The Honorable Richard N. Palmer, Chair of the Criminal Justice Commission, announced today that the Commission has appointed Maureen Platt as State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Waterbury.

Attorney Platt, who first joined the Division of Criminal Justice in 1982, was appointed State’s Attorney by a unanimous vote of the Commission at a meeting at the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney in Rocky Hill.

“The Commission is confident that Maureen Platt will be a strong leader who will work with the dedicated staff of the State’s Attorney’s office in Waterbury to serve the people of this state and, most important, to serve the interests of justice,” Justice Palmer said. “She will be a valuable addition to the senior management of the Division of Criminal Justice.”

Justice Palmer expressed the Commission’s appreciation to all of the attorneys who applied for the State’s Attorney’s position, including the 15 who were interviewed by the Commission during two days of meeting. “The Division of Criminal Justice and the people of Connecticut can be very proud of the exceptional group of public servants, who represent a tremendous amount of talent, experience and commitment to justice.”

Attorney Platt was appointed to complete the unexpired portion of the eight-year term to which former State’s Attorney John A. Connelly was appointed in 2004. The Criminal Justice Commission accepted Mr. Connelly’s resignation effective February 2, 2011.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Attorney Platt first joined the Division of Criminal Justice in 1982 as a prosecutor in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney. She was in private practice from 1987-1996, when she returned to the Division at Bridgeport Superior Court, Geographical Area No. 2. Since 2000 she has been assigned to Middletown where she most recently was a Senior Assistant State’s Attorney in the Part A court.

The State’s Attorney is the chief law enforcement official for the Judicial District of Waterbury, which includes the city of Waterbury and the towns of Middlebury, Naugatuck, Prospect, Southbury, Watertown, Wolcott and Woodbury.

Established under Article XXIII of the Connecticut Constitution, the Criminal Justice Commission is responsible for the appointment of all state prosecutors in Connecticut. In addition to Justice Palmer, Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, its membership includes the Honorable Juliett L. Crawford, Judge of the Superior Court, attorneys Mary M. Galvin, Maura Hughes Horan, Moy N. Ogilvie and Ann G. Taylor and Chief State’s Attorney Kevin T. Kane.