Connecticut Supreme Court Associate Justice Christine E. Keller announced this week her intention to retire and accept “senior status” with the court.
Her retirement takes effect Friday. Governor Ned Lamont (D), who appointed the justice two years ago, thanked the justice for her service on Thursday and announced he will nominate her successor during this session of the General Assembly.
“Justice Keller has served Connecticut’s courts with dignity and professionalism for more than three decades,” Lamont said in a statement. “Throughout her career, she has authored hundreds of opinions and has demonstrated a strong commitment to fairness, justice and integrity, and a strong and even-handed application of the law. I am grateful for her dedication to the judiciary and thank her for her service to the people of Connecticut.”
Keller has been one of seven members of an all-Democrat court. A Democratic successor is nearly assured given the party’s control of the legislature.
The justice turns 70 this October, at which point retirement becomes mandatory for a state judge. Although she has only served on the state’s high court since 2020, she is among the Constitution State’s longest-serving judges, having previously served on the state superior and appellate courts and before that as an administrative judge in Hartford.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy (D) nominated her to the appellate court in 2013, touting her expertise on juvenile justice matters gained during service as a family support magistrate in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and later as a juvenile court judge in Hartford and Plainville. She served on various task forces regarding juvenile justice policy. Her husband is a lobbyist and former state House of Representatives Speaker Thomas D. Ritter; her son is current House Speaker Matthew Ritter (D-Hartford).
Because of her political connections, Keller recused herself from participating in February’s unanimous state Supreme Court decision preserving most features of a congressional map that has been in place for two decades. While the map was originally configured to facilitate competitiveness between Republicans and Democrats, Democrats have held all five congressional seats since 2009.
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Bradley Vasoli is managing editor of The Connecticut Star. Follow Brad on Twitter at @BVasoli. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Christine Keller” by the State of Connecticut Judicial Branch. Background Photo “Connecticut Supreme Court” by John Phelan. CC BY 3.0.
