Chief Court
Administrator Joseph Pellegrino
to take Senior Judge StatusChief Court
Administrator Joseph H. Pellegrino announced today that he
will take senior judge status, effective Feb. 1, 2006. Chief
Justice William J. Sullivan has appointed the
Honorable William J. Lavery,
chief judge of the Appellate Court, to succeed Judge
Pellegrino as chief court administrator.
“Joe Pellegrino is a dedicated
public servant whose service as chief court administrator will
be sorely missed. One of his most important accomplishments was
the implementation of e-filing. Joe decided he wanted to make
e-filing available within one year, and it was. Because of his
efforts, we are a national leader in e-filing for state courts.
This initiative continues to expand, and Joe is directly
responsible for its success,” Chief Justice Sullivan said.
Judge Pellegrino will reach the
mandatory retirement age of 70 in June 2006. Prior to reaching
age 70, judges may elect senior judge status. Judge Pellegrino
will hear Appellate Court cases as a senior judge, as he also is
a judge of the Appellate Court.
“I am extremely grateful to have
had the opportunity to serve as chief court administrator,”
Judge Pellegrino said. “I know that Judge Lavery will do an
excellent job. He is a very experienced administrator and a
superb judge.”
A native of New Haven, Judge
Pellegrino graduated in 1958 from the University of Notre Dame
with a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy. He earned a master
of arts degree in education from Fairfield University in 1961
and his juris doctor from Boston College Law School in 1963.
Judge Pellegrino was in private
practice in New Haven until 1990, when he was appointed a
Superior Court judge. In May 1997, he was named chief
administrative judge, civil division, a post he held until March
2000, when he was elevated to the Appellate Court. Now-retired
Chief Justice Francis M. McDonald Jr. appointed Judge Pellegrino
as chief court administrator in December 2000.
The chief court administrator
oversees the day-to-day operations of the Judicial Branch. Judge
Lavery will take on his new responsibilities effective Feb. 1,
2006. “It is a great honor to succeed Judge Pellegrino. He has
played a significant role in administering the Judicial Branch
and one of his most noteworthy accomplishments is the reduction
of the civil case backlog,” Judge Lavery said.
Judge Lavery added, “I have
enjoyed all my years as a judge and was honored to be chosen to
serve as the chief judge of the Appellate Court. I am similarly
honored that Chief Justice Sullivan has asked me to accept this
appointment, and I will do my best to fulfill this great
responsibility.”
Judge Lavery, 67, was appointed a
Superior Court judge in 1981. He served as presiding judge in
the Danbury Judicial District and chief administrative judge in
Waterbury prior to his appointment to the Appellate Court in
1989. In March 2000, retired Chief Justice McDonald appointed
Judge Lavery as chief judge of the Appellate Court.
A native of Bridgeport, Judge
Lavery graduated from Fairfield Prep in 1955 and, then, in 1959
from Fairfield University with a bachelor of arts degree in
economics and philosophy. Judge Lavery received his law degree
from Fordham Law School in 1964. He was in private practice in
Connecticut for 17 years.
Judge Lavery served two terms on
the Bridgeport Board of Alderman (1963-1967) and two terms as a
state representative (1967-71), where he served as chairman of
the legislature’s Public Health and Safety Committee (1969-71).
As a lawyer, he served as town and borough attorney for Newtown
(1976-81), attorney for the Housing Authority of the City of
Bridgeport (1969-72) and counsel to the Speaker of the House of
Representatives (1971-73).
He has served his community as
director of the AIDS Project of Greater Danbury, director of the
Pope John Paul II Health Care Center and director of the Newtown
Scholarship Association. He currently is the president of C.H.
Booth Library of Newtown.
For further information, call the
Judicial Branch’s External Affairs Division at (860) 757-2270.
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