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(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is nominating Connecticut Appellate Court Chief Judge Melanie L. Cradle to fill a forthcoming vacancy for an associate justice position on the Connecticut Supreme Court. Additionally, the governor announced that he is nominating Connecticut Superior Court Judge W. Glen Pierson to fill the vacancy on the Appellate Court that will be created by Judge Cradle’s elevation to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court seat Judge Cradle is being nominated to fill is currently held by Justice Joan K. Alexander. Late last year, Justice Alexander was appointed by Chief Justice Raheem L. Mullins to serve as Connecticut’s chief court administrator, and since that time she has been serving in both roles concurrently. Justice Alexander has announced that she will resign her seat on the Supreme Court effective August 1, 2026, so that she can serve full-time as chief court administrator.
Following Judge Cradle’s elevation to the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Mullins will be responsible for selecting one of the judges from the Appellate Court to serve as that court’s chief judge.
Upon taking the oath, Judge Cradle will become the first African American woman in state history to serve on the Supreme Court.
“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,” Governor Lamont said. “Judge Cradle has been an exemplary jurist of both the Superior Court and the Appellate Court, on which she is now serving as chief judge. With a vacancy opening on the Supreme Court, I immediately recognized that Judge Cradle is the ideal candidate to fill this position. Judge Cradle brings to our courts the high standards that the people of Connecticut deserve, and upon receiving the oath, she will become the first African American woman to ever serve on the Supreme Court—an historic and long-overdue step in the right direction. Additionally, Judge Pierson has an impressive career handling cases on the Superior Court and comes with the experience and skills necessary to contribute to the important mission of the Appellate Court.”
“Governor Lamont and I have made it a point to be intentional in our nominations to the judicial branch to ensure that there is gender, racial, and experiential diversity,” Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz said. “Today’s announcement celebrates a significant milestone as we nominate the first Black woman to the Connecticut Supreme Court. Judge Cradle has devoted her entire professional career to public service and will bring with her extensive experience and knowledge as both a trial and appellate court judge, as well as a stellar reputation of dedication, compassion, and impartiality. I am confident that she will bring fairness, decisiveness, and intellectual rigor to our state’s highest court.”
Judge Cradle was nominated to serve on the Appellate Court by Governor Lamont in 2020. On March 6, 2025, she was selected by Chief Justice Mullins to serve as that court’s chief judge.
Prior to joining the Appellate Court, Judge Cradle was a judge of the Superior Court from 2013 to 2020, and during this time presided over criminal cases in the Bridgeport Judicial District and the New Haven Judicial District. She was appointed to the position of presiding judge of the New Haven Geographical Area courthouse in 2015 and continued to serve in that capacity until her appointment to the Appellate Court. 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.
Judge Cradle serves on the Connecticut Criminal Justice Commission, and she has served on the Connecticut Bar Association’s Rule of Law Committee. She is a member of the Swift’s Inn and is a James W. Cooper Fellow with the Connecticut Bar Foundation. Additionally, Judge Cradle is an adjunct professor at the Quinnipiac University School of Law, and a member of the Judicial Branch’s Civics Academy.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology and sociology from Adelphi University, and a Juris Doctor degree from Seton Hall University School of Law.
“I am deeply honored and grateful to Governor Lamont for this nomination and the trust and confidence he has placed in me,” Judge Cradle said. “If I am fortunate to be confirmed by the legislature, I will continue to work diligently to serve the people of the State of Connecticut.”
Judge Pierson has served on the Superior Court since 2017. He is currently assigned to the complex litigation docket in the Waterbury Judicial District.
Prior to becoming a judge, from 2001 to 2017 he was a principal attorney at the law firm of Loughlin FitzGerald, PC in Wallingford, focusing on civil litigation on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants, with a focus in complex tort litigation, personal injury, motor vehicle accidents, wrongful death, catastrophic injury, products liability and premises liability. Prior to that, he was as an associate attorney with the law firms of Wiggin and Dana, LLP and Brenner, Saltzman and Wallman, LLP.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics from Princeton University, and a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center.
“It is a great honor to be nominated by Governor Lamont as a judge of the Appellate Court of Connecticut, and I am humbled by his trust and confidence in me,” Judge Pierson said. “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. Thank you, Governor Lamont, for this opportunity.”
The Office of the Governor is forwarding notification of these nominations to the Connecticut General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee for its consideration.