A day after Attorney General John Formella’s prosecution of Supreme Court Justice Barbara Hantz Marconi fizzled into a single misdemeanor charge, the state’s top law enforcement officer suffered another setback as the courts cleared the way for her return.

Formella was asked about the court’s decision during a State House press event on Wednesday, announcing the Ayotte administration’s new plan to increase highway safety.

“As to the decision that the court made to rescind the orders putting her on leave, that’s not a decision we expected. It’s not a decision we were aware would happen,” Formella said.

In fact, Formella’s office played a key role in fast-tracking Hantz Marconi’s swift return to the state’s highest court. A stipulation in her negotiated plea deal required prosecutors to s

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