Chief State’s Attorney Meeting
Minutes of the Meeting of August 2, 2023
The meeting was called to order at 11:15 a.m. by Chief State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin.
Also present: Deputy Chief State’s Attorney of Administration, Personnel and Finance John J. Russotto, Deputy Chief State’s Attorney, Inspector General Robert J. Devlin, Jr., State’s Attorneys Margaret E. Kelley (Ansonia/Milford), David R. Applegate (Danbury), Joseph T. Corradino (Fairfield), Sharmese L. Walcott (Hartford), David R. Shannon (Litchfield), Michael A. Gailor (Middletown), Christian M. Watson (New Britain), John P. Doyle, Jr. (New Haven), Paul J. Narducci (New London), Matthew C. Gedansky (Tolland), Maureen T. Platt (Waterbury), and Anne F. Mahoney (Windham).
Also Present: Executive Assistant State’s Attorneys Kathryn W. Bare, Gail Hardy and Brett Salafia, Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorneys David Kutzner, Senior Assistant State’s Attorneys Timothy J. Sugrue, Manager of Research and Planning Kyle Baudoin, and Marisa DePhillips, Executive Secretary to the Chief State’s Attorney.
Two corrections were noted in the draft minutes of the July 5, 2023 meeting that had not yet been voted on. Deputy Chief State’s Attorney Russotto moved to accept the minutes of the July 5, 2023 meeting as corrected. State’s Attorney Applegate seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
Chief State’s Attorney Griffin reported Legislative Liaison Cournoyer and Executive Assistant State’s Attorney Kutzner would soon distribute a four-part power point presentation and report regarding the outcome of the 2023 Legislative Session for the Division. Chief State’s Attorney Griffin clarified that in order for a prospective prosecutor candidate to be qualified under Public Act 23-55, the candidate must be within five months of graduation and be a certified legal intern. He asked that State’s Attorneys with prospective candidates verify with the clerk of the court the presence of certification before they go before the Criminal Justice Commission.
Executive Assistant State’s Attorney Bare discussed a standardized, fillable, Adobe form she created for prosecutors to use to request information from the Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles. The form can be used to request information being considered by the Board at commutation, pardon and parole hearings. She asked the State’s Attorneys to notify her if the Board has any problems with the form, and to let her know if the form needs any modifications.
Chief State’s Attorney Griffin said he told members of the Board of Pardons and Paroles at a recent meeting that 30 days of notification of a hearing was the absolute minimum time prosecutors would accept and that the Division preferred more time. The Board indicated that they would approve a reasonable delay of a hearing if requested by a State’s Attorney. Chief State’s Attorney Griffin told State’s Attorneys if they need more time before a hearing, they should put all reasonable requests for continuances in writing and relay the results of their requests to his office.
Regarding the budget, Deputy Chief State’s Attorney Russotto said the Office of Policy and Management granted the Division’s request to carry forward money it did not spend in the last fiscal year. He said the money would be used for ongoing projects, including expansion of the Early Screening and Intervention Program for one year across the Judicial Districts.
Chief State’s Attorney Griffin and Deputy Chief State’s Attorney Russotto reported on the most recent work of the Criminal Justice Commission, saying the Commission met 13 times in the past year, hiring 39 full-time prosecutors and nine Special Deputy Assistant State’s Attorneys, with 19 prosecutor openings still pending. The Commission will not meet in August for a regularly scheduled meeting but may hold a brief Special Meeting to discuss another candidate for one position of Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney at the Office of the Chief State's Attorney, Appellate Bureau, since an initial candidate for that position who was selected, did not accept the offer. Chief State’s Attorney Griffin said if the other candidate receives a conditional appointment, it would be the first person hired under Public Act 23-55. Candidates for open prosecutor positions in the New Britain Judicial District are expected to be interviewed at the Commission’s September meeting. Chief State’s Attorney Griffin asked State’s Attorneys to provide candidates they select for prosecutor positions with a copy of the Connecticut Prosecution Standards.
Executive Assistant State’s Attorney Hardy reported that most summer interns completed their internships. Before the internships ended, a group of interns received a tour of the Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner. Executive Assistant State’s Attorney Hardy asked the State’s Attorneys to notify her of any upcoming career fairs.
Executive Assistant State’s Attorney Hardy reported that a staff member with the state Department of Health and Human Services is currently visiting courthouses where Early Screening and Intervention Services are taking place. Executive Assistant State’s Attorney Hardy also thanked the State’s Attorneys who participated in recent training with The Center for Education, Simulation & Innovation (CESI).
In other business, State’s Attorney Gailor reported that the National District Attorneys Association 2024 Job Fair would be held in Washington D.C. in January. Executive Assistant State’s Attorney Hardy reported that the UConn Law School would hold on-campus interviews, beginning in September.
Regarding training, Chief State’s Attorney Griffin reported that the Division was holding a comprehensive four-day detective training course for close to 200 police officers from departments throughout the state at Yale University’s West Campus in Orange. He thanked the State’s Attorneys for their participation in the training which was receiving many favorable reviews.
State’s Attorney Mahoney said she spoke recently with other prosecutors about having a panel discussion regarding the prosecution of child pornography cases. She also discussed forming a roundtable of prosecutors to discuss the prosecution of animal abuse cases, asking the State’s Attorneys to identify a prosecutor in each Judicial District who could be a part of the group. Judge Devlin and Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Sugrue discussed upcoming instruction they are providing on current search and seizure laws. They suggested advertising the program to police departments in August since the training is planned for September.
Chief State’s Attorney Griffin said he planned to issue a public statement regarding a State Police matter that was the subject of a recent meeting of the legislature’s Judiciary Committee. Chief State’s Attorney Griffin said the statement would clarify the Division’s role in the matter.
Chief State’s Attorney Griffin said the Division planned to host the next meeting of the Connecticut Hate Crimes Advisory Council on August 18 at the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney in Rocky Hill with guest speaker Rabbi Philip Lazowski, a survivor of the Holocaust and author of several books. He invited the State’s Attorneys and their staff members to attend the meeting.
State’s Attorney Gailor reported that certain courthouses would no longer have in-house foreign language interpreters following a plan by the state to centralize operations.
Chief State’s Attorney Griffin and the State’s Attorneys discussed whether it is best to hold in-person or remote Chief State’s Attorney meetings and there was agreement that meeting in person has more value to all participants.
There being no further business, a motion to adjourn was made by State’s Attorney Gailor and seconded by State’s Attorney Mahoney. The meeting was adjourned at 12:22 p.m.