Gov. M. Jodi Rell nominated four men and one woman to be Superior Court judges.
If confirmed by the General Assembly, the nominees would replace judges who have retired or were nominated for other courts. Rell’s choices include two Republicans, two Democrats and one unaffiliated voter.
They are Everett H. Madin Jr., 56, of Torrington, Robin Lipsky-Pavia, 44, of Easton, James W. Abrams, 51, of Meriden, Robert F. Vacchelli, 56, of Glastonbury and Vincent E. Roche, 60, of Avon.
“These nominees represent the best in Connecticut law and I am confident they will serve our citizens well in the coming years,” Rell said in a statement. “Judges must have the right combination of compassion, knowledge and an innate sense of fairness. These individuals meet the high principles our citizens expect and deserve.”
Madin is an attorney with the Hartford law firm of RisCassi and Davis P.C. He graduated from Syracuse University, earned his law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1992 and co-authored the 1994 Connecticut Tort Review.
Lipsky-Pavia, 44, of Easton is an assistant state’s attorney in Waterbury. She graduated from George Washington University and got her law degree from American University in 1988.
Abrams, a former state Representative, is an attorney with the law firm of Parsons & Abrams LLC. He has also served as Corporation Counsel for the City of Meriden. Abrams is a Trinity College graduate and received his law degree from UConn in 1988.
Robert F. Vacchelli, 56, has served as an assistant attorney general for the past 28 years representing. He graduated from Holy Cross College and received his law degree from Suffolk University Law School in 1977. He has served on town commissions in Glastonbury.
Roche, 60, is an attorney and partner with Heffernan and Heffernan LLC of Avon. A graduate of Georgetown University, Roche received his law degree from the University of Bridgeport in 1980. A U.S. Army veteran, he has served on the Avon Board of Education and is a member of the Connecticut Chapter of the Kairos Prison Ministry. (AP)n
