CONCORD, NH – New Hampshire Supreme Court Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi has been found guilty of criminal solicitation of misuse of position, a class B misdemeanor, after pleading nolo contendere in Merrimack County Superior Court, state officials announced Wednesday.
Attorney General John M. Formella said the conviction stems from a June 2024 meeting during which Justice Hantz Marconi, while serving as an associate justice on the state’s highest court, arranged a private discussion with then-Governor Christopher T. Sununu regarding a criminal investigation into her husband, Geno Marconi.
Justice sought special treatment, investigators say
According to prosecutors, Hantz Marconi attempted to influence the governor by urging that the grand jury investigation into her husband “wrap up quickly,” asserting it lacked merit and was personally distressing. Her husband, the director of the Division of Ports and Harbors at the Pease Development Authority, remains under indictment in Rockingham County Superior Court and has pleaded not guilty.
“This is a sad and unfortunate case that reflects a serious breach of the public trust,” Attorney General Formella said. “Her conduct was unlawful and unethical, and it undermines confidence in our criminal justice system. Today’s conviction holds her accountable under the law.”
Sentence and ethics implications
Under the plea agreement, the court ordered Hantz Marconi to pay a $1,200 fine. The Attorney General emphasized that the conviction reinforces a central tenet of the state’s judicial ethics — that no one, including members of the Supreme Court, is above the law.
“Judges have special ethical responsibilities to obey the law, promote public confidence in the judiciary, and avoid the appearance of impropriety,” Formella added.
The ruling marks an unprecedented moment for New Hampshire’s judicial branch, as one of its own faces criminal accountability for misuse of office.