Connecticut Appellate Court

The Connecticut Appellate Court is the court of first appeals for all cases arising from the Connecticut Superior Courts. Its creation in 1983 required Connecticut's voters and legislature to amend the state's constitution. The court heard its first cases on October 4, 1983.[1] The Appellate Court was also a partial successor to the former Appellate Session of the Superior Court, a court established to hear appeals in minor matters (e.g., misdemeanors and minor civil matters.)[2][3]

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Composition

The Connecticut Appellate Court is composed of nine Appellate Court Judges. However, retired Judges of the Appellate Court and of the Supreme Court can still sit on Appellate Court panels, as needed. Retired Chief Justices Ellen Ash Peters, Francis McDonald, and William Sullivan continue to sit regularly with the Appellate Court, as do retired Justices David Borden and Barry Schaller, retired Appellate Court Chief Judges Antoinette Dupont and William Lavery, and a battery of other retired Appellate Court Judges (including Socrates Mihalakos, Joseph Pellegrino, George Stoughton, and Thomas West, among others). If the Chief Court Administrator is a Judge of the Appellate Court, the Appellate Court is authorized to have 10 seats. (Judge Joseph Pellegrino fulfilled this role and during his time, the Court had 10 members.)[4] Some Judges of the former Appellate Session of the Superior Court went on to serve on the Appellate Court, notably, John Daly and Francis X. Hennessy.

Current members
Justice Born Joined Term ends Mandatory retirement Appointed by Law school
William H. Bright Jr, Chief Judge (1962-08-15) August 15, 1962 November 1, 2017 (as Appellate Judge)

August 1, 2020 (as Chief Judge)

 2025 2032 Dannel Malloy (D) Chicago
Bethany Alvord (1957-06-20) June 20, 1957 April 22, 2009 2027 2027 Jodi Rell (R) Connecticut
Eliot D. Prescott (1965-01-21) January 21, 1965 April 25, 2014 2030 2035 Dannel Malloy (D) Connecticut
Nina F. Elgo (1962-06-18) June 18, 1962 May 25, 2017 2025 2032 Dannel Malloy (D) Georgetown
Ingrid L. Moll (1973-04-17) April 17, 1973 May 3, 2018 2026 2043 Dannel Malloy (D) Connecticut
Melanie L. Cradle 1970 or 1971 (age 52–53) August 12, 2020 2028 2041 Ned Lamont (D) Seton Hall
José A. Suarez 1966 (age 56–57) August 12, 2020 2028 2036 Ned Lamont (D) Connecticut
Robert W. Clark (1971-09-16) September 16, 1971 March 23, 2021 2029 2041 Ned Lamont (D) Connecticut
Hope C. Seeley (1964-02-25) February 25, 1964 May 2, 2022 2030 2034 Ned Lamont (D) Connecticut
Alexandra Davis DiPentima,Senior Judge (1953-04-18) April 18, 1953 May 13, 2003 N/A N/A John G. Rowland (R) Connecticut

Former members
  • Judge Joan K. Alexander
  • Judge F. Herbert Greundel[5]
  • Judge Robert Beach[6]
  • William C. Bieluch (1985-1988), a former member of the Appellate Session of the Superior Court.[7]
  • Judge Thomas Bishop (2001–2011) [8]
  • David M. Borden (1983–1990), one of the original five appointees, drafted Connecticut's Penal Code, first Administrative Judge for the Appellate System, still active as a Judge Trial Referee.
  • Albert W. Cretella (1990, Senior Judge, 1990-1995): Actually married Judge Dupont, former Chief Civil Administrative Judge and Assemblyman.[9][10][11]
  • John Daly (1984–1993), Also defended Joseph "Mad Dog" Taborsky (last man in Connecticut to be executed before Michael Ross), one of the original 44 circuit court judges when the court was established in 1961 (and later rendered defunct in 1978).[12][13]
  • Joseph Dannehy (1983–1984), first Chief Presiding Judge.[14]
  • Robert J. Devlin Jr. (2019–2020)
  • Antoinette Dupont (1983–1999, Chief Judge, 1984–1997) Second Chief Judge, helped the Court clear an appellate backlog, brought the Court into its own right as an innovator. Still active as a Judge Trial Referee, authored the history of the Court in 2003.[15]
  • Joseph P. Flynn (2001–2010)
  • Paul M. Foti (1987–2005), one of the longest serving members of the Appellate Court.[16][2]
  • Lubbie Harper Jr. (2005–2011), served on the Appellate Court from 2005 to 2011, when he was elevated to the Connecticut Supreme Court.[17]
  • Francis X. Hennessy (1994-2000), originally selected as a Juvenile Court Judge, he went on to serve as the Administrative Judge of the Juvenile-Family Session of the Superior Court, served as the Deputy Chief Court Administrator, sat on the former Appellate Session of the Superior Court, sat by designation on multiple occasions at the Supreme Court, nominated by Governor Weicker to serve on the Appellate Court. Still was actively serving as a Judge Trial Referee designated to the Appellate Court and maintaining chambers there until recently.[18][19][20]
  • Maxwell Heiman (1990–1997), Former President of the Connecticut Bar Association, defended Joseph "Mad Dog" Taborsky (last man to be executed in Connecticut before Michael Ross), presided over Robert Breton's capital felony trial, served Chair of the Connecticut Bar Association Intermediate Appellate Court Committee with C. Ian McLachlan.[21][22][2]
  • T. Clark Hull (1983–1987), one of the original five appointees. Former Lieutenant Governor.
  • Christine Keller (2013–2020), served for seven years until elevation to the Supreme Court.[23]
  • Judge Douglas Lavine
  • C. Ian McLachlan (2003–2009), serve on the Connecticut Bar Association Intermediate Appellate Court Committee, recently elevated to the Supreme Court.[24][2][25]
  • Raheem L. Mullins (2014–2017)[26] Served for 3 years until elevated to Supreme Court.
  • Barry R. Schaller (1992–2007) One of two judges to sit at all five levels of Connecticut's Judiciary, the other being Joseph Dannehy.
  • Judge Michael Sheldon (2011–2019), Served 28 years in the Connecticut judiciary. Retired upon reaching mandatory retirement age of 70.[27]
  • E. Eugene Spear (1993–2002), Former Chief Civil Administrative Judge, second African American member of the Court after Flemming Norcott, former Public Defender.[28][2][22]
  • Daniel Spallone (1984–1991), Served 40 years in the judiciary, former Town Attorney in Deep River, spouse served as State Representative, son later served as State representative.[29][30][15]
  • George Stoughton (1987–1989) Former Hartford State's Attorney, returned to the Court as a Judge Trial Referee (after turning 70 in 1989 and enabling Legislation in 1995), was still active at 91 and heard cases until his death in June 2011, including assisting Justice Borden in screening criminal cases for transfer to the Supreme Court.[31][32][33][34]
  • Robert Testo (1983) One of the original five judges. Opted to return to the Superior Court, opening the vacancy for Daniel Spallone.[15][35]

See also

References
  1. History of the Connecticut Appellate Court, compiled by the State of Connecticut Judicial Branch
  2. "CT Appellate Court History". www.jud.ct.gov.
  3. "NCJRS Abstract - National Criminal Justice Reference Service". www.ncjrs.gov.
  4. "CT Appellate Court Judges - CT Judicial Branch". www.jud.state.ct.us.
  5. "Honorable F. Herbert Gruendel - Biography". Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
  6. "Honorable Robert E. Beach, Jr. - Biography". www.jud.state.ct.us.
  7. "Judge Bieluch Obituary, West Hartford, CTCarmon Community Funeral Homes". www.carmonfuneralhome.com.
  8. "Honorable Thomas A. Bishop - Biography". www.jud.state.ct.us.
  9. "CRETELLA, Judge Albert W., Jr".
  10. "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart.
  11. "Judge Antoinette L. Dupont Marries Judge A. W. Cretella Jr. in New London". The New York Times. 25 August 1990.
  12. "Daly, Hon. John J."
  13. "Remarks by The Honorable Antoinette L. Dupont at 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Appellate Court - 10/15/03". jud.ct.gov.
  14. "Joseph Dannehy, Legendary Jurist, Dies".
  15. "CT Appellate Court History". www.jud.state.ct.us.
  16. "Resolution Confirming the Nomination of the Honorable Paul M. Foti of Branford to Be a Judge of the Appellate Court and a Judge of the Superior Court". www.cga.ct.gov.
  17. "Honorable Lubbie Harper, Jr. - CT Judicial Branch". jud.ct.gov. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
  18. "Retired Appellate Court Judge Francis X. Hennessy".
  19. "Retired Appellate Court Judge Francis X. Hennessy Dies at 82; Originally Appointed by Ella Grasso; 36-Year Career as Judge | Capitol Watch". Archived from the original on 2013-02-10. Retrieved 2013-03-04.
  20. "The Honorable Francis Xavier HENNESSY's Obituary on Hartford Courant". Hartford Courant.
  21. Saxon, Wolfgang (8 November 1997). "Judge Maxwell Heiman, 65". The New York Times.
  22. "Remarks by The Honorable Antoinette L. Dupont at 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Appellate Court - 10/15/03". www.jud.ct.gov.
  23. "Governor Lamont Makes Supreme and Appellate Court Appointments" (Press release). July 20, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  24. "Honorable C. Ian McLachlan - Biography". Archived from the original on 2012-03-25. Retrieved 2011-07-25.
  25. "Justice C. Ian McLachlan biography". Archived from the original on 2012-03-25. Retrieved 2011-07-25.
  26. "Appellate Judge Raheem L. Mullins - CT Judicial Branch". Archived from the original on 2014-11-26.
  27. Storace, Robert; PM, 2019 at 03:57 (March 12, 2019). "Michael Sheldon to Step Down From Bench, Become Judge Trial Referee". Connecticut Law Tribune. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  28. "Spear Nominated To Appellate Court".
  29. "Daniel Spallone, Connecticut judge - Boston.com". Archived from the original on 2012-05-03. Retrieved 2011-07-30.
  30. "Congressional Record, Volume 153 Issue 137 (Monday, September 17, 2007)". www.gpo.gov.
  31. "CT Appellate Court History". www.jud.state.ct.us.
  32. http://search.cga.state.ct.us/dtsearch_lpa.asp?cmd=getdoc&DocId=4541&Index=I%3A\zindex\1988&HitCount=0&hits=&hc=0&req=&Item=5655%5B%5D
  33. "George D. STOUGHTON's Obituary on Hartford Courant". Hartford Courant.
  34. "Connecticut Law Tribune: 'Til Death Do Us Part". Archived from the original on 2011-10-06.
  35. "Robert Testo, 78, House Speaker In Era of Change in Connecticut". The New York Times. Associated Press. 23 April 1998.
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