The Connecticut Appellate Court is the court of first appeals for all cases arising from the Connecticut Superior Courts. Its creation in 1983 required Connecticut's voters and legislature to amend the state's constitution. The court heard its first cases on October 4, 1983. The Appellate Court was also a partial successor to the former Appellate Session of the Superior Court, a court established to hear appeals in minor matters
Composition
The Connecticut Appellate Court is composed of nine Appellate Court Judges. However, retired Judges of the Appellate Court and of the Supreme Court can still sit on Appellate Court panels, as needed. Retired Chief Justices Ellen Ash Peters, Francis McDonald, and William Sullivan continue to sit regularly with the Appellate Court, as do retired Justices David Borden and Barry Schaller, retired Appellate Court Chief JudgesAntoinette Dupont and William Lavery, and a battery of other retired Appellate Court Judges. If the Chief Court Administrator is a Judge of the Appellate Court, the Appellate Court is authorized to have 10 seats. Some Judges of the former Appellate Session of the Superior Court went on to serve on the Appellate Court, notably, John Daly and Francis X. Hennessy.
David M. Borden, one of the original five appointees, drafted Connecticut's Penal Code, first Administrative Judge for the Appellate System, still active as a Judge Trial Referee.
Albert W. Cretella : Actually married Judge Dupont, former Chief Civil Administrative Judge and Assemblyman.
Antoinette Dupont Second Chief Judge, helped the Court clear an appellate backlog, brought the Court into its own right as an innovator. Still active as a Judge Trial Referee, authored the history of the Court in 2003.
Joseph P. Flynn
Paul M. Foti One of the longest serving members of the Appellate Court.
Francis X. Hennessy Originally selected as a Juvenile Court Judge, he went on to serve as the Administrative Judge of the Juvenile-Family Session of the Superior Court, served as the Deputy Chief Court Administrator, sat on the former Appellate Session of the Superior Court, sat by designation on multiple occasions at the Supreme Court, nominated by Governor Weicker to serve on the Appellate Court. Still was actively serving as a Judge Trial Referee designated to the Appellate Court and maintaining chambers there until recently.
George Stoughton Former Hartford State's Attorney, returned to the Court as a Judge Trial Referee, was still active at 91 and heard cases until his death in June 2011, including assisting Justice Borden in screening criminal cases for transfer to the Supreme Court.
Robert Testo One of the original five judges. Opted to return to the Superior Court, opening the vacancy for Daniel Spallone.
