Telegraph photo by DEAN SHALHOUP Justin Hall enters Superior Court Wednesday for his arraignment and bail hearing on a theft charge stemming from his arrest in Hudson Tuesday.

NASHUA – The focus at Justin Hall’s Superior Court bail hearing Wednesday was not on the relatively minor theft charge that placed him there, but on what needs to be done to return him to the sober, successful Adult Drug Court graduate he was three years ago.

“I want him to get the help he needs, but right now, things are totally out of control with Justin,” Assistant County Attorney Brett Harpster, said after reading the charge against Hall – one count of theft for allegedly attempting to steal a $30 laptop charger from the Hudson Walmart.

But the “minor” charge, stemming from Hall’s arrest Tuesday after he allegedly fled the store without the charger and ran across Lowell Road, brings to seven the number of charges he has been accused of in recent months.

At the time of Tuesday’s arrest, Hudson police discovered warrants that had been issued for Hall’s arrest, which Harpster said stem from his alleged failure to appear in Nashua district court just a week ago on charges of credit card fraud, criminal trespass and receiving stolen property.

According to Nashua police arrest archives, members of its Narcotics Intelligence Division arrested Hall on Aug. 7 on one count of sale of a controlled drug, second offense.

“Everyone seems to agree he needs treatment … that he (graduated from) Drug Court indicates he can succeed in treatment,” attorney Elliott Friedman, a public defender who represented Hall during Wednesday’s hearing, told the court.

Judge Jacalyn Colburn, who spearheaded the effort to initiate Adult Drug Court to Hillsborough County Superior Court-South and thus knows Hall quite well, told him she was adopting Harpster’s recommendation of $25,000 cash or surety bail.

“I’m not going to release you today … your continued alleged behavior is more troubling” than the theft charge for which Hall was in court, Colburn said.

She praised Hall for his previous success in, and ultimate graduation from, Drug Court.

“We know how well you can do when you’re thinking clearly,” she said. “But you’re not exercising good judgment now.”

With Harpster and Friedman – as well as Hall – in agreement, Colburn scheduled Hall to attend the next Drug Court session on Tuesday.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256, or at dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.

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