Judge Robert J. Devlin Jr., who has served as a state Superior Court judge since 1993, including a stint in the New London Judicial District, has been nominated by Gov. Ned Lamont to serve on the state Appellate Court.

Devlin, a lifelong resident of Connecticut who lives in Shelton, currently presides as a criminal judge in the judicial district of Fairfield at Bridgeport. He previously has served in the districts of New Haven, New London, Fairfield, Hartford and Stamford.

While in New London, Devlin presided over years of court proceedings in a sensational murder-for-hire case involving local attorneys Haiman Clein and Beth Carpenter, who were convicted of arranging for a hit man to murder Anson "Buzz" Clinton in East Lyme in 1994.

Devlin is chief administrative judge for the Criminal Division of the Superior Court, a position that requires him to assist the chief court administrator in a wide variety of tasks regarding the administration of the criminal court system. He also serves as chairman of the Connecticut Sentencing Commission, chairman of the Criminal Jury Instruction Committee and co-chairman of the Judicial-Media Committee.

He also is an adjunct instructor at Naugatuck Valley Community College. He authored a textbook for his litigation class, and also teaches courses in the school's criminal justice program.

"Judge Devlin is one of the most respected, most recognized, and hardest working jurists in Connecticut whose commitment to our state is second to none," Gov. Lamont said in a prepared statement. "Not only has he dedicated his career to ensuring that our laws are carried out in a manner that best protects the safety and security of our communities, but over the last several decades he has served as a mentor to countless young and aspiring members of our legal community, many of whom have gone on to become judges themselves. His experience on the bench and reputation in the courtroom will serve him well on the Appellate Court."

"I am gratified and honored by the confidence that Governor Lamont has shown in me through this nomination," Devlin said.  "I will do my best to justify that confidence. If confirmed, I would hope to bring my experience as a trial judge to bear on the important work done by our Appellate Court."

Prior to his nomination to the bench, Devlin was a federal prosecutor and was recognized as a member of the prosecution team that secured convictions of the hierarchy of the New England mob. From 1979 to 1988 he served as an assistant state's attorney under then-State's Attorney Arnold Markle in New Haven. Before that, he served as a public defender for three years and worked in private practice for about a year.

Devlin earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern Connecticut State University and Juris Doctor degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

His nomination requires confirmation by the General Assembly.