NH Judge Todd Prevett Faces Ethics Charges Over Guardianship Case Bias

A New Hampshire circuit court judge is facing multiple ethics charges following allegations of bias and unauthorized investigation during a guardianship proceeding, NHPR reported.

The New Hampshire Judicial Conduct Committee is accusing Judge Todd Prevett of violating the state’s code of conduct. The allegations center on his handling of a December 2024 case in Milford involving a mother attempting to reunify with her child, who had been placed in a guardianship with relatives nearly a decade ago.

According to the committee, Prevett performed an independent investigation into a party involved in the case by searching her criminal record through an online Massachusetts court portal. These records had not been introduced as evidence during the legal proceedings.

The committee further alleged that Prevett’s written order denying the mother’s request for reunification “contained several expressions of hostility and disdain towards the mother,” NHPR reported.

The investigation into Prevett’s actions intensified after the New Hampshire Supreme Court overturned his initial ruling in the guardianship matter. The justices subsequently sent the case back to a lower court for further review and instructed a supervisory judge to examine how Prevett managed the proceedings.

While Prevett sent a letter to the Judicial Conduct Committee in December 2025 to defend his conduct, investigators determined he likely violated several sections of the state’s ethics code. The committee also alleged that Prevett’s explanation of his actions “lacked candor” and contained factual inaccuracies.

This is not the first time Prevett’s conduct has come under official scrutiny. In 2024, he received a formal reprimand following an incident at a courthouse in Concord. According to 2024 disciplinary proceedings, Prevett attempted to enter the building to file paperwork for a personal guardianship case while the facility was closed for staff training.

During that incident, Prevett identified himself to a security officer as a judge from a different courthouse and said that he “needed a favor.” The guard denied him entry until the building opened to the public, an action Prevett later admitted was improper.

The current ethics probe raises questions about the impartiality required in family court matters, where judges hold significant power over the reunification of families. Because the allegations involve a judge researching private records outside of the formal evidentiary process, the integrity of the Milford District Court’s decision-making is under scrutiny.

A spokesperson for the state Judicial Branch confirmed that Prevett continues to hear cases at the Milford District Court while the investigation remains active. No date has been set for a public hearing regarding the current allegations.

The committee’s findings suggest a pattern of behavior that challenges the standards of the New Hampshire Judicial Branch, specifically regarding how judges interact with personal legal matters and the boundaries of their investigative authority.

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