Key facts
- Chief Judge Melanie L. Cradle was nominated to the Connecticut Supreme Court by Governor Ned Lamont.
- If confirmed, Cradle will be the first Black woman to serve on Connecticut's highest court.
- Cradle has been a judge for over a decade, serving on the Superior and Appellate Courts.
- Governor Lamont also nominated Superior Court Judge W. Glen Pierson to the Appellate Court.
- Pierson has been a trial judge since 2017.
Governor Ned Lamont has nominated Chief Judge Melanie L. Cradle of the Appellate Court to the Connecticut Supreme Court, a move that would make her the first Black woman to serve on the state's highest judicial body if confirmed by the General Assembly. Cradle, 56, has been a judge for over a decade, initially appointed to the Superior Court in 2013 and then to the Appellate Court in 2020. She has held the position of chief judge since the previous year.
If confirmed, Cradle will succeed Joan K. Alexander, an associate justice who has submitted her resignation effective August 1. Alexander will continue her role as chief court administrator. Governor Lamont also put forward Superior Court Judge W. Glen Pierson, 57, to take Cradle's place on the Appellate Court. Pierson has been a trial judge since 2017 and is currently assigned to the complex litigation docket in Waterbury.
During the announcement, Governor Lamont referenced the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the principle of equality. Cradle, who holds degrees from Adelphi University and Seton Hall University School of Law, expressed her commitment to serving the people of Connecticut if confirmed. She acknowledged Lubbie Harper Jr., the third Black man to serve on the state Supreme Court, as a mentor.
Pierson, a graduate of Princeton University and Georgetown University Law Center, previously worked as a civil litigator. He is married to Judge Charles Reid. Separately, Chief Justice Raheem L. Mullins announced that Judge Robert W. Clark will succeed Cradle as chief judge of the Appellate Court.