Walter Stephen Thayer III[1] (born January 13, 1946) was a justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court from 1986 to 2000.

W. Stephen Thayer III
Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court
In office
1986–2000
Personal details
Born (1946-01-13) January 13, 1946 (age 78)
NationalityAmerican
Political partyRepublican
SpouseLisa Dean
Residence(s)Alexandria, Virginia
Alma materBelmont Abbey College
OccupationUnited States Attorney

He was the United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire from 1981 to 1984. He is a member of the Republican Party and participated in several conservative organizations.[2][3][4]

In 2000, he resigned from the New Hampshire Supreme Court amid a controversy involving claims that he attempted to influence a decision of the court regarding his bitterly contested divorce from his wife Judith, former chairwoman of the New Hampshire State Board of Education.[5]

Thayer said his resignation was involuntary because he was left with no other alternative. He said he resigned because the media had damaged his credibility through stories about his failure to disclose a $50,000 loan from a Manchester lawyer on a bank loan application. "How much was I supposed to put up with? I can't sit on the bench and be expected to fulfill my constitutional duties when I was being dragged through the mud on federal felony bank charges," he said.[6]

In 2003, he was appointed by the Bush administration to participate in an effort to establish more comprehensive screening process for airline passengers.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Judge Walter Stephen Thayer III (Supreme Court of New Hampshire)". Court Listener. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  2. ^ History of the New Hampshire Federal Courts (1991), p. 91.
  3. ^ "Disgraced judge picked for homeland post", Associated press, 7/28/2004.
  4. ^ Los Angeles Times | 'Old-Boy' System Causes Chaos on N.H. High Court | ELIZABETH MEHREN | TIMES STAFF WRITER May 02, 2000 | [1].
  5. ^ "A New Hampshire Divorce Brings Low Its High Court". The New York Times. 7 April 2000.
  6. ^ Rebecca Mahoney. "Thayer: I've no guilt". seacoastonline.com. Associated Press. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
  7. ^ "Disgraced judge picked for homeland post". NBC News. 28 July 2004.