Jim Bassett is well-known and well-liked in the New Hampshire Bar. But his nomination drew criticism from some conservatives. They didn’t like that Bassett supported the Brady gun law on as a GOP congressional candidate in 1994. They also don’t like that Bassett said he accepted the Claremont education funding rulings as precedent during his confirmation hearing. Most councilors dismissed these concerns, and prior to the confirmation vote, District 2’s Dan St. Hillare predicted Bassett would be a great addition to the court.
“He is a strict constitutionalist. He is an intellectual, so he looks at what the constitution on says and derives his opinions from what these documents say.”
The lone dissenting vote was David Wheeler of district 5. He said Bassett’s views on guns and education convinced him that Bassett will be activist on the bench.
