national headlines.

In a statement, Superintendent of The Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough Gregory L. Martineau said the safety and security of the students remains his highest priority.

“We are aware of the claims being circulated by two individuals whose child formerly attended one of our schools in 2023. The district unequivocally denies the claims made about the school district in a recent national media podcast as not merely baseless but grossly insensitive, intrusive and dangerous toward the child who was named in the media report.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Dacoda Wahpekeche

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    CADDO COUNTY, Oklahoma (KOCO) — Several families in the path of the Gracemont Fire, which has burned more than 3,000 acres in Caddo County since Sunday, have feared for their lives, homes, and pets.

“I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, one of my family members have been in a wreck.’ He said, ‘You got to go. There’s a fire on your road,'” Tamara McFerrin said.

McFerrin was told to evacuate her home after a deputy arrived at her property shortly after her power shut off.

“When they first whipped into our driveway and told us that ‘you got to go now,’ I looked, and the flames were just shooting from the trees,” McFerrin said.

McFerrin, who works at Binger Public Schools, quickly packed up her pets and left her home. Her property was saved thanks to the efforts of firefighters, including two volunteers — one a recent graduate of Binger and another still in school.

“They were here. They were the first ones, my sister said. That is unbelievable, about to make me cry right now,” McFerrin said.

When she returned home, McFerrin found much of the surrounding land burned and has been taking small firefighting measures herself to extinguish flare-ups.

“We were moving the water hose back and forth,” she said. “I was in the trees stomping on flames last night with flip-flops on. Yeah, I was like, ‘OK.'”

Officials reported that the fire has destroyed at least two homes and burned 3,000 acres.

McFerrin is thinking of her neighbors and friends who have been impacted by the wildfire. She’s even taking a small leave from work to protect her home and pets named Riley, Milo, and Miley.

“I wouldn’t want her locked inside, and I wouldn’t want them with all the traffic. I mean, it has been non-stop traffic,” McFerrin said. “Got to keep these babies safe.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.