The Honorable Andrew J. McDonald, Chair of the Criminal Justice Commission, announced today that the Commission has appointed Dawn Gallo as State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Litchfield and John J. Russotto as acting Chief State’s Attorney.
Attorney Gallo was appointed to succeed David Shepack, who retired August 1, 2019. Her appointment is for the remainder of the eight-year term to which Mr. Shepack was appointed in 2017, or June 30, 2025. She was sworn in as State’s Attorney on Tuesday.
Attorney Russotto was appointed to serve as acting Chief State’s Attorney effective upon the retirement of Chief State’s Attorney Kevin T. Kane on November 1, 2019. Attorney Russotto will fulfill the duties of Chief State’s Attorney until the Commission has appointed a successor to complete the five-year term to which Chief State’s Attorney Kane was appointed in 2016, or June 30, 2021.
The appointments were approved by the Criminal Justice Commission at a meeting held on Friday at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.
Attorney Russotto, a 22-year veteran of the Division of Criminal Justice, has served as Deputy Chief State’s Attorney for Personnel, Finance and Administration since 2004. Attorney Gallo, also a 22-year veteran of the Division, has served as Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Litchfield since June 2014.
The State’s Attorney is the chief law enforcement officer for the Judicial District of Litchfield, which includes the city of Torrington and towns of Barkhamsted, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Canaan (Falls Village), Colebrook, Cornwall, Goshen, Hartland, Harwinton, Kent, Litchfield, Morris, New Hartford, New Milford, Norfolk, North Canaan, Roxbury, Salisbury, Sharon, Thomaston, Warren, Washington and Winchester (Winsted). The State’s Attorney oversees criminal prosecutions at the Superior Court and Superior Court for Juvenile Matters in Torrington.
Established pursuant to Article XXIII of the Connecticut Constitution, the Criminal Justice Commission is responsible for the appointment of all state prosecutors in Connecticut. In addition to Justice McDonald, Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, its membership includes Superior Court Judge Melanie L. Cradle, attorneys Robert M. Berke, Reginald Dwayne Betts, Scott J. Murphy and Moy N. Ogilvie and Chief State’s Attorney Kane.