MANCHESTER, N.H.- Court officials have confirmed that the Magistrate linked to two controversial bail decisions, one of which led to two deaths, no longer works in the court system.
Officials say Magistrate Stephanie Johnson’s departure came one day after an internal review by two judges found Johnson had sufficient evidence to hold Michael Gleason Jr. on preventive detention amid allegations of sexual assault and domestic violence, made by his wife Marisol Fuentes in April. However, Johnson’s decision allowed for Gleason to be released on $5,000 bail and which resulted in Gleason killing his wife and them himself in Mexican restaurant in Berlin in July.
Johnson also allowed for the release of Kyle Bisson, the Manchester man who was charged with assault and falsifying evidence after he allegedly stabbed a man with a pocketknife during a fight at a downtown convenience store in February. Bisson was on personal recognizance bail at the time of the incident.
Following these developments Gov. Kelly Ayotte and a number of Republican lawmakers called for Johnson to step aside.
Both decisions lead to heated discussions over the state’s bail reform law, which then led to lawmakers green lighting a new law which goes into effect in September which eliminates the magistrate positions
