Current:Home > NewsLamont nominates Justice Raheem L. Mullins to become next chief justice of Connecticut Supreme Court -Keystone Wealth Vision
Lamont nominates Justice Raheem L. Mullins to become next chief justice of Connecticut Supreme Court
View
Date:2025-04-28 01:31:35
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont on Thursday nominated state Supreme Court Justice Raheem L. Mullins to become the next chief justice, calling him a fair, sensible and empathetic jurist with experience serving in all three levels of the state court system.
If confirmed by the General Assembly next year, Mullins will replace retiring Chief Justice Richard A. Robinson, the first Black chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court. Mullins would be the second.
Lamont said he was optimistic of bipartisan legislative support for Mullins, who has been serving as an associate justice since 2017. Mullins was the youngest person ever appointed to the Connecticut Supreme Court at the time. Now 46, he has participated in more than 150 cases and authored about 70 majority opinions while on the high court.
Mullins previously served on the Connecticut Appellate Court from 2014 to 2017 and the Connecticut Superior Court from 2012 to 2014.
“I think a lot of people know Raheem, knows his background, knows he’s got the legal chops to get the job done, knows that he’s been on the Supreme Court for seven years plus now (and) knows what he’s doing,” Lamont said. “And I think that earned a very positive response on both sides of the aisle.”
State Sen. John Kissel, the top Senate Republican on the legislature’s Judiciary Committee, called Mullins “a terrific selection for chief justice” in a written statement.
Mullins said he was honored by the nomination and recognized the gravity of the job. Besides serving as a justice on the court, the chief justice is the head of the judicial branch of state government in Connecticut and oversees administration of the state’s courts.
He cited former Justice Lubbie Harper Jr. and Robinson as his legal mentors, noting how the court system will miss Robinson’s leadership and guidance. Mullins then joked how he would personally miss his long conversations with Robinson, “despite the massive, massive age difference between us.”
Mullins said in a written statement that he will work to enhance the court system’s “accessibility, efficiency, fairness, and responsiveness to the needs of the diverse communities we serve.”
Born in Middletown, Connecticut, Mullins earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, and earned a law degree from the Northeastern University School of Law in Boston. He clerked on the Massachusetts Appeals Court from 2004 to 2005, before being admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court bar and the Connecticut bar.
Before becoming a judge, Mullins served as an assistant state’s attorney in the Appellate Bureau of the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice. He also served as an assistant attorney general in the Child Protection Division of the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office.
The General Assembly convenes Jan. 8, 2025. With Robinson scheduled to retire, effective Sept. 6, Lamont said a member of the Connecticut Appellate Court will fill in as needed. He said he expects to nominate a new justice this fall or early next year.
veryGood! (181)
Related
- Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
- African leaders arrive in Russia for summit with Putin, as Kremlin seeks allies in Ukraine war
- Irish singer Sinead O'Connor has died at 56
- 5 shot in Seattle during community event: We know that there's dozens and dozens of rounds that were fired
- Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
- As strike continues, working actors describe a job far removed from the glamour of Hollywood
- Dennis Quaid says Christianity helped him through addiction, plans gospel album
- Hunter Biden enters not guilty plea after deal falls apart
- Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
- Mod Sun Spotted Kissing OnlyFans Model Sahara Ray After Avril Lavigne Breakup
Ranking
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Iowa state senator arrested, charged with misdemeanor during annual bike ride
- iPhone helps California responders find man who drove off 400-foot cliff, ejected from car
- Ohio law allowing longer prison stays for bad behavior behind bars upheld by state’s high court
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- 2 chimpanzees who escaped from Colombia zoo killed by police
- Bidens' dog, Commander, attacked Secret Service personnel multiple times, documents show
- Patients sue Vanderbilt after transgender health records turned over in insurance probe
Recommendation
Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
Trainer of champion Maximum Security gets 4 years in prison in racehorse-drugging scheme
Salmonella outbreak linked to ground beef hospitalizes 6 people across 4 states
Shedeur Sanders speaks on Colorado Buffaloes meshing, family ties at local youth event
Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
Rob Manfred’s term as baseball commissioner extended until 2029 by MLB owners
Remi Cruz Shares the Gadget Everyone Should Have in Their Kitchen and More Cooking Essentials
Women's soccer players file lawsuits against Butler, accuse ex-trainer of sexual assault