The Death Penalty: A Mini History Lesson

Administrator | March 12, 2010

After reading a Hartford Courant article about Dr. William Petit’s testimony before the Judiciary Committee on the death penalty, I got to wondering about the history of capital punishment. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, the Code of King Hammaurabi of Babylon codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes as early as [...]

Eliminating the Statute of Limitations on Child Sex Abuse

Administrator | March 1, 2010

Under current law, a victim of childhood sexual abuse has until age 48 to file a civil lawsuit against the offender. Given the nature of the crimes and the emotional difficulties so many victims face in trying to come to terms with what happened to them, any statute of limitations on such crimes seems [...]

An 80-Year-Old Career Criminal

Administrator | February 25, 2010

I am always intrigued by the “strange” headlines I read in the online news media. Those stories are the ones that I just can’t resist at least peeking at because they’re usually good for a laugh. At the very least, they cause me to shake my head in wonder or disbelief. The [...]

Connecticut Lawmakers Propose Lighter Penalty for “Sexting” between Consenting Minors

Administrator | February 21, 2010

State Rep. Rosa Rebimbas (R-Naugatuck) and Rep. David Labriola (R-Naugatuck) co-sponsored a bill that would lesson the legal penalties for “sexting” between consenting minors. Under current law, it is a felony for a minor to send or receive text messages that include nude or sexual images. A minor convicted of such an offense [...]

Individual Versus Group Voir Dire

Administrator | January 26, 2010

In this week’s Connecticut Law Tribune, Attorney Norm Pattis published an article in which he discusses the merits of utilizing group — rather than individual — voir dire when trying to impanel a jury. With the Steven Hayes trial on the minds of lawyers and citizens alike, he presents an interesting perspective.
Read: Cheshire [...]

Picking a Jury in the Hayes Trial (Petit Home Invasion)

Administrator | January 25, 2010

In the aftermath of the horrific 2007 home invasion in Cheshire, Connecticut, lawyers in the Steven Hayes trial are picking a jury. With so much media attention and a book about the tragedy already on the shelves, this will not be an easy task.
So far, only one juror has been [...]

SLS Pardon Assistance Program is Launched in Connecticut

Administrator | December 22, 2009

Cudos to Connecticut’s Statewide Legal Services and its new partner, the Connecticut Bar Association’s Committee on Paralegals. The two legal groups have joined forces to start the new SLS Pardon Assistance Program.
The premise of the program is that people often make one mistake that leaves them with a criminal record and then [...]

Stamford Attorney General Will Not Be Filing Criminal Charges Against Chimp Owner

Administrator | December 7, 2009

Stamford State’s Attorney David Cohen announced today that no criminal charges will be filed against the owner of the chimpanzee that attacked Charla Nash in February.
The Hartford Courant quoted Cohen as saying:
“To be found to have acted recklessly under our statutes, the state would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the person was [...]

New Hamshire Detective Testifies Wearing Ski Mask

Administrator | November 24, 2009

I couldn’t resist passing on this short excerpt from a post published today on A Public Defender Blog:

New Hampshire’s Supreme Court recently ruled that it’s okay for a police officer to testify at a criminal trial while wearing a ski-mask to protect his identity because he was working in an undercover unit at the time [...]

Supreme Court Refuses To Hear Bridgeport Sex Abuse Cases

Administrator | November 3, 2009

The U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to hear the appeal filed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport, which appeals a state court decision to make public more than 12,000 pages of clergy sexual abuse files.
Read the Hartford Courant article here: High Court Refuses To Hold Hearing On Sex Abuse Cases
[Source: courant.com]