October 20, 2011

GOV. MALLOY NOMINATES SHELDON TO APPELLATE COURT; RICHARDS TO SUPERIOR COURT

(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy made two judicial nominations today, forwarding to the General Assembly the names of Judge Michael R. Sheldon to the Connecticut Appellate Court and Attorney Sybil Richards to the Connecticut Superior Court.

"I'm very pleased to be able to announce these two judicial nominations," Governor Malloy said. "Both Judge Sheldon and Sybil Richards have the experience, temperament and skills to be thoughtful, reasoned and fair jurists. Judge Sheldon has distinguished himself in both the academic world and on the bench. His reputation in the legal community and among his judicial colleagues is stellar. He tackles both large and small cases with the same level of dedication, insight and attention, and those attributes will serve the citizens of the state well when he is on the Appellate Court."

Governor Malloy continued, "I'm equally pleased to forward Sybil Richards' name to the General Assembly as my first nominee to the Superior Court. For almost ten years I worked with Sybil on important legal matters involving the City of Stamford. I witnessed first-hand how talented, sharp and steady she is. When I was mayor of Stamford, I relied on her legal advice to help navigate through difficult issues. She demonstrated to me time and time again that she has the attributes to be a great judge. "

Judge Michael Sheldon has served on the Connecticut Superior Court since 1991, working in numerous courts, including in Litchfield, Waterbury and New Britain and currently in Hartford's Superior Court Civil Division. He has taught at the University of Connecticut's School of Law since 1976, where he reinstated and directed the Criminal Clinic and currently co-teaches Law & Forensic Science with Dr. Henry Lee and Dr. Albert Harper. For the past ten years, Judge Sheldon has served as Vice Chair of the Connecticut-Pskov Rule of Law Partnership, which conducts yearly educational programs with and for Russian judges and lawyers from Pskov, Russia. In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors of the Community Partners in Action (formerly the Connecticut Prison Association). Judge Sheldon graduated from Yale Law School and lives in Canton with his wife, Diane.

Sybil Richards is currently the Deputy Corporation Counsel for the City of Stamford, a position she has held since 2000. In this role, she represents and provides legal advice to city departments and employees in carrying out their official duties on behalf of the citizens of Stamford. Previously, she held the same position for the City of New Haven's Law Department. Richards has also been a sole practitioner and a Temporary Assistant Clerk in the New Haven Superior Court Clerk's Office. From 1989 to 1993, she was the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at the University of Tennessee College of Law. Ms. Richards and her family live in Orange.

Both nominations will be forwarded to the General Assembly and acted upon by the Judiciary Committee. If confirmed by the Judiciary Committee, Judge Sheldon and Ms. Richards would serve in their new positions on an interim basis until the beginning of the next regular session of the General Assembly, when the entire legislature would vote on their nominations.

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For Immediate Release: October 20, 2011

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