Governor Ned Lamont announced on Mar. 10 the nomination of 14 individuals to serve as judges on the Connecticut Superior Court. These nominees are intended to fill one of the 20 current vacancies on the court.
The announcement is significant because it addresses a substantial number of open positions in the state’s judicial system, which can impact court efficiency and access to justice for residents.
Lamont said, “Selecting nominees to become judges is one of the most important duties of a governor, and this class of nominees have the qualifications and meet the high standards the people of Connecticut deserve on the bench.” He added, “I am proud that our administration has a record of selecting nominees who’ve expanded the diversity, backgrounds, and professional experiences of those who serve our court system.”
The Office of the Governor will forward notification of these nominations to the Connecticut General Assembly for its advice and consent. The list includes professionals from various legal backgrounds such as private practice attorneys, public defenders, assistant attorney generals, and former state representatives. Among them are Campbell D. Barrett, Jeffrey R. Beckham, Theodore M. Doolittle, Patrick M. Fahey, Sean Kehoe, Felice Gray-Kemp, Nisa Khan, Seán McGuinness, Philip Miller, Leah Pollard, Patrick T. Ring, John Shaban, Rosemarie Weber, and Justine Whalen.
Many nominees bring experience from both public service and private practice. For example, Doolittle previously served as a U.S. immigration judge in Hartford and as healthcare advocate for Connecticut; Weber manages litigation for four state agencies at the Office of Attorney General; Whalen has worked as an assistant public defender in New Haven after serving in Boston.
The next step will be review by the General Assembly before any appointments are finalized.
