Gov. M. Jodi Rell announced today she is nominating Superior Judge Stuart D. Bear to the Appellate Court
Bear, 65, a trial judge since 2003, was a lawyer at Zeldes, Needle & Cooper for 30 years. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard, graduating with honors.
He will succeed Chief Judge Joseph P. Flynn, who is taking senior status.
“Judge Bear will make an outstanding addition to the Appellate Court,” Rell said. “His extensive experience as an attorney and his years on our Superior Court bench have given him a depth of knowledge and a strong sense of the law’s role in society – key strengths that will enable him to deal fairly and wisely with the range of issues that come before the appeals court. I am pleased to nominate Judge Bear for this position and I look forward to his confirmation.”
Supreme Court Chief Justice Chase Rogers has appointed Appellate Judge Alexandra D. DiPentima to replace Flynn as head of the Appellate Court.
Bear is married to Cheryl Chase, the executive vice president and general counsel of Chase Enterprises of Hartford. They reside in West Hartford.