Supreme Court Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi hears a case in 2023. (Photo by Todd Bookman, NHPR)
New Hampshire Supreme Court Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi’s law license has been formally suspended by a slate of judges appointed to oversee her disciplinary proceedings as she faces a list of felony charges.
Hantz Marconi previously notified the judicial branch that she would not object to the suspension of her ability to practice law while her criminal proceedings play out.
Earlier this month, Hantz Marconi was indicted on seven charges related to allegations she attempted to pressure Gov. Chris Sununu to curtail an investigation into her husband, Geno Marconi, the state’s port director.
On Oct. 21, the state’s Attorney Discipline Office moved to temporarily suspend Hantz Marconi’s law license in light of the criminal charges. Typically, the state’s Supreme Court justices sign off on suspensions or other disciplinary measures taken against attorneys, but the other four justices on the court recused themselves from the case involving their colleague.
In their absence, the court appointed retired Superior Court Chief Justice Tina Nadeau to oversee the disciplinary case against Hantz Marconi, along with Superior Court Chief Justice Mark Howard, and Judges David Ruoff, Daniel St. Hilaire, and Michael Klass. Those five judges approved the temporary suspension on Thursday “for a time period coextensive with her administrative leave.”
Hantz Marconi is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 27. It isn’t clear when a trial could be scheduled in the case.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald has been identified in court paperwork as a potential witness in the criminal case involving Hantz Marconi. She alleges that she discussed her interest in meeting with Sununu with MacDonald, and that he didn’t raise any concerns.
Sununu could also appear as a witness in the criminal trial. On Wednesday, he refused to say whether he testified before a Merrimack County grand jury, which handed down the indictments against Hantz Marconi. He also declined to say who else may have been aware of or present for his June 6 conversation with Hantz Marconi, or if he or one of his staffers reported their concerns about her alleged request to the Attorney General’s office.
A day after the criminal indictments involving Hantz Marconi were released, a slate of criminal charges were announced against her husband, Geno Marconi. Prosecutors say he disclosed confidential motor vehicle records to another person and tampered with evidence to obstruct an ongoing investigation.
In April, Hantz Marconi also allegedly contacted Steve Duprey, the chair of the Pease Development Authority, which has oversight over the state’s ports. (Duprey is a member of NHPR’s Board of Directors, but has no influence over the station’s coverage.)
Marconi remains on administrative leave from the Division of Ports and Harbors, while Hantz Marconi is also on leave from the court.
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