Circuit judge, former county atty is Sununu's pick for Supreme Court vacancy
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Nov. 8—CONCORD — Circuit Court Judge and ex-Belknap County Attorney Melissa Countway, 52, of Alton, is Gov. Chris Sununu's nominee to the state Supreme Court to replace Gary Hicks, who retires at the end of the month.
"Judge Countway is a dedicated professional who has served the people of New Hampshire in a variety of roles throughout our justice system for decades," Sununu said in a statement. "Her knowledge and experience on the Circuit Court will be particularly invaluable to her work on the bench to strengthen New Hampshire's judicial branch and represent Granite Staters fairly."
A Wolfeboro native, Countway has served on the lower court since 2017, nominated to the judgeship by Sununu during his first year in office. She has been the presiding justice in Ossipee and said the majority of her time has been devoted to family court issues.
"Many of the cases are the result of the opioid crisis in our state," Countway said in her application. "Parents with addiction problems frequently neglect and often abuse their children in shocking manners. This was not an area of law in which I had previously practiced. I have become well-versed in the law and model court protocols for these cases."
Countway is a graduate of the North Carolina University School of Law as well as the University of New Hampshire, where she received her bachelor's and master's degrees.
"As a Circuit Court judge for the last six years, I understand the complexities of the many different case types that come before the court and how the law intersects with New Hampshire citizens' lives," Countway said.
She was first named county attorney in April 2011 and then won re-election three times.
During her tenure, she was Melissa Guldbrandsen, prior to her divorce from her second husband, Thad Guldbrandsen, an associate dean at Plymouth State University.
Her first husband, Joe Vetanze, was a deputy U.S. marshal.
Justice Hicks is stepping down as he is reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
In the 2024 general election, voters will be asked if they want to change the Constitution to raise that mandatory retirement age to 75; the New Hampshire Legislature endorsed that proposed amendment last spring.
Countway's other work experiences include a stint as the prosecutor for the Alton Police Department, working at her Alton law office and as a litigator with the Concord firm of Orr and Reno.
"Since clerking for Chief Justice (David) Brock in 2002, it has been my ambition to sit on the state Supreme Court," Countway wrote. "I especially enjoy that the job of a judge is to achieve justice through properly interpreting and applying the law to a case."
Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington, D-Concord, said she will look during the public hearing process to ensure that Countway "respects the law and precedent (and has) an independent voice."
"As I've said before, we can no longer rely on the U.S. Supreme Court to protect our freedoms or constitutional rights. Now more than ever, our state courts, and the New Hampshire Supreme Court in particular, are critical to the future of our civil rights and liberties," Warmington said.
"This includes the freedom for New Hampshire's citizens to make our own health care decisions without government interference. It includes our right to vote, our right to public education, our right to privacy, and our right to access public accommodations, employment, and housing without discrimination and much more."
