AC46194 - Lafferty v. Jones ("This writ of error was commenced by the plaintiff in error, Norman A. Pattis—a Connecticut attorney and counsel of record for the defendants, Alex Emric Jones and Free Speech Systems, LLC, in the underlying consolidated tort actions arising out of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The plaintiff in error challenges the order of the second defendant in error, Honorable Barbara N. Bellis, suspending him from the practice of law for a period of six months for violating numerous provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct.

In response to the writ of error, the first defendant in error, the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel, filed a motion to dismiss on the ground of misjoinder. Judge Bellis also filed a motion to dismiss the writ of error for lack of proper service of process. By separate orders dated March 1, 2023, we denied the motion to dismiss filed by the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel and granted Judge Bellis' motion to dismiss, indicating in both orders that an opinion would follow. This opinion provides our reasons for those orders.

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The motion to dismiss filed by disciplinary counsel is denied; the motion to dismiss filed by Judge Bellis is granted and the writ of error as it pertains to Judge Bellis is dismissed.")