You broke the law. You accepted a plea. You accepted consequences. And you still feel the system is stacked against you. With the case of Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi you’re seeing what you already sense: the system doesn’t treat everyone the same.

I’m speaking from experience. I went through the plea. I went through sentencing. I did my time. I came home and my license was gone. The world didn’t pause for me. I know what you’re thinking: “Why do some people walk away, and I suffer everything?” I lived that. And your next move must be to prove you are worthy of leniency—not just expect it.

Who Is Anna Marconi and What Happened

• In October 2024 a grand jury indicted Justice Marconi on two felony counts and five misdemeanors alleging she attempted to influence the investigation of her husband. AP News+2Reuters+2
  
• On October 7 2025 she pleaded no contest to a single misdemeanor of criminal solicitation of misuse of position, paid a $1,200 fine, and avoided jail time. Reuters+2InDepthNH.org+2
  
• After the plea the court allowed her to return to her duties (pending reinstatement of her law license) even though she remains a sitting justice, which many view as unequal treatment. New Hampshire Bulletin+1
  

Two-Tiered Justice: What I Mean

1. You faced full consequences

When I was a stockbroker at Bear Stearns and later at UBS I broke the law. I had no right to sell stocks anymore. I sold real estate for years without a problem—but after prison, the Department of Real Estate revoked my license because of my conviction. I accepted that.

2. Others don’t face equivalent consequences

Justice Marconi held one of the highest offices in her state. Yet after pleading to a misdemeanor, she stands to return to the bench. No time in jail. Minimal fine. The system allowed that.

3. You’re left wondering: what about fairness for me?

You’re under investigation, facing sentencing, feeling that your bad choice will follow you forever while someone else’s high-level misconduct is handled lightly. That sense of “Why me?” is real. Instead of arguing about fairness, put your time into building evidence: schedules, receipts, letters, records, and obligations you’ve kept.

What You Must Do To Prove You Are Worthy of Leniency

Here are five specific steps that help establish credibility in court, probation or with the BOP:

1. Document every affirmative step you’ve taken — therapy, restitution, job training, mentoring—whatever you’ve done, get receipts.
   
2. Avoid any new trouble or appearance of trouble — delinquency on bills or new investigations undermine everything.
   
3. Prepare a written release plan — job lined up, housing confirmed, community ties clear.
   
4. Build a credible character section — letters from employers, mentors, religious or community leaders. Not flowery. Just facts: tenure, role, performance.
   
5. Anticipate and rebut what the government might say — if they’ll say “history of lying,” you show how you changed. If they’ll say “lack of remorse,” you show how you’ve repaired.
   

I included my own post-conviction examples in my books and blogs. My experience shows these steps matter. They won’t erase your mistake—but they show you recognize it and you are acting.

Q&A

Q: Does one judge’s lenient outcome help my case?
A: It doesn’t. One high-level official getting a light outcome does not guarantee the same for you. The system still wants proof you’re different.

Q: Will the government punish me harshly if I cooperate?
A: Cooperating helps, but alone it is not enough. You must combine cooperation with the documented steps above.

Q: If I did everything already, is it too late?
A: No. It’s never too late to start documenting what you’ve done. The moment you begin counts.

If you’re concerned that your case won’t get the same treatment someone like Marconi received, the only move you have is to document your reform with precision. If you want help doing that, join the webinar or schedule a call.

Written by Justin Paperny, author of Lessons From Prison and Ethics in Motion.