Belknap County attorney confirmed as Superior Court judge

LACONIA — Andrew Livernois, Belknap County Attorney since 2017, will soon be sworn in as Superior Court judge.

The Executive Council voted on Wednesday to confirm Livernois’ nomination.

Livernois, 57 and a resident of New Hampton, said on Thursday, “I’m humbled and I’m honored that the governor nominated me and the Executive Council saw fit to nominate me. It is a privilege and an honor to serve this way. I’m going to do everything in my power to show that that trust was well-placed.”

He expects to spend the next two to three weeks “transitioning” out of his role as head prosecutor for Belknap County, preparing for his successor to take over his cases and administrative duties, after which he will submit his resignation to the county, then be sworn in as a judge. He said he didn’t yet know to which court he will be assigned.

Livernois’ term expires at the end of this calendar year. The county delegation is expected to appoint someone to fulfill the rest of the term, and an election will be held in November to see who will serve as Belknap County attorney come January.

Joe Kenney, the executive councilor for District 1 which includes Laconia, was one of three councilors who voted in favor of confirming Livernois’ nomination.

“I think he’s highly qualified, has great work experience, he’s well-rounded. He worked his way through college and law school, he has New Hampshire roots,” Kenney said about Livernois. “I think he will be a good fit on the Superior Court.”

The two councilors who voted against the confirmation were David Wheeler (District 5) and Janet Stevens (D. 3).

In discussion leading up to the Executive Council’s vote, Wheeler said he took exception to the role that Livernois played during the Gunstock Mountain controversy of 2022, during which Livernois provided a legal opinion which agreed that a majority of the members of the Belknap County Delegation could convene an emergency meeting. The meeting was called in order to appoint two new Gunstock Area Commissioners, so that the executive team of the county-owned resort, which had walked out over conflicts with prior commissioners, could be re-hired.

Wheeler said he was “not comfortable with the advice that Andrew gave,” and he felt the meeting was not so urgent that it couldn’t wait the normal seven days after scheduling. “I think that was a violation of the public trust. It seems so rushed and unnecessary that I’m just not comfortable at this time supporting his nomination.”

Stevens, who didn’t speak at the Executive Council meeting, didn’t immediately respond to a request to explain her vote against Livernois’ nomination.

Kenney said he considered the Gunstock situation and didn’t have any qualms about it.

“For me, I did my research and my homework, he was giving an advisory opinion, that was his role as county attorney,” Kenney said. “That’s what his job was to do.”