Governor Nominates Simsbury Attorney Shiela Prats for Judgeship

Gov. Dannel Malloy announced Wednesday that he will nominate Shiela Prats, an attorney with offices in Simsbury and a former judge, to be a judge again in the state courts system.

Prats, one of four nominees for judgeships from around the state, is currently a self-employed attorney working in criminal, family and Social Security matters, along with wills.

She previously was a Superior Court judge from Novembeer 2000 to August 2003 “before stepping down to attend to family matters,” according to a news release from the governor’s office. Before that, she had served as deputy assistant public defender for the state Division of Public Defender Services.

Prat was born in Puerto Rico and received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut. She earned her law degree from the UConn School of Law.

Malloy on Wednesday also nominted three other residents to serve as Superior Court judges and announced the appointment of five residents to fill vacancies on the Board of Pardons and Paroles.

“These nominees will bring to the bench and to the board the skills, the temperament, and a diversity of experiences and backgrounds that will allow them to serve our state with distinction, fairness, integrity, and respect for the people of Connecticut,” the governor said in his announcement.

There are 13 Superior Court vacancies, and more are expected later this year, according to the announcement.