Status hearing held for change of sentence petition in Michael Addison case

HEARING TO PROVIDE UPDATES ON WHERE THINGS STAND. IT WAS OCTOBER OF 2006 WHEN MANCHESTER POLICE OFFICER MICHAEL BRIGGS WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY. THE MAN RESPONSIBLE, MICHAEL ADDISON. HE WAS LATER CONVICTED AND SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR HIS CRIMES, BUT NEW HAMPSHIRE ABOLISHED THE DEATH PENALTY IN 2019. ADDISON, THE STATE’S ONLY INMATE ON DEATH ROW, FILED A HABEAS CORPUS PETITION IN SUPERIOR COURT A YEAR LATER. THAT’S, UM, AN OPTION FOR RELIEF FOR A PETITIONER OR FOR A PERSON WHO WAS SENTENCED ILLEGALLY BASED ON SOME SORT OF CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATION. SO IT’S ONLY ACCESSIBLE IF YOU FEEL YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS HAVE BEEN VIOLATED AND YOU’RE INCARCERATED. ADDISON IS ARGUING THAT BECAUSE THE LEGISLATURE REPEALED THE DEATH PENALTY, HE IS NO LONGER SUBJECTED TO THAT PUNISHMENT. IN 2022, THE STATE FILED A MOTION TO DISMISS ADDISON’S PETITION FRIDAY MORNING, A NEWLY APPOINTED SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE HELD A VIRTUAL STATUS UPDATE ON THE CASE. THE COURT SCHEDULED A HEARING ON THE DISMISSAL FOR SEPTEMBER 23RD, SO THERE WON’T REALLY BE EVIDENCE OR TESTIMONY. IT WILL REALLY JUST BE THE PARTIES ARGUING THE LEGAL BOUNDARIES OF DID THE PETITIONER STATE A CLAIM UPON WHICH RELIEF CAN BE GRANTED? THAT’S USUALLY THE STANDARD AND IF THEY DID NOT, THEN THAT PETITION WILL BE DISMISSED. AND IF THEY DID, IT WILL MOVE FORWARD TO THE NEXT STAGE IN THE CASE. MICHAEL ADDISON HAS ANOTHER HABEAS CORPUS CASE IN FEDERAL COURT, BUT THAT CASE IS CURRENTLY IN LIMBO PENDING THE OUTCOME OF HIS CASE I