Daughter Of Immigrant And Entrepreneur Nominated To Be First African-American Woman On State Supreme Court

by Donald Eng CTNewsJunkie

HARTFORD, CT — The daughter of an entrepreneur and an immigrant is in line to be the first African-American woman ever to serve on the state Supreme Court.

Melanie Cradle, the chief judge of the state Appellate Court, was nominated by Gov. Ned Lamont Monday to fill a forthcoming vacancy for an associate justice position on the state Supreme Court. Lamont also nominated Superior Court Judge Glen Pierson to fill Cradle’s anticipated vacancy on the Appellate Court. The nominations must be confirmed by the state legislature.

“The responsibility of nominating judges to our courts is one that I take very seriously because these individuals are the final arbiters of justice, and we want people serving in these positions who respect the rule of law, understand the importance of our Constitution, and display a strong commitment to ensuring justice is administered fairly, equitably, and without prejudice,” Lamont said.

Lamont called the nomination of an African-American woman to the state’s highest court “a historic and long-overdue step in the right direction.” He called her an ideal candidate that brings high standards that state residents deserve.

Cradle’s experience includes seven years as a Superior Court judge in the Bridgeport and New Haven districts, before being nominated the the Appellate Court in 2020. Chief Justice Raheem Mullins named Cradle chief judge of the Appellate Court last year.

Before becoming a judge, she was a senior assistant state’s attorney for the Ansonia/Milford Judicial District. She also served as an assistant state’s attorney in the New Haven Geographical Area courthouse.

She holds undergraduate degrees in anthropology and sociology from Adelphi University and a law degree from Seton Hall.

Pierson has served on the Superior Court since 2017 and is currently assigned to the complex cases docket in Waterbury. Prior to that he spent 17 years as a principal attorney at Loughlin FitzGerald, PC in Wallingford, focusing on civil litigation. He holds a degree in politics from Princeton and a law degree from Georgetown.

“If confirmed, I look forward to continue serving the people of our great state by working tirelessly in the pursuit of equal justice under law,” he said.