Connecticut State Division of Criminal Justice

Division of Criminal Justice Announces Second Annual DCJ Camp Justice for Students

Division of Criminal Justice Advisory Board 

Office of the Chief State's Attorney

300 Corporate Place

Rocky Hill, Connecticut

Minutes of the Meeting of March 6, 2024

The meeting was called to order at 12:33 p.m. by Ansonia/Milford Judicial District State's Attorney Margaret E. Kelley.

Present included: Deputy Chief State’s Attorney of Operations Kevin D. Lawlor; State’s Attorneys David R. Applegate (Danbury), Sharmese L. Walcott (Hartford), David R. Shannon (Litchfield), Christian M. Watson (New Britain), John P. Doyle, Jr. (New Haven), Paul J. Ferencek (Stamford/Norwalk), Michael A. Gailor (Middlesex), Matthew C. Gedansky (Tolland)  and Maureen T. Platt (Waterbury).

Also present: Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorneys Jacqueline P. McMahon and Vincent Duva, Executive Assistant State’s Attorney Gail P. Hardy, Manager of Research and Planning Kyle Baudoin, Communications Director Alaine Griffin, Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Timothy J. Sugrue, and Marisa DePhillips, Executive Secretary to the Chief State’s Attorney.

MINUTES

A motion to accept the minutes from the February 2024 Advisory Board meeting was made by Deputy Chief State’s Attorney Lawlor and was seconded by State’s Attorney Platt. It passed unanimously.

MANAGEMENT

Deputy Chief State’s Attorney Russotto reported that training for supervisors will take place at the Office of the Chief State's Attorney in Rocky Hill on April 25, 2024. The morning session will include a presentation by Kenya Rutland. The afternoon session will discuss the newly compiled DCJ Supervisor’s Handbook. Russotto further reported that the annual CSA/DCSA/SA retreat is in the planning stage.

OPERATIONS

State's Attorney Platt reported that Executive Assistant State's Attorney Kathryn W. Bare is working on obtaining a grant to develop a policy for domestic violence investigations. Platt further reported that the committee met last month and discussed the need to develop a uniform policy for disseminating discovery to victims or their attorneys. A working draft is expected to be completed by late spring. Platt indicted that the committee also intends to consider a uniform policy for restitution when a victim cannot be located.

PEER REVIEW UPDATE

Deputy Chief State’s Attorney Russotto supplied the board with a listing of the peer review committees for 2024. Russotto asked that for those being reviewed, letters, strategic plans and any other documentation that a state’s attorney wishes a reviewing committee to consider be submitted by March 15, 2024. Some state’s attorney’s indicated that they may need additional time to submit these materials.

POTENTIAL CONFLICTS

State's Attorneys Watson, Kelley and Platt, as well as other board members, reported various conflicts in their jurisdictions and in New London and Windham, all of which required the investigations and/or prosecutions to be handled by other judicial districts.

OTHER BUSINESS

None reported.

ADJOURNMENT

A motion to adjourn the meeting was made at 12:54 p.m. by State's Attorney Platt and was seconded by Deputy Chief State’s Attorney Russotto. It passed unanimously. The meeting was then adjourned.