Legislators to address N.H. law regarding sex with inmates

After a former deputy sheriff’s conviction for sexually assaulting an inmate was overturned last week, Republican Senate leaders are saying a top priority next year is tightening a law that bars corrections workers from having sex with inmates but covers only authorities directly employed by the prison.

The New Hampshire Supreme Court pointed out the ambiguity when it tossed the conviction of a former Belknap County law enforcement officer accused of sexually assaulting an inmate he transported to the state prison.

According to state statute, inmates can’t legally consent to sex with someone who has authority over them by virtue of being “employed” at the correctional facility.

Ernest Justin Blanchette’s attorneys argued that the prosecutors failed to prove he was working under the direction of either the Belknap Country Jail or the New Hampshire State Prison for Women when he had sex with an inmate he transported to and from the prison.

Read more: http://www.concordmonitor.com/lawmakers-prioritize-change-after-supreme-court-overturns-conviction-10317508