Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi is back on the New Hampshire Supreme Court bench after a legal skirmish that could’ve sunk a lesser career.
Just The News reported that after months of suspension and a criminal probe tied to her husband’s corruption case, a court panel has restored her law license without restrictions, allowing her to return to the state’s highest court.
This saga kicked off when Hantz Marconi was indicted on serious charges, including two class B felonies and five misdemeanors, for allegedly meddling in the investigation of her husband, Geno Marconi, former director of the New Hampshire Port Authority.
Geno himself faced heavy accusations, including two felonies for witness tampering and falsifying evidence, plus several misdemeanors tied to sharing confidential motor vehicle records and attempting to cover it up by deleting voicemails.
Adding fuel to the fire, Bradley Joseph Cook, chairman of the Division of Ports and Harbors Advisory Council, was also indicted on felony charges of perjury and making false statements in connection with this tangled web.
Hantz Marconi’s own legal troubles centered on accusations of misusing her position, including soliciting former Gov. Chris Sununu to intervene in her husband’s case, a move that led to a slew of charges like criminal solicitation and obstructing government administration.
Fast forward to this week, and Hantz Marconi struck a plea deal, entering a “no contest” plea to a single misdemeanor count of criminal solicitation while avoiding an admission of guilt.
The other charges—felonies and misdemeanors alike—were dismissed, and the remaining count was deemed outside the realm of a “serious crime,” carrying just a potential fine of up to $1,200 with no jail time.
Attorney General John Formella didn’t mince words, stating, “Hantz Marconi's conduct was unlawful and unethical,” pointing to the damage done to public trust in the justice system.
Formella doubled down, adding, “Judges have special ethical responsibilities, including to obey the law; to promote public confidence in the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary; to avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety; and to not abuse the prestige of their office to advance the personal interest of themselves or others.”
Now, let’s unpack that—when a justice of the highest court is caught in a scandal involving personal gain, it’s not just a bad look; it’s a gut punch to the very idea of impartiality that conservatives hold dear against the tide of progressive overreach.
By Thursday, the Supreme Court panel had made its call, concluding that Hantz Marconi’s actions didn’t rise to the level of a “serious crime” that would justify disbarment or permanent removal from the bench.
Her law license was reinstated with no strings attached, paving the way for her return, even as she approaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 come February.
While the panel’s ruling offers a legal lifeline, it’s hard not to wonder if this sends the wrong signal in an era where trust in institutions is already hanging by a thread—shouldn’t the judiciary be above even a whiff of impropriety?
Conservatives might argue that second chances are part of American values, but when it comes to safeguarding the rule of law against personal agendas, Hantz Marconi’s return feels like a missed opportunity to draw a harder line.