MANCHESTER, N.H. — When prosecutors accused Supreme Court Justice John Broderick's son of severely beating the judge over the weekend, it brought back memories of another alleged altercation between the father and son.
In October 2000, after Broderick told his son he had eight weeks to move out of the family's home, authorities say John Christian Broderick responded, "You have eight hours until you're in the ground." The older Broderick was later charged with slapping his son across the face, according to court records, but the count was dropped.
The younger Broderick, 30, was being arraigned Monday on an assault charge in connection with the Saturday attack that left his father in serious condition.
The beating caused such extensive injuries to the judge's face that a top state official could not recognize him.
Police arrested John Christian Broderick early Sunday. They refused to discuss a motive for the attack or whether a weapon was used.
The younger Broderick had been living at his parents' condo and police found him there when they responded to a 911 call Saturday from his mother, said Assistant Attorney General William Delker.
Christian Broderick was released from a Manchester hospital Sunday and sent to the Hillsborough County Jail, where he was being held on $100,000 bail. Delker would not comment on why he was hospitalized or if he had a lawyer.
Delker said indications are that Broderick was attacked in his sleep. He told investigators he did not see his attacker.
Broderick, 54, who is a former co-chairman of Bill Clinton's 1991-92 state presidential campaign, was appointed to New Hampshire's high court in October 1995.
Broderick's name was in the headlines last year when he and Justice James Duggan were criticized for involving themselves in negotiations for Chief Justice David Brock, who was being investigated by the Judicial Conduct Committee.
The House had impeached Brock on charges he was lax about enforcing conflict-of-interest rules and once tried to influence a lower court case.
The Senate acquitted Brock, and the attorney general decided in January that Broderick and Duggan did not commit ethics violations for negotiating on Brock's behalf.