(Hartford, CT) - The Honorable Andrew J. McDonald, Chair of the Criminal Justice Commission, announced today that the Commission has appointed Stacey Haupt Miranda as State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Danbury.
Attorney Miranda was appointed for an eight-year term, effective July 1, 2026. She succeeds State's Attorney David R. Applegate, who was selected by the Commission on May 7, 2026 to serve as State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Stamford/Norwalk.
At the Commission’s meeting today at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, the appointment was approved by a unanimous vote.
“On behalf of the Commission, I congratulate State’s Attorney Miranda on this important appointment to a key leadership role within the Division of Criminal Justice,” Justice McDonald said. “The Commission also extends its best wishes to State’s Attorney Miranda as the Division continues its work addressing the critical challenges facing today’s criminal justice system.”
The State’s Attorney is the chief law enforcement officer for the Judicial District of Danbury which includes the communities of Bethel, Brookfield, Danbury, New Fairfield, Newtown, Redding, Ridgefield and Sherman.
Attorney Miranda currently serves in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney in Rocky Hill as a Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney in the Conviction Integrity Unit, where she leads investigations into claims of wrongful conviction and oversees updates to statewide conviction integrity protocols.
Prior to joining the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney, Attorney Miranda spent nearly two decades in the Judicial District of New Haven, where she supervised attorneys, inspectors, and support staff and prosecuted a wide range of criminal cases, including homicide, serious assaults, and child abuse. She also served as a Special Deputy Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, assisting with federal investigations into cold cases and gang‑related homicides.
Attorney Miranda is an experienced educator, having taught criminal justice and legal studies courses as an adjunct professor at Gateway Community College, the University of New Haven, and Quinnipiac University. She has trained police officers, community organizations, and multidisciplinary teams on issues such as homicide investigation, child abuse, sexual assault, and legal procedures. She also has served as a mentor with the Lawyer’s Collaborative for Diversity.
Attorney Miranda earned her Juris Doctor from Quinnipiac University School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with a minor in Criminal Justice, from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York.
Attorney Miranda’s work has been recognized through numerous honors, including the Award for Outstanding Contribution to the New Haven Police Department, Leadership Award in Recognition of Outstanding Service to the Connecticut Bar and the Connecticut Law Tribune’s New Leader of the Law in Public Service Award.
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.
