I. All cases before the court in which the offense complained of constitutes a felony or would amount to a felony in the case of an adult may be transferred to the superior court prior to hearing under N.H. Rev. Stat. § 169-B:16 as provided in this section. The court shall conduct a hearing on the question of transfer and shall consider, but not be limited to, the following criteria in determining whether a case should be transferred:
(a) The seriousness of the alleged offense to the community and whether the protection of the community requires transfer.

Attorney's Note

Under the New Hampshire Revised Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class A felonyup to 15 yearsup to $4,000
For details, see N.H. Rev. Stat. 651:2

Ask a criminal law question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a criminal defense lawyer and protect your rights.

Terms Used In New Hampshire Revised Statutes 169-B:24

  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • following: when used by way of reference to any section of these laws, shall mean the section next preceding or following that in which such reference is made, unless some other is expressly designated. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 21:13
  • petition: when used in connection with the equity jurisdiction of the superior court, and referring to a document filed with the court, shall mean complaint, and "petitioner" shall mean plaintiff. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 21:51
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
  • state: when applied to different parts of the United States, may extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall include said district and territories. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 21:4
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.

(b) The aggressive, violent, premeditated, or willful nature of the alleged offense.
(c) Whether the alleged offense was committed against persons or property.
(d) The prospective merit of the complaint.
(e) The desirability of trial and disposition of the entire offense in one court if the minor’s associates in the alleged offense were adults who will be charged with a crime.
(f) The sophistication and maturity of the minor.
(g) The minor’s prior record and prior contacts with law enforcement agencies.
(h) The prospects of adequate protection of the public, and the likelihood of reasonable rehabilitation of the minor through the juvenile court system.
II. The minor shall be entitled to the assistance of counsel. Both the prosecutor and counsel for the minor shall have access to the court records, probation reports, or other agency reports. If the court orders transfer to superior court, it shall provide a written statement of findings and reasons for such transfer to the minor. When persons so certified are accepted by the superior court, the superior court may dispose of all criminal charges arising out of the incident which led to the transfer petition according to the relevant laws of this state without any limitations as to sentence or orders required by this chapter. All original papers in transferred cases shall remain in the court from which transferred and certified copies of the papers shall be filed with and shall constitute the records of the court to which transfer is made. Pending disposition by the superior court, a juvenile who is transferred and accepted by the superior court may be placed under the supervision of the department of corrections or required to recognize with sufficient sureties, or in default of such sureties, be detained at a county correctional facility or the youth development center to await disposition of the case in the superior court.
III. Upon the filing of a petition for transfer to the superior court, the court shall conduct a scheduling hearing and establish a scheduling order for all future hearings necessary to the transfer petition, notwithstanding the provisions of N.H. Rev. Stat. § 169-B:14, II.
IV. When the felony offense charged is first degree murder, second degree murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, first degree assault, aggravated felonious sexual assault punishable as a class A felony, a violation of N.H. Rev. Stat. § 318-B:26, I(a) or (b), or when the minor is charged with any felony and, prior to the filing of the felony petition, the minor has been petitioned to the court on 4 or more occasions and adjudicated delinquent in 4 separate adjudicatory hearings which alleged misdemeanor or felony offenses, and the minor commits the act after the minor’s fifteenth birthday, there shall be a presumption that the factors listed in N.H. Rev. Stat. § 169-B:24, I support transfer to the superior court.
V. [Repealed.]