Governor nominates Rapposelli, Wallace for appointment to Superior Court; Danberg for appointment to Court of Common Pleas

WILMINGTON – Governor Jack Markell today announced his nomination of three dedicated public servants for positions on Delaware’s judiciary.  This afternoon, Markell announced that he has nominated Vivian L. Rapposelli and Paul R. Wallace for appointment to the Superior Court, and Carl C. Danberg for appointment to the Court of Common Pleas.

The positions for which Ms. Rapposelli and Mr. Wallace have been nominated are new Superior Court judgeships recently authorized by the General Assembly for New Castle County.  Mr. Danberg has been nominated to fill the vacancy on the Court of Common Pleas created when Judge Eric M. Davis became a Superior Court judge.

Since 2009, Ms. Rapposelli has served as Secretary of the Department of Services for Children, Youth & Their Families, a 1,200-person state agency charged with providing and  managing a range of services for children who have experienced abandonment, abuse, adjudication, mental illness, neglect, or substance abuse.  From 2004-09, she served as president and owner of Rapposelli & Gonzales, the state’s first law firm comprised entirely of bi-lingual and multi-lingual attorneys, where her practice included immigration and civil rights litigation.  Previously, she served as an associate at Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP, where she practiced in the areas of personal injury, worker’s compensation and medical malpractice, and as a supervising attorney at Delaware Volunteer Legal Services.

Ms. Rapposelli, a Democrat, is a graduate of Ursuline Academy, the University of Delaware and Widener University School of Law.

“Vivian Rapposelli is an outstanding attorney, an exceptional manager and a dedicated public servant,” said Markell.  “Whether serving as an attorney in private practice or as head of the Department of Services for Children, Youth & Their Families, Vivian has proven that she is an individual who is committed to justice and the rule of law.”

“I am honored that Governor Markell has chosen to nominate me for this important position,” said Rapposelli.  “If I am confirmed by the Senate, I look forward to serving the people of Delaware as a member of our state’s world-class judiciary.”

A 23-year veteran of the Delaware Department of Justice, Mr. Wallace has served as DOJ’s chief of appeals since 2008.  In that capacity, in addition to supervising ten deputy attorneys general, he regularly represents the state in appellate proceedings before the Delaware Supreme Court and other courts.  From 2005-08, Mr. Wallace served as the Department of Justice’s chief prosecutor in New Castle County, and from 2001-05, he served as unit head of the Department’s Felony Trial Unit.  He has also served as unit head of the Department’s Sex Crimes Unit and as its chief white collar crime prosecutor.  A Republican, Mr. Wallace is a graduate of the University of Maryland and the Columbus School of Law of the Catholic University of America.

“Over the last two decades, Paul Wallace has litigated some of our state’s toughest cases.  During that time, he has proven himself to be an attorney of uncommon skill, intelligence and judgment. I believe that if he is confirmed by the Senate, he will serve our judiciary and our state well,” said Governor Markell.

“As an advocate for the Department of Justice for more than 20 years, I know firsthand the important role our judiciary plays in the lives of our citizens,” said Wallace. “I am honored greatly by the trust Governor Markell has placed in me with this nomination.  If I am confirmed by the Senate, I pledge to do my best to continue the well-established tradition of excellence of the Delaware judiciary and its outstanding staff.”

Mr. Danberg currently serves as Commissioner of the Department of Correction, a position he has held since 2007.  In that capacity, he is responsible for an annual budget of over $250 million and 2,500 employees supervising 16,000 offenders in the community and 6,500 offenders in 11 facilities.  From 2005-07, Mr. Danberg served as Attorney General of the State of Delaware, where he was appointed by Governor Minner to complete the unexpired term of the Hon. M. Jane Brady.  From 1996-2005, he served as deputy principal assistant to the Commissioner of Correction.

Since 1998, Mr. Danberg has been a member of the Delaware Army National Guard, where he currently serves as a Lt. Colonel in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps.  In addition, since 1995, he has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Delaware, where he currently teaches the constitutional law of criminal procedure.  A Democrat, Mr. Danberg is a graduate of the University of Delaware and Widener University School of Law.

“I am humbled by my nomination, and I thank Governor Markell and the Judicial Nominating Commission for their faith and confidence in me,” said Commissioner Danberg. “In recent years, I have had the privilege of serving the people of Delaware in several important capacities.  If I have the honor of being confirmed by the Senate, I look forward to continuing to serve our state in this important new role.”

“From his work as Corrections Commissioner, to his term as Attorney General, to his service in the Delaware Army National Guard, to his work teaching constitutional law at the University of Delaware, Carl Danberg truly exemplifies the meaning of public service,” said Governor Markell.  “Carl is one of the most honorable, hardest working and dedicated public servants I have known, and I have every confidence that he will make an outstanding jurist if he is confirmed by the Senate.”

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