Chief State’s Attorney’s Meeting

Minutes of the Meeting of October 21, 2013
Office of the Chief State’s Attorney
Rocky Hill, Connecticut

The meeting was called to order at 12:42 p.m. by Chief State’s Attorney Kevin T. Kane.

In attendance were: State’s Attorneys David I. Cohen (Stamford-Norwalk), Michael Dearington (New Haven), Patricia M. Froehlich (Windham), Matthew C. Gedansky (Tolland), Gail P. Hardy (Hartford), Kevin D. Lawlor (Ansonia-Milford), Maureen Platt (Waterbury), Brian Preleski (New Britain), Michael L. Regan (New London), Stephen Sedensky (Danbury), and John Smriga (Fairfield); Deputy Chief State’s Attorneys Leonard C. Boyle and John J. Russotto; Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Barbara Hoffman (Middlesex); and Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Dawn Gallo (Litchfield).

Also present: Executive Assistant State’s Attorneys Brian Austin, Jr., and Michael A. Gailor, Division of Criminal Justice legislative liaison Wilfred Blanchette and Division of Criminal Justice Communications and Legislative Specialist Mark A. Dupuis.

Deputy Chief State’s Attorney Boyle made a motion to approve the minutes of the September 23, 2013, meeting. The motion was seconded by Deputy Chief State’s Attorney Russotto and approved without opposition.

There was a brief discussion of the draft of a policy prepared by the Operations Committee concerning the issues raised in the Brady/Giglio/Adams cases. It was decided that the draft will be circulated again and taken up at the next meeting.

Chief State’s Attorney Kane reported that a working group is being established to review revisions to Section 54-56d of the General Statutes. State’s Attorney Smriga volunteered to serve; Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Lawrence J. Tytla (New London), also will participate.

Deputy Chief State’s Attorney Russotto introduced representatives of New Dawn Technologies who gave a detailed presentation in response to the Division of Criminal Justice Request for Information (RFI) for the development of a case management system. Elizabeth Basso, a representative of the Department of Administrative Services, was present for the presentation as were Chief Inspector James M. Hankard, Information Technology Manager Evelyn L. Godbout, Systems Developer 3 Janette Sniffin, Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorneys Cynthia M. Baer (Rockville), Warren C. Murray (Danbury) and James Turcotte (Meriden), Clerical Supervisor Darlene Dullard (Waterbury), Inspector Edward T. Zack (Fairfield) and Secretary 2 Ian S. Shackleton (Ansonia-Milford).

The meeting was recessed at 4:00 p.m. for a break and resumed at 4:10 p.m.

State’s Attorney Lawlor made a motion to enter executive session to discuss litigation strategy. The motion was seconded by State’s Attorney Gedansky and passed unanimously.

Present for the executive session were Chief State’s Attorney Kane, Deputy Chief State’s Attorneys Boyle and Russotto and State’s Attorneys Cohen, Dearington, Froehlich, Gedansky, Hardy, Lawlor, Preleski and Regan. Also present was Communications and Legislative Specialist Dupuis. There were no motions made and no votes taken in the executive session, which ended at 4:34 p.m.

Chief State’s Attorney Kane reported that the Rules Committee of the Superior Court may be considering revisions to Rule 3.8 as proposed by the Ethics Committee of the Connecticut Bar Association.

State’s Attorney Cohen made a motion to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded by State’s Attorney Lawlor and approved without opposition at 4:36 p.m.