Andrew J. McDonald

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Andrew McDonald

| image = Andrew J. McDonald (2018).jpg

| office = Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court

| status = Acting

| term_start = September 6, 2024

| term_end = September 30, 2024

| predecessor = Richard A. Robinson

| successor = Raheem L. Mullins

| office1 = Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court

| appointer1 = Dannel Malloy

| term_start1 = January 24, 2013

| term_end1 =

| predecessor1 = Lubbie Harper

| successor1 =

| state_senate2 = Connecticut State

| district2 = 27th

| term_start2 = January 2003

| term_end2 = January 2011

| predecessor2 = George Jepsen

| successor2 = Carlo Leone

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|3|11}}

| birth_place = Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Democratic

| spouse = Charles Gray

| education = Cornell University (BA)
University of Connecticut, Hartford (JD)

| caption = McDonald in 2018

}}

Andrew J. McDonald (born March 11, 1966){{cite web |url=http://www.jud.ct.gov/external/supapp/justice_mcdonald.html |title=Justice Andrew J. McDonald - Biography |website=Jud.ct.gov |accessdate=2016-06-02}} is an American judge and former politician from Connecticut. He has served as an associate justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court since 2013. He served as acting chief justice in September 2024, after the retirement of then-Chief Justice Richard A. Robinson.

He previously served as a member of the Connecticut Senate from 2003 to 2011, representing the state's 27th district in Stamford and Darien as a Democrat. McDonald resigned from the legislature on January 4, 2011, to serve as Governor Dan Malloy's chief legal counsel, a post he left to join the bench.{{cite news|url=https://www.courant.com/2010/12/16/both-judiciary-panel-leaders-leaving-to-join-malloy/|title=Both Judiciary Panel Leaders Leaving To Join Malloy: Lawlor Takes Budget Office Post, McDonald To Be Chief Legal Counsel|work=Hartford Courant|date=December 16, 2010}}

Early life and career

A Stamford native, McDonald is the son of Alex and Anne McDonald. His mother was a sixth-grade teacher who represented Stamford in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1991 to 2003.{{cite web|last=Haigh |first=Susan |url=http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2007/10/05/anne_mcdonald_74_mastered_issues_as_connecticut_lawmaker/?camp=pm |title=Anne McDonald, 74; mastered issues as Connecticut lawmaker - The Boston Globe |website=Boston.com |date=2007-10-05 |accessdate=2016-06-02}}

McDonald was educated at the Stamford Public Schools (Stark, Dolan and Stamford High School), and completed a Bachelor's degree in Government from Cornell University. He completed a Juris Doctor at the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1991, and served as managing editor of the Connecticut Journal of International Law.{{cite web |url=https://www.law.uconn.edu/about/press-room/andrew-mcdonald-91-nominated-chief-justice-ct-supreme-court |title=Andrew McDonald '91 Nominated Chief Justice of CT Supreme Court |last=Leblanc |first=Jeanne |date=January 9, 2018 |website=University of Connecticut School of Law |publisher=University of Connecticut |access-date=January 22, 2018 |quote= |archive-date=June 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628215710/https://www.law.uconn.edu/about/press-room/andrew-mcdonald-91-nominated-chief-justice-ct-supreme-court |url-status=dead }}

McDonald was a litigation partner with Pullman & Comley, LLC, in Stamford from 1991. He also worked as Director of Legal Affairs for the City of Stamford from 1999 to 2002.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}} McDonald also served on the Stamford Board of Finance from 1995 to 1999, as the board's chairman from 1997 to 1999, and as co-chair of the Audit Committee from 1995 to 1997. He served on the Stamford Board of Representatives from the Cove from 1993 to 1995.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

Political career

McDonald narrowly won election to the Connecticut State Senate in 2002, defeating his Republican opponent, Michael Fedele (who later served as Lieutenant Governor), by 53% to 47%. He was re-elected in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010. He served as Deputy Majority Leader and as Senate Chair of the Judiciary Committee.

In 2006 and 2007 McDonald challenged the decision of Connecticut Chief Justice William J. Sullivan to delay publication of a court decision in an effort to promote the chief justice candidacy of his colleague, Justice Peter T. Zarella. Sullivan challenged the power of a legislator to subpoena him to appear at a hearing, which led to a court challenge.{{cite web |url=http://www.jud.state.ct.us/external/news/Sullivan_063006.pdf |title=Microsoft Word - Sullivan_cleanedup.doc |website=Jud.state.ct.us |date= |accessdate=2016-06-02 |archive-date=2012-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213112356/http://www.jud.state.ct.us/external/news/Sullivan_063006.pdf |url-status=dead }}

In 2007 McDonald opposed a special session of the General Assembly to address parole issues following the horrific home invasion murders in Cheshire, stating "Legislating by bumper sticker motto is not the way to go."{{cite web|author= |url=http://headlesshorseman2008.blogspot.com/ |title=Headless Horseman |website=Headlesshorseman2008.blogspot.com |date= |accessdate=2016-06-02}} Other Democrats were more willing to respond as Congressman Chris Murphy proposal making home invasion a federal crime.{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2008/04/02/murphy_seeks_to_make_home_invasion_a_federal_crime/ |title=Murphy seeks to make home invasion a federal crime - Boston.com |accessdate=April 3, 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080608184247/http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2008/04/02/murphy_seeks_to_make_home_invasion_a_federal_crime/ |archivedate=June 8, 2008 }}

McDonald relented under public pressure and a special session was held January 22, 2008, to pass laws declaring home invasion a class A felony and reforming the parole board. McDonald opposed a Three Strikes Law favored by Governor Jodi Rell to mandate life terms to career violent criminals; that measure failed to pass.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

Rell reiterated her call for a Three Strikes bill on March 31, 2008, following the kidnapping and murder of an elderly New Britain woman committed by a sex offender recently released from Connecticut prison. Following the New Britain crime, McDonald lambasted the prosecutor who had handled the assailant's previous case, Waterbury State's Attorney John Connelly, who had agreed to a plea bargain which sentenced the defendant to an eight-year prison term.[http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/ci_8769642]{{dead link|date=June 2016}} Defense lawyer Norm Pattis called McDonald a "knucklehead" for attacking Connelly as soft on crime, noting Connelly was responsible for most of the death penalty convictions in Connecticut.{{cite web|url=http://www.ctlawtribune.com/getarticle.aspx?ID%3D29927 |title=Connecticut Law Tribune: Connelly Soft on Crime? Old McDonald's Lost It |accessdate=April 8, 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708221117/http://www.ctlawtribune.com/getarticle.aspx?ID=29927 |archivedate=July 8, 2011 }}

In March 2009, McDonald and Judiciary committee co-chair Mike Lawlor proposed a bill (SB 1098) to regulate the management of Roman Catholic parishes in Connecticut. Opponents charged the bill would violate the separation of church and state clause in the First Amendment.{{cite web |url=http://christopherfountain.wordpress.com/2009/03/07/connecticut-goes-after-the-mackerel-snappers/ |title=Connecticut goes after the mackerel snappers | For What It's Worth |website=Christopherfountain.wordpress.com |date=2009-03-08 |accessdate=2016-06-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120713094856/http://christopherfountain.wordpress.com/2009/03/07/connecticut-goes-after-the-mackerel-snappers/ |archivedate=2012-07-13 }}{{cite web|url=http://ctlocalpolitics.net/2009/03/08/proposed-bill-would-change-the-governance-of-catholic-parishes-in-connecticut/ |title=Proposed Bill Would Change the Governance of Catholic Parishes in Connecticut |accessdate=March 9, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311021354/http://ctlocalpolitics.net/2009/03/08/proposed-bill-would-change-the-governance-of-catholic-parishes-in-connecticut/ |archivedate=March 11, 2009 }}{{cite web|url=http://radioviceonline.com/state-legislature-sets-sights-on-roman-catholic-church/ |title=State Legislature sets sights on Roman Catholic Church - Update |date=9 March 2009 |publisher=Radio Vice Online |accessdate=2016-06-02}}

Judicial career

After two years of serving as Governor Dan Malloy’s chief legal counsel, McDonald was nominated to a seat on the Connecticut Supreme Court on December 27, 2012.{{cite web |url=http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-mcdonald-state-supreme-court-1228-20121227,0,2401631.story |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130120024504/http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-mcdonald-state-supreme-court-1228-20121227,0,2401631.story |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-01-20 |title=Gov. Dannel P. Malloy nominates Andrew McDonald to Serve on State Supreme Court |website=Courant.com |date=2012-12-27 |accessdate=2016-06-02 }} His nomination required the approval of the Connecticut General Assembly. The Joint Committee on Judiciary of the Connecticut General Assembly approved his nomination by a vote of 40–2 on January 14, 2013.[http://www.cga.ct.gov/2013/JUDdata/cv/2013CV-00002-R00JUD-TS.htm]{{dead link|date=June 2016}} On January 23, his nomination won the approval of the Senate by a vote of 30–3 and of the House by a vote of 125–20.{{cite web|last=Dixon |first=Ken |url=http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/McDonald-wins-approval-to-state-Supreme-Court-4217350.php |title=McDonald approved for state Supreme Court - Connecticut Post |website=Ctpost.com |date=2013-01-23 |accessdate=2016-06-02}} He took his seat on the bench the following day.

In November 2017, the chief justice of Connecticut Chase T. Rogers announced that she would retire in February 2018.{{cite news |last1=Pazniokas |first1=Mark |last2=Thomas |first2=Jacqueline Rabe |date=November 2, 2017 |title=Chase T. Rogers to resign as chief justice |url=https://ctmirror.org/2017/11/02/chase-t-rogers-to-resign-as-chief-justice/ |work=The Connecticut Mirror |location=Hartford, CT |access-date=January 18, 2018 }} Governor Malloy announced on January 8, 2018, that he had nominated McDonald to be the next Chief Justice, to succeed Rogers.{{cite news |last=Mahoney |first=Edmund |date=January 8, 2018 |title=Malloy Nominates Andrew McDonald To Be Nation's First Openly Gay Chief Justice |url=http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-mcdonald-chief-justice-20180108-story.html |work=Hartford Courant |location=Hartford, CT |access-date=January 18, 2018 }} However, in March 2018, McDonald’s nomination was rejected by the Connecticut Senate in a 19–16 vote, with all 18 Republican state senators voting no.{{cite news |last=Dixon |first=Ken |date=March 27, 2018 |title=Republicans reject McDonald for Supreme Court chief |url=https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Republicans-ready-to-sink-McDonald-for-Supreme-12784561.php |work=Connecticut Post |location=Bridgeport, CT |access-date=April 23, 2018 }} If he'd been confirmed, McDonald would have been the first openly gay person to serve as chief justice of a U.S. state supreme court. Governor Malloy subsequently nominated justice Richard A. Robinson to be chief justice, instead of McDonald.{{cite news |last=Pazniokas |first=Mark |date=April 5, 2018 |title=Malloy nominates Richard A. Robinson as chief justice |url=https://ctmirror.org/2018/04/05/malloy-nominates-robinson-chief-justice/ |work=The Connecticut Mirror |location=Hartford, CT |access-date=April 23, 2018 }}

Personal life

McDonald is gay.{{Cite news|date=28 February 2008 |url=http://www.fairfieldweekly.com/article.cfm?aid=6143 |accessdate=2008-02-28 |periodical=Fairfield County Weekly |title=County Fair: The Queering of Connecticut |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219235813/http://www.fairfieldweekly.com/article.cfm?aid=6143 |archivedate=2008-12-19 }} His campaigns have won the backing of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. McDonald married Charles Gray in 2009. As of 2021, He is one of eleven LGBT state supreme court justices serving in the United States.