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New Hampshire Supreme Court justice vacancy (November 2023)
| New Hampshire Supreme Court |
|---|
 |
| Hicks vacancy |
| Date: November 30, 2023 |
| Status: Seat filled |
| Nomination |
| Nominee: Melissa Beth Countway |
| Date: November 8, 2023 |
Governor Chris Sununu (R) appointed Melissa Beth Countway to the New Hampshire Supreme Court on November 8, 2023 to succeed Justice Gary Hicks. Her nomination was confirmed by the New Hampshire Executive Council on December 21, 2023.[1] Countway will serve until July 18, 2041, when she will reach the mandatory retirement age of 70 years.[2]
Countway replaces Justice Gary Hicks, who retired on November 30, 2023, due to reaching the court's mandatory retirement age. His replacement was Governor Sununu's (R) fifth nominee to the five-member supreme court.
In New Hampshire, state supreme court justices are selected through direct gubernatorial appointment. Justices are appointed directly by the governor without the use of a nominating commission.[3] There are five states that use this selection method. To read more about the gubernatorial appointment of judges, click here.
Vacancies on the court are filled through gubernatorial appointment. A judicial selection commission recommends candidates to the governor, the governor selects a candidate, and the candidate must be confirmed by the Executive Council.[4]
Ballotpedia has compiled the following resources on the process to fill the New Hampshire Supreme Court vacancy:
- An overview of the appointee.
- An overview of the selection process.
- An overview of the court following the vacancy.
- An overview of the justice who left office.
- A list of other state supreme court appointments in 2023.
The appointee
- See also: Melissa Beth Countway
Countway was nominated to the New Hampshire Supreme Court by Gov. Chris Sununu (R) on November 8, 2023, to succeed Justice Gary Hicks. She was confirmed to the court by the New Hampshire Executive Council in a vote on December 20, 2023.[2] To read more about judicial selection in New Hampshire, click here.
Education
She received a bachelor's degree in 1993 followed by a master's degree in 1994 from University of New Hampshire. She received a J.D. from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[5]
Career
Countway served as the Belknap County Attorney from 2011 to 2017. In 2017 she became a New Hampshire Circuit Courts judge.[6]
The selection process
- See also: Judicial selection in New Hampshire
In New Hampshire, state supreme court justices are selected through direct gubernatorial appointment. Justices are appointed directly by the governor without the use of a nominating commission.[7] There are five states that use this selection method. To read more about the gubernatorial appointment of judges, click here.
Makeup of the court
- See also: New Hampshire Supreme Court
Justices
Following Gary Hicks' retirement, the New Hampshire Supreme Court included the following members:
| ■ Gordon MacDonald | Appointed by Gov. Chris Sununu (R) in 2021 | |
| ■ James Bassett | Appointed by Gov. John H. Lynch (D) in 2012 | |
| ■ Patrick E. Donovan | Appointed by Gov. Chris Sununu (R) in 2018 | |
| ■ Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi | Appointed by Gov. Chris Sununu (R) in 2017 |
About the court
Founded in 1876, the New Hampshire Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort and has five judgeships. The current chief of the court is Gordon MacDonald.
As of August 2021, three judges were appointed by a Republican governor and two judges were appointed by a Democratic governor.
The New Hampshire Supreme Court meets in the Supreme Court Building in Concord, New Hampshire.[8] The court's general term begins in January, and the court holds regular sessions during the year.[9]
In New Hampshire, state supreme court justices are selected through direct gubernatorial appointment. Justices are appointed directly by the governor without the use of a nominating commission.[10] There are five states that use this selection method. To read more about the gubernatorial appointment of judges, click here.
About Justice Hicks
- See also: Gary Hicks
Hicks was born in West Stewartstown, New Hampshire. He received an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Bucknell University in 1975 and a J.D. from Boston University School of Law in 1978. Hicks was a commercial litigator at Wiggin & Nourie from 1978 to 2001.[11][5]
Other state supreme court appointments in 2023
- See also: State supreme court vacancies, 2023
The following table lists vacancies on state supreme courts that opened in 2023. Click the link under the Court column for a particular vacancy for more information on that vacancy.
Click here for vacancies that opened in 2022.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Telegraph, "Countway confirmed to New Hampshire Supreme Court; Laconia land deal delayed," December 21, 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Laconia Daily Sun, "Melissa Countway, former Belknap County attorney, confirmed to NH Supreme Court," December 21, 2023 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "nomination" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Note: In New Hampshire, a judicial selection commission has been established by executive order. The commission's recommendations are not binding.
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: New Hampshire | Selection of Judges," accessed August 24, 2021
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 New Hampshire Judicial Branch, "Associate Justice Melissa Countway," accessed January 8, 2024 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "SSCbio" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, "Governor Chris Sununu Nominates Melissa Beth Countway to New Hampshire Supreme Court," November 8, 2023
- ↑ Note: In New Hampshire, a judicial selection commission has been established by executive order. The commission's recommendations are not binding.
- ↑ New Hampshire Judicial Branch, "About the Supreme Court," accessed August 25, 2021
- ↑ Rules of the Supreme Court of the State of New Hampshire, "Rule 2. Term and Sessions," accessed August 25, 2021
- ↑ Note: In New Hampshire, a judicial selection commission has been established by executive order. The commission's recommendations are not binding.
- ↑ The Berlin Sun, "Gov. Lynch nominates North Country native to state Supreme Court," December 19, 2005
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Federal courts:
First Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of New Hampshire • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of New Hampshire
State courts:
New Hampshire Supreme Court • New Hampshire Superior Courts • New Hampshire Circuit Courts • New Hampshire Probate Courts • New Hampshire District Court • New Hampshire Family Division
State resources:
Courts in New Hampshire • New Hampshire judicial elections • Judicial selection in New Hampshire
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