NH Supreme Court justice indicted over alleged attempts to interfere with investigation into husband
New Hampshire Supreme Court Associate Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi was indicted for allegedly trying to interfere in a criminal investigation into her husband, state officials announced Wednesday.
Hantz Marconi was charged with two felonies and five misdemeanors by a Merrimack County grand jury, the state’s attorney general, John Formella, said in the announcement.
The class B felonies include one count of attempting to commit improper influence and a second count of criminal solicitation of improper influence. The felonies are punishable by up to 3.5 to 7 years in state prison and a fine of $4,000.
The five class A misdemeanor charges include two counts of criminal solicitation of misuse of position, one count of criminal solicitation of official oppression, one count of official oppression, and one count of obstructing government administration. The misdemeanors are punishable by up to 12 months in a house of corrections and a fine of up to $2,000.
Formella said in the announcement the decision to charge a sitting justice on the state’s high court was not taken lightly.
“No person is above the law, and the evidence in this case required investigation and presentation to the grand jury,” Formella said in the statement.
“The decision to charge a sitting Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court was not made lightly, and it comes after careful and thoughtful deliberation,” he continued. “It is my hope that the public will be reassured that all individuals, including public officials, are treated equally under the law.”
Hantz Marconi’s attorneys said they intend to file motions to dismiss the case and maintained that the justice is innocent.
“Justice Hantz Marconi is innocent. She did not violate any law or rule. We will fight the charges to the fullest extent permitted by the law, starting with motions to dismiss the case which we anticipate filing soon,” read the statement from attorneys Richard Guerriero, Jonathan Kotlier and Oliver Bloom.
“We intend to fight these wrongful accusations in court, where the fight should occur, and not in the media,” the statement continued.
The state’s justice department said the investigation is over and investigators did not find any other alleged wrongdoing in the process of the probe.
Hantz Marconi has been on administrative leave since July, according to The Associated Press.