Alfred Covello

Nomination Tracker
Nominee Information
	Name: Alfred V. Covello
	Court: United States District Court for the District of Connecticut
Progress
	Confirmed 133 days after nomination.
	Nominated: April 1, 1992
	ABA Rating: Unanimously Well Qualified
	Questionnaire:
	Hearing: August 4, 1992
	QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more)
	Reported: August 12, 1992
	Confirmed: August 12, 1992
	Vote: Unanimous consent

Alfred V. Covello is a federal judge on senior status with the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. He joined the court in 1992 after being nominated by President George H.W. Bush. He served as chief judge of the court from 1998 to 2003.

Early life and education

Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Covello graduated from Harvard University with his bachelor's degree in 1954 and from the University of Connecticut School of Law with his J.D. in 1960.^[1]

Military career

Cavello served as a personnel specialist in the U.S. Army from 1955 to 1959.^[1]

Professional career

1992 - Present: United States District Court for the District of Connecticut

2003 - Present: Senior judge

1998-2003: Chief judge

1992-2003: Judge

1992: Administrative judge, Connecticut appellate system
1987-1992: Justice, Connecticut Supreme Court
1978-1992: Judge, Connecticut Superior Court

1980-1983: Judge, Appellate Session

1975-1978: Judge, Connecticut Court of Common Pleas
1974-1975: Judge, Connecticut Circuit Court
1969-1970: Counsel, Charter Revision Commission, West Hartford
1964-1967: Counsel, Office of Corporation Counsel, West Hartford
1966: Counsel, Charter Revision Commission, West Hartford
1964: Member, Charter Revision Commission, West Hartford
1960-1974: Private practice, Hartford, Conn.^[1]

Judicial career

District of Connecticut

Covello was nominated to the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut by President George H.W. Bush on April 1, 1992, to a new seat created by 104 Stat. 5089. The American Bar Association rated Covello Unanimously Well Qualified for the nomination. Hearings on Covello's nomination were held before the Senate Judiciary Committee on August 4, 1992, and his nomination was reported by then-U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.) on August 12, 1992. Covello was confirmed by the unanimous consent of the U.S. Senate on August 12, 1992, and he received his commission on August 17, 1992. From 1998 to 2003, Covello served as the chief judge of the district court. He elected to take senior status beginning on February 4, 2003. He was succeeded in this position by Judge Mark Kravitz.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Noteworthy cases

Court upholds CT assault weapons ban (2014)

See also: District of Connecticut

In January 2014, Judge Covello upheld Connecticut's ban on assault weapons. A coalition of groups argued that the ban infringed on their constitutional right to gun ownership in addition to discriminating against certain categories of guns.^[4]^[5]

Judge Covello found the law was constitutional. Alluding to the balance between constitutional liberty and government interests, Covello wrote:

“

The court concludes that the legislation is constitutional. While the act burdens the plaintiffs' Second Amendment rights, it is substantially related to the important governmental interest of public safety and crime control.^[4]^[6]

”