HARTFORD, Conn. — Gov. Ned Lamont announced Thursday his nomination for chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, as the predecessor is set to retire next week.
Honorable Raheem L. Mullins is the governor's choice to serve as the lead justice on the state's highest court.
Mullins has over a decade of state court experience with hundreds of appeals and opinions written. He has been serving as an associate justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court since November 2017. At that time, Mullins became the youngest person to serve on the Supreme Court.
From 2014 to 2017, Mullins served as a judge of the Connecticut Appellate Court and served as a Connecticut Superior Court judge from 2012 to 2014.
“Justice Mullins has had an impressive career serving on all three levels of Connecticut’s courts, and during his years on the bench he has earned the respect of many in the state’s legal community and those who have come before him as a fair, transparent, measured, and sensible jurist with a keen interest in researching and analyzing any number of complex legal issues that come before him,” Lamont said. “I appreciate that he understands the impact that the court system has on the lives of the people who live our state and the need for it to function efficiently, evenhandedly, and equitably. Justice Mullins has already served as a member of the state’s highest court for several years, participating in more than a hundred cases and authoring dozens of opinions. He is well-suited to transition to the position of chief justice and his leadership in this role will benefit Connecticut’s judicial branch.”
“I am honored by the nomination to serve as chief justice of the State of Connecticut and am grateful for the confidence Governor Ned Lamont has in me,” Mullins said. “My respect for the judiciary runs deep, having served at all three levels – as a Superior Court judge, an Appellate Court judge, and a Supreme Court justice. If confirmed, I will strive to enhance the Connecticut Judicial Branch’s accessibility, efficiency, fairness, and responsiveness to the needs of the diverse communities we serve. I will work diligently to live up to the responsibilities of the position and to honor the hard work and sacrifices of all those who have come before me to make this day possible.”
Chief Justice Richard A. Robinson is retiring, effective Friday, Sept. 6, and Mullins will be interim Chief Justice pending the Connecticut General Assembly's approval. Lawmakers will consider and vote on Lamont's nomination at the next regular legislative session in January 2025. If the vote passes, Mullins will serve as Chief Justice for a full eight-year term.
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