HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has elevated appellate Judge Christine Keller to the state Supreme Court, where she will serve for three years before reaching the mandatory retirement age for judges.
Keller, 67, of Hartford, will fill the vacancy created when longtime Justice Richard Palmer had to step down when he turned 70 in May. She has served for the past seven years on the state Appellate Court, the state’s second-highest court.
The Democratic governor on Monday also announced the appointments of three judges to the Appellate Court. Since the legislature is not in regular session, the interim appointments must be approved by the Judiciary Committee within 45 days.
Keller became a Superior Court judge in 1993, nominated by then-Gov. Lowell P. Weicker Jr., a former Republican U.S. senator who won the governor’s post as a third-party candidate.
Lamont also appointed Superior Court Judges Joan Alexander, Melanie Cradle and Jose Suarez to the Appellate Court. Cradle is the first Black woman to serve on the Appellate Court.
The three Appellate Court spots are open because Chief Appellate Judge Alexandra DiPentima is taking senior judge status on July 31, Judge Robert Devlin reached the mandatory retirement age in April and Keller was promoted to the Supreme Court.
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