> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.theamericanquorum.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# New Hampshire Chief Justice Resigns After Ethics Findings
- URL: https://www.theamericanquorum.com/state-news-new-hampshire-2026-09-16-a/
- Published: 2026-09-16T17:26:55.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-16T17:26:55.000Z
- Description: New Hampshire Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald resigned immediately after admitting judicial-conduct violations tied to a personnel action benefiting a longtime associate, opening a vacancy on the state’s highest court.
- Author: News Desk
- Tags: State News, New Hampshire

New Hampshire Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald resigned effective immediately Tuesday after admitting violations of the state Code of Judicial Conduct tied to a personnel decision that benefited a longtime professional associate.

The [New Hampshire Supreme Court’s final order](https://www.courts.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt471/files/documents/2026-09/09-15-2026-final-order.pdf?ref=theamericanquorum.com) accepted a negotiated resolution between MacDonald and the Judicial Conduct Committee. The accompanying [stipulation](https://www.courts.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt471/files/inline-documents/sonh/parties-stipulation-and-agreement.pdf?ref=theamericanquorum.com) records his admission that his conduct violated three provisions governing integrity, competence and impartiality. His departure creates an immediate vacancy on the five-member court as it prepares to resume oral arguments September 22.

The matter arose from a 2022 personnel action involving Dianne Martin, then director of the Administrative Office of the Courts. According to the committee’s [summary report](https://www.courts.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt471/files/inline-documents/sonh/summary-report-of-findings-with-ex-a-o.pdf?ref=theamericanquorum.com), Martin was laid off and then rehired, a sequence that allowed her to collect nearly $50,000 in accrued leave benefits. The committee concluded that MacDonald failed to promote public confidence in the judiciary, did not perform administrative duties competently and created an appearance of favoritism.

[New Hampshire Public Radio reported](https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2026-09-15/nh-chief-justice-gordon-macdonald-resigns-amid-ethics-probe-newhampshire-supreme-court?ref=theamericanquorum.com) that the state attorney general’s office had previously found no criminal wrongdoing but said judicial administrators did not follow best human-resources practices. That distinction is important: the resolution concerns judicial ethics and administration, not a criminal conviction. MacDonald’s admissions resolve the conduct proceeding without a contested hearing.

For the court, the immediate operational question is leadership. Justice Patrick Donovan had been carrying out the chief justice’s responsibilities while MacDonald was on medical leave, according to NHPR. The court’s published calendar indicates that its regular work continues, but a four-justice bench can create recusals or evenly divided outcomes that complicate case resolution until a successor is seated.

The agreement also provides a public record of the conduct rather than ending the inquiry through resignation alone. The committee’s findings focus on how court administrators handled Martin’s position and benefits, and on MacDonald’s responsibility as chief justice for maintaining impartial procedures. That framing makes the case relevant beyond one employment decision: public confidence depends on senior judicial officials applying internal rules consistently, especially when a decision affects a colleague or longtime associate.

The appointment process now moves to the executive branch. Governor Kelly Ayotte may nominate a replacement, subject to confirmation by the Executive Council. The administration’s [Judicial Selection Commission page](https://www.governor.nh.gov/councils-and-committees/judicial-selection-commission?ref=theamericanquorum.com) is the official source for vacancy notices and application information. No timetable for a nomination had been announced Tuesday.

MacDonald, a former New Hampshire attorney general, had led the state Supreme Court since 2021\. His resignation does not undo decisions in which he participated, and the ethics order does not identify a pending case affected by the personnel matter. Its immediate consequence is institutional: the state’s highest court must continue its docket while judicial leaders and the governor determine how quickly to fill its top seat.