HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - The judge who determined that the 911 audio tapes from the Newtown school massacre should be released to the public has been nominated to Connecticut’s Appellate Court by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.
Malloy said Judge Eliot D. Prescott’s ruling in December to release the tapes did not play in his decision to nominate him to the state’s second-highest court. However, Malloy said he ultimately agreed with the 49-year-old Prescott’s decision.
“I appreciate the judge’s scholarly work on that decision,” said the Democratic governor, adding how he always thought the 911 tapes should be released, but not the crime scene photos.
Malloy also announced that he was nominating 36-year-old Superior Court Judge Raheem L. Mullins, of Cromwell, to the Appellate Court, as well as 16 attorneys to become Superior Court judges.
All the nominees require legislative approval.
That list includes Erika Tindill, of New Haven, the current chairman of the Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles; Leo Diana, the Democratic mayor of Manchester; Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Kevin Russo, of Shelton; Assistant Attorney General Rupal Shah Palanki, of West Hartford; Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Kevin Murphy, of Bristol; former state Sen. Anthony Avallone, of New Haven; and former Sen. Steven Spellman, of Noank, the chief of staff and director of government affairs for the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.
He also nominated two Family Court Magistrates and a Worker’s Compensation Commissioner.
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