Lamont nominates 13 judges to fill vacancies

“Selecting nominees to fill vacancies on our courts is one of the most important tasks a governor is required to do, and it is an honor to have the opportunity to elevate these two talented judges to the supreme and appellate courts.” Gov. Ned Lamont

Gov. Ned Lamont on Wednesday announced 13 nominations to fill some of the vacancies in the state’s supreme, appellate and superior courts.

Lamont said he nominated Judge Joan K. Alexander of Cromwell to serve as an associate justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court. He also nominated Judge Hope C. Seeley of Coventry to serve as a judge of the Connecticut Appellate Court. Lamont nominated 11 other attorneys to serve as judges of the Connecticut Superior Court.

Alexander, 59, currently serves as a judge of the state Appellate Court, where she has served since 2020. Before that, she was a Superior Court judge dating back to 2000, Lamont’s office said. She has also served as a the chief administrative judge for the Connecticut Judicial Branch’s Criminal Division. Before she was appointed to the bench, she was a prosecutor with the state Division of Criminal Justice. She graduated from Yale University and holds a law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

Lamont said Alexander was nominated to fill the vacancy created earlier this month when Justice Christine E. Keller took senior status.

Seeley, 58, has been a Superior Court judge since 2013. She is also an assistant administrative judge for the judicial district of Hartford, as well as the presiding criminal judge, Lamont’s office said. Before she was appointed to serve in Hartford, she was a criminal trial judge in the Windham and Tolland districts. Before she was appointed to the bench, she was in private practice. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and holds a law degree from UConn School of Law.

Lamont said Seeley was nominated to fill a vacancy on the appellate court that is expected to be created by the confirmation of Alexander to the supreme court.

“Selecting nominees to fill vacancies on our courts is one of the most important tasks a governor is required to do, and it is an honor to have the opportunity to elevate these two talented judges to the supreme and appellate courts,” Lamont said in a prepared statement.

The state currently has 60 judicial vacancies on the superior court, Lamont said. The 11 nominations to that court announced Wednesday come on top of 22 more that were announced in February. The 22 nominations from February are pending confirmation by the state legislature, Lamont said.

The 11 attorneys nominated for judgeships Tuesday were:

Scott R. Chadwick, 59, of East Hartford, is a current probate judge for the East Hartford district. He graduated from Western New England University and obtained his law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

Victoria W. Chavey, 55, of West Hartford, is the current owner of Chavey Legal Services. She established her own legal practice last year. She completed two clerkships, one with a chief supreme court justice and another with a second circuit judge. She graduated from Dartmouth College and holds a law degree from Boston University School of Law.

Thamar EsperanceSmith, 36, of Glastonbury, is currently an assistant attorney general at the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General in the Child Support and Collections Department. She serves as the presidentelect of the George W. Crawford Black Bar Association. She graduated from Pace University and obtained her law degree from the UConn School of Law.

Josephine S. Graff, 46, of Glastonbury, is currently an assistant attorney general at the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General, where she handles employment cases.

She graduated from the College of the Holy Cross and holds a law degree from the UConn School of Law.

Jeanet Figueroa-Laskos, 53, of Shelton, is currently an assistant attorney general at the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General, working in the Child Protection Department. Before that, she was a special deputy state’s attorney that prosecuted criminal cases. She has served as a member of the Client Security Fund Committee since 2018. She graduated from UConn and obtained her law degree from the Quinnipiac University School of Law.

Steven D. Jacobs, 63, of New Haven, is a current partner at a law firm that mainly focuses on personal injury, medical malpractice and workers’ compensation cases. He graduated from Trinity College and holds a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

Brian W. Preleski, 55, of Avon, has served as the state’s attorney for the New Britain district since 2011. He has worked in various roles within the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice since 1993. He graduated from UConn and obtained a law degree from the UConn School of Law.

Alina Marquez-Reynolds, 56, of Fairfield, is currently general counsel and justice initiative deputy director at the Grace Farms Foundation. She served as an assistant U.S.

Attorney for Connecticut from 1995 to 2019. She currently serves on the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s Fatality Review Task Force. She graduated from Georgetown University and obtained a law degree from Boston College Law School.

Charles M. Stango, 52, of Waterbury, is currently the supervisory assistant state’s attorney in Milford GA 22. He has worked in the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice since 1998. He is the current president of the Connecticut Association of Prosecutors. He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross and obtained his law degree from the UConn School of Law.

Cecil J. Thomas, 40, of Coventry, is currently an attorney at Greater Hartford Legal Aid, where he has spent his entire legal career. He is president of the Connecticut Bar Association. He graduated from Brandeis University and holds a law degree from the UConn School of Law.

David L. Zagaja, 57, of Wethersfield, is currently a supervisory assistant state’s attorney with the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice, where he has been a prosecutor since 1996. He was an adult probation officer for eight years before becoming a prosecutor. He graduated from Trinity College and holds a law degree from the UConn School of Law.