Criminal Justice Commission
Minutes of the Special Meeting
August 1, 2019
Office of the Chief State’s Attorney
Rocky Hill, Connecticut
The Criminal Justice Commission met for a special meeting on Thursday, August 1, 2019, at the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney. The Honorable Andrew J. McDonald, Chair, called the meeting to order at 9:10 a.m.
Also in attendance was The Honorable Melanie L. Cradle, attorneys Robert Berke, Scott Murphy and Moy N. Ogilvie and Chief State’s Attorney Kevin T. Kane, and Division of Criminal Justice Director of Human Resources Catherine Riberio, DCJ Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist Janice duFrend, Richard J. Colangelo, Jr., State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Stamford/Norwalk, and Margaret E. Kelley, State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Stamford/Norwalk.
Chairman McDonald opened the meeting and noted that at the July 22, 2019, special meeting the Commission had tentatively selected Matthew Knopf and Mary Catilin-Harding to fill two of the four positions in the Judicial District of Danbury and would confirm those and select the remaining two Danbury positions at today’s meeting. Attorney Berke moved that the minutes of the July 22, 2019, meeting be amended to state that the offers to select Matthew Knopf and Mary Catilin-Harding were tentative. Attorney Murphy seconded the motion and the minutes as amended were approved unanimously.
The Commission proceeded to interview the remaining candidates for the Danbury vacancies.
Judge Cradle moved to enter executive session to consider appointments for the Judicial District of Stamford/Norwalk. Attorney Murphy seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. The executive session began at 11:20 a.m. State’s Attorney Colangelo was also present. The executive session ended at 11:30 a.m. Justice McDonald reported that no motions were made or votes taken during the executive session.
The Commission proceeded to interview the remaining candidates. Chief State’s Attorney Kane made a motion to enter executive session at 3:00 p.m. to consider appointments. State’s Attorney Kelley and Stephen J. Sedensky III, State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Danbury, were also present. The executive session ended at 4:05 p.m. Justice McDonald reported that no motions were made or votes taken during the executive session.
Attorney Ogilvie moved to appoint Matthew Knopf, Mary Catilin-Harding, Kristin Chiriatti and Traci Hertzberg as Deputy Assistant State’s Attorneys for the Judicial District of Danbury. Attorney Murphy seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
Attorney Berke made a motion to appoint Joy Gary and Margaret Moscati as Deputy Assistant State’s Attorneys for the Judicial District of Stamford/Norwalk and Lawrence Scharpf for the Judicial District of Ansonia/Milford. The motion passed unanimously.
Justice McDonald announced the Commission will meet September 4, 2019, to fill the remaining vacancy in Stamford/Norwalk and vacancies for Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney in the Judicial District of Tolland and on October 11, 2019, to consider the appointment to complete the unexpired portion of the term of the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Litchfield.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:11 p.m.