(Hartford, CT) - The Honorable Andrew J. McDonald, Chair of the Criminal Justice Commission, announced today that the Commission appointed Craig P. Nowak as State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Tolland during a meeting today at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.
The appointment of Attorney Nowak, who currently serves as a Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney at the Division of Criminal Justice, by unanimous vote of the Commission, is for an eight-year term commencing July 1, 2025.
“On behalf of the Commission, I would like to extend my congratulations to Attorney Nowak on his appointment as State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Tolland,” Justice McDonald said. “Attorney Nowak is a veteran prosecutor and we believe his leadership experience, particularly in his supervisory role at the Division of Criminal Justice, will help him succeed as State’s Attorney. We also wish to thank all of the outstanding prosecutors who applied for this important position."
Attorney Nowak joined the Division of Criminal Justice in 2000 and has been assigned to the State’s Attorney’s offices in the Judicial Districts of New Haven, Middletown and Bridgeport, where he currently serves as the Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney in Geographical Area No. 2. Throughout his career, he has tried numerous cases to verdict, including murder, sale of narcotics and manslaughter cases, and has defended several post-conviction habeas cases.
Attorney Nowak retired from the United States Army and Connecticut Army National Guard as a Colonel after 32 years of service that included deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He is the recipient of a Bronze Star for his efforts in Afghanistan and the Connecticut Medal of Merit for his work as a Battalion Commander during relief efforts following Hurricane Irene.
A cum laude graduate of Fairfield University, he earned his law degree with honors from Pace University School of Law.
Attorney Nowak will succeed Matthew C. Gedansky who has served as the Tolland State’s Attorney since September 2003. The State’s Attorney is the chief law enforcement officer of the Tolland Judicial District and oversees the prosecutors and other Division of Criminal Justice staff at the Superior Court in Rockville and the Geographical Area court in Rockville. The Tolland Judicial District includes the towns of Andover, Bolton, Columbia, Coventry, Ellington, Hebron, Mansfield, Stafford, Somers, Tolland, Union, Vernon and Willington.
Connecticut’s State's Attorneys are constitutional officers and, along with the Chief State’s Attorney, are constitutionally vested with the prosecutorial power of the state. The State’s Attorneys are the chief prosecuting attorneys acting on behalf of the state in each of their respective Judicial Districts. Connecticut is one of the few states that do not elect their chief prosecutors. In lieu of such elections, the Criminal Justice Commission is an autonomous body constitutionally charged with appointing all state prosecutors in Connecticut.
In addition to Justice McDonald, Senior Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, the Commission's membership includes Chief Judge of the Appellate Court Melanie L. Cradle, attorneys Robert M. Berke, Reginald Dwayne Betts, Scott J. Murphy and Moy N. Ogilvie and Chief State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin.