Connecticut Gov. John G. Rowland, right, swears in Judge Francis M. McDonald as chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court in 1999. Photo: Bob Child/AP
Known in the state’s legal circles as an outspoken, witty and compassionate jurist who tilted right but had a libertarian streak, former Connecticut Chief Justice Francis McDonald died Oct. 8 in Waterbury. He was 87 years old and passed away due to complications from pneumonia.
A former FBI agent, prosecutor and Superior Court judge, McDonald joined the state’s high court as associate justice in 1996. He became chief justice in September 1999 and stayed in that post until January 2001, when he reached the mandatory retirement age for judges of 70.
