Sources: Malloy To Nominate Appellate Court Judge Carmen Espinosa

Sources say that Gov. Malloy’s latest nomination to the Supreme Court, which he will announce Monday at 2 p.m., will be Appellate Court Judge Carmen Espinosa. While Malloy’s most recent nomination, former state senator Andrew McDonald, has not served as a judge before, Espinosa was first appointed to the bench in 1992. She was sworn into the Appellate Court in 2011 after having served as a Superior Court Judge for nearly two decades.

Malloy makes history with this pair of nominations. If approved by the legislature, Espinosa will become the first Hispanic to serve on Connecticut’s highest court. McDonald, who was nominated less than two weeks ago, would be the first openly gay justice.

The vacancies are left by retiring judges Ian McLachlan and Lubbie Harper Jr., both 70, who have reached the mandatory retirement age for Connecticut judges. Espinosa replaced Harper Jr. on the Appellate Court after Malloy nominated him in 2011.