Connecticut

Conn. Death Penalty Hearing Held in Prison Gym

Security concerns forced a Connecticut judge considering the constitutionality of the state’s death penalty to hold the hearing in a prison gymnasium. “Judge Stanley T. Fuger Jr. of superior court usually presides over his cases in a courthouse,” the New York Times writes. “But with seven of the nine residents…

Dec 14, 2007 4:28 PM CST

Ford Agrees to 4-State Rollover Settlement

Ford Motor Co. has struck a rollover settlement deal that applies to some 1 million people in four states. The litigation involved Ford Explorers that plaintiffs in California, Connecticut, Illinois and Texas, claimed were prone to rollovers, the Associated Press reports. The AP reports that vehicle owners will be allowed…

Nov 28, 2007 11:45 PM CST

Yale Law Grad Gives Up Law to Write Kids’ Books

A Yale law grad who worked 10 years as a legal services lawyer has chucked legal practice to become a writer. The career change is beginning to pay off with accolades for Alice Bauer, who has written a critically acclaimed new children’s book called No Castles Here, the Connecticut Law…

Nov 27, 2007 3:20 PM CST

Missing Lawyer Found Dead

The Clinton, Conn., lawyer who disappeared in July after confessing he embezzled money from clients has apparently committed suicide. Police found the body of 59-year-old Jonathan Hoyt on Monday in an apartment he had been renting in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, since the end of August, the Connecticut Law Tribune reports.…

Oct 31, 2007 10:48 AM CDT

Guilty Lawyer Still Blames His Murder Victim

In his first public comment after being sentenced to 12 years in prison for breaking into a neighbor’s home and stabbing him to death, a 30-year-old Connecticut lawyer says he still believes his wife’s accusation that the victim molested their young daughter. However, police say there is no evidence this…

Oct 29, 2007 11:35 PM CDT

1,700 CT Attys Suspended Over $110 Bill

In a payment enforcement mechanism that some see as draconian, the Client Security Fund in the state of Connecticut has slapped 1,700 lawyers with an administrative suspension for failing to pay a $110 annual fee. The “striking” number of suspensions includes all lawyers who haven’t paid the fee during any…

Oct 29, 2007 7:11 PM CDT

Prof Who Played Pimp Film to Resume Teaching

A law professor who went on leave after he showed a controversial film clip to students from the documentary Really Really Pimpin’ in Da South will return to teaching this spring at the University of Connecticut law school. Robert Birmingham will teach three classes, including law and philosophy, but he…

Oct 23, 2007 11:58 AM CDT

CT Law ‘Practice’: Personal Injury—and Piano

When Harvey Kulawitz needs a break from his personal injury law practice, the Connecticut lawyer doesn’t have to go far from his desk to relax. The 54-year-old keeps an electronic piano in his Ridgefield office, and doesn’t hesitate to play a jazz tune or two when the mood strikes him.…

Oct 22, 2007 9:42 PM CDT

Law Prof on Leave After Playing Pimp Film

A professor at the University of Connecticut law school has agreed to take a leave of absence after showing a clip from the documentary Really Really Pimpin’ in Da South that included some R-rated images. Some students reportedly walked out of class because they were upset over the film and…

Oct 15, 2007 2:29 PM CDT

Few Clues in Case of Lawyer Who ‘Dropped off the Grid’

Police are baffled by the disappearance of lawyer Jonathan Hoyt. The Clinton, Conn., lawyer has not been seen since July, when he left a note to his son confessing to embezzling money from clients, the Connecticut Law Tribune reports. Hoyt had struggled with finances and battled depression before his disappearance.…

Oct 15, 2007 1:02 PM CDT

Dog Gets Its Day With Order of Protection

A Connecticut judge has issued an order of protection for a dog named Riley. Cassandra Reynolds must stay 100 yards away from the golden retriever after her arrest for allegedly kicking the dog in a dispute with her ex-husband, the New York Times reports. The judge issued the order Sept.…

Oct 3, 2007 4:44 PM CDT

Lawyer Admits Destroying Child Porn Evidence

A Connecticut lawyer has entered a guilty plea and admitted he destroyed a computer that contained evidence of child pornography. Philip Russell pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony for failing to report knowledge of a felony to law enforcement, the Associated Press reports. Russell had represented a Greenwich church…

Sep 27, 2007 5:11 PM CDT

Lawyer’s Knowledge Used Against Him

Connecticut lawyer Philip Russell has a lot of expertise in child pornography cases—but it may hurt his defense in a prosecution for destroying evidence. Prosecutors say Russell should have given the FBI his client’s computer containing child pornography instead of destroying it. He is accused of obstructing justice under the…

Sep 26, 2007 2:18 PM CDT

Furor Over Presentence Story About Jurors

An unusual front-page newspaper article about jurors selected, after four months of questioning, to determine the sentence in a high-profile death-penalty case has caused a furor. The prosecutor, defense counsel, at least some jurors, and journalism experts are among those questioning the Connecticut Post’s judgment in printing the article, according…

Sep 14, 2007 5:00 PM CDT

Told of Threat to Tot, Lawyer Kills, Repents, Gets 12 Years

A Connecticut patent lawyer who killed his neighbor after his wife reportedly told him the man had molested their 2-year-old daughter was sentenced today to 12 years in prison. Meanwhile, it appears that the alleged Aug. 28, 2006 attack on the toddler that led to the killing may never have…

Aug 31, 2007 9:21 PM CDT