This is late-breaking news, as in, it broke (many) hours ago, and we’re late reporting it. Chris Sununu’s nominee for NH Superior Court Judge, Patricia Conway, has withdrawn herself from consideration.
Related: Sununu Needs to Withdraw His Latest Court Nominee – Patricia “Situational Ethics” Conway
If you missed our reporting yesterday morning, Conway admitted to living in one NH town but voting in another a criminal act.
We’ve spent far too much time emphasizing the need for election integrity to sit on our hands when a nominee to the superior court has shown such disregard for it. Ms. Conway’s violation could, under the New Hampshire Constitution, if prosecuted and found guilty, revoke her voting rights in the state. A status reinstated only after appearing before (if I understand this correctly) a NH Superior Court Judge. The role for which Conway has been nominated.
It is (therefore) nearly impossible to take that appointment seriously, …
Conway’s departure means Sununu will have to advance a replacement. He has, and at least one of them is worse.
Concord, NH — Today, Governor Chris Sununu announced that he will nominate Circuit Court Judge Elizabeth Leonard and New Hampshire Solicitor General Dan Will to serve as Superior Court Judges. The nominations will be made at tomorrow’s April 20th Executive Council meeting.
Daniel Will, New Hampshire’s first solicitor, is credited with writing the Binford Objection, which denied that Daniel Binford had his constitutional rights violated by the Governor’s use of Emergency Powers.
The result of this was that a Superior Court Judge (basically) said that the Constitution could not stop a chief executive (in New Hampshire) from doing whatever they deem necessary in the context of a state of emergency.
The Constitution has no power to contain government abuses for which it was solely crafted, and there is no remedy for them. If that’s not enough of a concern Will is nominated to be a NH Superior Court Judge.
So, while we’re excited to hear that the ill-suited Patricia Conway has stepped aside, Dan Will may pose a greater constitutional threat than Conway.
The Executive Council must not confirm him.
Contact your Councilors and ask them to vote no on the nomination of Dan Will.
Note: I’m not familiar with Circuit Court Judge Elizabeth Leonard. We’ll have to get back to you on that one.
