Effective May 2013, sentencing letters submitted in connection with a criminal sentencing hearing will be made available for public review following the hearing.  Any request to access sentencing letters should be directed to the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services for the District of New Hampshire.

Individuals who intend to submit a letter regarding a defendant must comply with the following requirements of Fed. R. Crim. P. 49.1: 

• Social Security or Taxpayer Identification Numbers. If an individual's social security or taxpayer identification number must be included, only the last four digits of that number should be used.
• Names of Minor Children. If the involvement of a minor child must be mentioned, only the initials of that child should be used.
• Dates of Birth. If an individual's date of birth must be included, only the year should be used.
• Financial Account Numbers. If financial account numbers are relevant, only the last four digits of these numbers should be used.
• Home Addresses in Criminal Cases. If a home address must be included, only the city and state should be listed.

Individuals should exercise caution when including other sensitive personal data such as medical history, employment history, financial information or information regarding an individual's cooperation with the government.

Attorneys are urged to share this notice with their clients, and when appropriate, with individuals who intend to submit a letter so that an informed decision can be made about the inclusion of sensitive information. It is the responsibility of the filer, not the Clerk’s Office or U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, to review documents to determine if letters should be modified to exclude personal identifiers and/or sensitive personal data.