The legislature confirmed a Glastonbury man who lawmakers said is the first Muslim to serve as a state Superior Court judge.
Mohammad Nawaz Wahla was appointed on an interim basis by Gov. M. Jodi Rell late last year; both chambers of the legislature unanimously endorsed his appointment today.
Wahla was not at the Capitol during the confirmation vote -- he was presiding over criminal court in New Haven.
But several lawmakers cited his compelling personal history as well as his contributions to Muslims in the state. "He always gave back to the community,'' state Sen. Len Fasano, R-North Haven.
Wahla is from Pakistan and spent about two decades as an officer in the Pakistani army, Fasano said.