Belknap County has a new top prosecutor. Keith Cormier was sworn in as county attorney on May 3. He will fulfill the term of Andrew Livernois, who has been elevated to a judgeship.

Cormier is a familiar face at the Belknap County Attorney’s Office. He started working there in 2017, as assistant county attorney, and was named Liverois’ deputy attorney in August 2019.

After Belknap County Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Leonard administered his oath of office, Cormier said he was “honored” the county delegation entrusted him with the position, and he was “excited” to fulfill the role.

Cormier will fulfill the remainder of Livernois’ term, which expires at the end of this calendar year. An election in November will determine who will serve in the role thereafter.

“Each and every case comes bearing different facts, different challenges,” Cormier said about prosecuting in Belknap County. “Part of the reason I do this job is to help people, help this community. As a prosecutor, you’re in a great position to do that.”

The role of county attorney is a daunting one, and it demands a dedication that stretches well beyond the typical nine-to-five, Cormier said.

“It forces you to put in that work,” he said about the job, adding that he willingly does so because of the people, often the victims of crime, who depend on his work in order to achieve justice.

Cormier, a Laconia resident, studied philosophy at the University of North Carolina – Wilmington, and went to Suffolk University Law School in Boston.

Cormier was the unanimous choice of the Belknap County Delegation, which voted to appoint him on April 22.

Rep. Harry Bean, R-Gilford, delegation chair, said he found Cormier to be an “impressive” candidate, and that impression was bolstered by the recommendations that came along with his candidacy, including a letter of support from Livernois.

“I think that he’s been with us for six or seven years as a deputy, and he knows what he needs to know, I think he’s a good choice,” Bean said.

In a letter Cormier wrote to the delegation, he explained his approach to the role.

He noted the skill and experience necessary to prosecute the range of cases that arise in the county, and how he has tried more than 20 jury trials since joining the office in 2017.

Cormier wrote about the importance of working with other local law enforcement agencies and organizations, such as New Beginnings and the Greater Lakes Child Advocacy Center.

He also emphasized the example the county attorney sets for the rest of the office, how he has learned from his predecessor the obligations that come with the position.

“Having worked with County Attorney Livernois for years, his dedication to the job inspired me to do everything I could do for my cases,” Cormier wrote. “I strive to set that same example for the other attorneys in the office.”

In his letter of recommendation, Livernois credited Cormier’s knowledge of law, his skill as a prosecutor, and his character. He noted that Cormier has served as a member of the NH Bar Association’s Ethics Committee, “Not surprisingly, therefore, in all my dealings with Attorney Cormier, he has demonstrated a commitment to the highest ethical standards and has exercised his duties with integrity and honesty,” Livernois wrote.

After taking his oath, in a Belknap Superior Court courtroom on Friday, Cormier told the crowd in attendance, “Now the fun really starts. I hope I can live up to expectations.”

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