Judge declares mistrial in New Hampshire youth detention abuse case

A New Hampshire judge declared a mistrial on Tuesday in the sexual assault trial of a former worker at a state youth detention center, after the accuser's testimony about other staff members prompted a defense objection that could not be cured by instructions to the jury.

Jeffrey Buskey, 60, of Litchfield, faces 21 counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault. The complainant, David Meehan, was 14 when he was admitted to the Youth Development Center in Manchester in 1995.

Testifying for a second day, Meehan said Buskey was not the only staff member who sexually assaulted him. The defense moved for a mistrial, which Judge Will Delker denied, instead directing jurors to disregard the testimony. When a similar statement came a few minutes later, the judge concluded he had no option but to declare a mistrial.

"Jury trials are very particular in regards to the type of evidence that is admissible," said Associate Attorney General Thomas Velardi, the prosecutor. "When the judge believes such evidence does come in, and there is not an adequate way to instruct the jury to disregard it, the judge believes he must declare a mistrial."

Velardi said the state would weigh its options, including a possible retrial. Meehan, Buskey and defense lawyers left the courthouse without commenting.

Buskey also faces separate charges involving three other former residents of the facility, now known as the Sununu Youth Services Center. His arrest in 2019, along with that of another former staffer, brought one of the largest youth detention scandals in the country into public view.

Since then, the state has carried out an unprecedented criminal investigation and made nine further arrests. It has also set up a settlement fund for victims and is defending itself against more than 1,100 lawsuits alleging physical, sexual or emotional abuse over six decades.

Meehan's suit was the first filed and the only one to reach trial. A jury awarded him $38 million in May 2024, but that verdict remains contested as the state seeks to reduce the amount to $475,000.

As testimony began on Monday, prosecutor Audriana Mekula asked Meehan what the Youth Development Center meant to him. He answered: "Hell."