New Hampshire lawmaker's 107 mph stop and missing body cam footage

Key Points:

• New Hampshire state Rep. Ellen Read is contesting charges from two traffic stops, including one where she was accused of driving 107 mph, citing a constitutional provision protecting lawmakers traveling to legislative duties; however, no body or dashboard camera footage exists from the stop as the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office lacks such equipment.
• The sheriff's office attributes the absence of body and dashboard cameras to funding shortages, despite a state-established Body-Worn and Dashboard Camera Fund created in 2021 to assist local agencies in acquiring and maintaining this technology.
• Read supports legislation and funding for body-worn cameras and disputes claims that she recorded the traffic stop on her cellphone, emphasizing the need for official recordings and expressing willingness to help secure funding for cameras in the sheriff's office.
• Legal experts note the constitutional provision was intended to prevent delays to legislative work, not to grant immunity from traffic laws or prosecution, and the New Hampshire Supreme Court's refusal to immediately hear Read's case does not equate to a ruling on its merits.
• Both Read and law enforcement officials agree the constitutional language may need modernization to reflect current realities, with Read acknowledging it was written before the advent of automobiles.