The mission of the Connecticut Judicial Branch is to serve the interests of justice and the public by resolving matters brought before it in a fair, timely, efficient and open manner.

Law Library Hours: November 26th to December 6th

   by Roy, Christopher

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6107

The regularly scheduled hours for the law libraries are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., unless noted below.

Tuesday, November 26th

  • Hartford Law Library is closed.
  • Torrington Law Library closes at 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, November 27th

  • New London Law Library is closed.

Thursday, November 28th

  • All Connecticut Judicial Branch Law Libraries are closed in observance of the holiday.

Friday, November 29th

  • Danbury Law Library closes at 1:00 p.m.
  • Hartford Law Library is closed.
  • New Britain Law Library closes at 1:00 p.m.
  • New Haven Law Library is closed.
  • New London Law Library is closed.
  • Putnam Law Library is closed.
  • Stamford Law Library is closed.
  • Waterbury Law Library is closed.

Monday, December 2nd

  • New Britain Law Library closes at 1:30 p.m.

Tuesday, December 3rd

  • Danbury Law Library opens at 10:00 a.m.
  • Waterbury Law Library opens at 9:30 a.m.

Wednesday, December 4th

  • Danbury Law Library is open 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
  • New Britain Law Library closes at 12:15 p.m.

Friday, December 6th

  • New Britain Law Library closes at 3:00 p.m.


Connecticut Law Journal - November 26, 2024

   by Agati, Taryn

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6106

The Connecticut Law Journal, Volume LXXXVI, No. 22, for November 26, 2024 is now available.

Contained in the issue is the following:

  • Table of Contents
  • Volume 350: Connecticut Reports (Pages 557 - 692)
  • Volume 350: Orders (Pages 918 - 921)
  • Volume 350: Cumulative Table of Cases Connecticut Reports
  • Volume 229: Connecticut Appellate Reports (Pages 239 - 371)
  • Volume 229: Memorandum Decisions (Pages 901 - 901)
  • Volume 229: Cumulative Table of Cases Connecticut Appellate Reports
  • Miscellaneous Notices
  • Notices of Connecticut State Agencies


Juvenile Law Appellate Court Slip Opinion

   by Greenlee, Rebecca

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6105

AC 47367 - In re Jaelynn K.-M. ("The respondent mother, Jessica K., appeals following the trial court’s judgments terminating her parental rights with respect to her children, twins Jayden and Jaelynn. On appeal, the respondent claims that the trial court violated her due process rights under the fourteenth amendment to the federal constitution with respect to the termination trial in (1) constructively depriving her of her right to counsel, (2) denying her assigned counsel’s request for a continuance, and (3) finding that the respondent and her counsel had adequate notice of the proceeding. We affirm the judgments of the trial court.")


Tort Law Appellate Court Opinions

   by Agati, Taryn

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6104

AC46477 - Robinson v. V. D. ("The defendant, V. D., appeals from the judgment of the trial court denying his special motion to dismiss the underlying civil action pursuant to General Statutes § 52-196a, our state's anti-SLAPP statute. The civil action filed by the plaintiffs, Michael Robinson and Mary Robinson, seeks compensatory damages and injunctive relief for defamation, invasion of privacy by false light, statutory and common-law vexatious litigation, and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. The defendant claims that (1) the court improperly denied his special motion to dismiss the action on the ground that his alleged conduct did not relate to an exercise of a protected right in connection with a matter of public concern and, thus, fell outside the scope of § 52-196a, and, (2) even if he is not entitled to a dismissal of the action pursuant to § 52-196a, the trial court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over this action because the defendant is entitled to absolute immunity under the litigation privilege for his alleged conduct, all of which occurred in the course of judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings. In addition to disputing the defendant's claims, the plaintiffs raise as an alternative ground for affirming the denial of the special motion to dismiss that § 52-196a violates both the state and federal constitutions. We conclude that the question of whether the plaintiffs' action is barred by absolute immunity under the litigation privilege implicates the trial court's subject matter jurisdiction and, thus, must be considered prior to addressing the merits of the special motion to dismiss. We agree with the defendant that, with the exception of those counts sounding in vexatious litigation, the complaint is barred by absolute immunity. With respect to the remaining vexatious litigation counts, we affirm in part and reverse in part the court's decision to deny the special motion to dismiss, we reject the plaintiffs' alternative ground for affirmance, and we remand the matter for further proceedings in accordance with this opinion.")

AC46645 - Vu v. N. L. ("The plaintiff, Nhan Vu, appeals from the judgment of the trial court denying his motion to open the judgment of dismissal rendered in favor of the self-represented defendant, N. L. On appeal, the plaintiff claims that the court abused its discretion in denying his motion to open. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.")


Criminal Law Appellate Court Opinions

   by Townsend, Karen

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6103

AC45710 - State ex rel. Dunn v. Burton (“On appeal, the defendant raises a number of claims, which we distill to the following: (1) the court lacked jurisdiction over the verified petition filed by Jeremiah Dunn, the chief animal control officer of the plaintiff, to vest temporary custody of the goats with the department, (2) the court improperly denied her motion to suppress, which attacked the process by which the warrant to search her property and seize the goats was issued pursuant to General Statutes (Supp. 2022) § 22-329a (b), (3) she was ‘‘denied due process when she was not allowed to present [her] motion to suppress for adjudication,’’ (4) she was entitled to notice and a hearing prior to the seizure of her goats pursuant to General Statutes § 19a-341, (5) the court improperly determined that the goats were subjected to neglect and cruel treatment, (6) the court improperly determined that the defendant failed to comply with its order to relinquish ownership of the goats by April 16, 2021, or pay a surety or cash bond in the amount of $32,000 by that date, (7) § 22-329a is unconstitutional on its face and as applied in this case, and (8) the court improperly dismissed the defendant’s counterclaim on the ground that the claims raised in the counterclaim were barred by either sovereign immunity or the prior pending action doctrine. We affirm the judgments of the court.”)

AC46414 - State v. Pringle (Practice Book § 43-22 motion to correct an illegal sentence; assault 1st degree, promoting prostitution 2nd degree; possession of narcotics with intent to sell; sale of narcotics; tampering with witness; Alford Doctrine; “On appeal, he makes several arguments supporting his claim that the court improperly denied his motion to correct an illegal sentence. We dismiss the appeal as moot.”)

AC46657 - State v. Bryan (Practice Book § 43-22 motion to correct an illegal sentence; persistent dangerous felony offender; “The defendant first claims that the court erred in denying his motion because his guilty plea to being a persistent dangerous felony offender pursuant to General Statutes § 53a-402 was defective or, in the alternative, that the court should have dismissed his motion for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, rather than denying it on the merits. Second, the defendant claims, for the first time on appeal, that the sentencing court improperly failed to specify which portion of his sentence was attributable to the enhancement imposed pursuant to § 53a-40. With respect to the first claim, we conclude that the trial court lacked subject matter jurisdiction over the defendant’s claim and, accordingly, that the court should have dismissed the motion to correct. We further conclude that the defendant is not entitled to review of his unpreserved second claim. Accordingly, we reverse the judgment of the trial court and remand with direction to dismiss the defendant’s motion to correct.”)


Juvenile Law Appellate Court Slip Opinion

   by Greenlee, Rebecca

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6102

AC 47605 - In re Zarirai S. ("The respondent mother, Crystal S., appeals from the judgments of the trial court rendered in favor of the petitioner, the Commissioner of Children and Families, terminating her parental rights with respect to her minor children, Z and L. On appeal, the respondent claims that the court improperly determined that she had failed to achieve a sufficient degree of rehabilitation because (1) the court’s determination was not supported by the evidence, (2) the court impermissibly compared the parenting of the respondent with that of the children’s foster parents, and (3) the court failed to apply the proper legal standard by ‘‘add[ing] a requirement of a ‘guarantee’ that the [respondent] must be able to rehabilitate within six months.’’ We affirm the judgments of the trial court.")



Law Library Hours: November 20th to November 29th

   by Roy, Christopher

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6100

Wednesday, November 20th

  • Middletown Law Library opens at 10:00 a.m.
  • Putnam Law Library is closed.
  • Stamford Law Library is closed.
  • Waterbury Law Library closes at 1:00 p.m.

Thursday, November 21st

  • New Britain Law Library is closed from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • Danbury Law Library is closed from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • Hartford Law Library is closed.
  • Putnam Law Library is open from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • Waterbury Law Library closes at 1:00 p.m.

Friday, November 22nd

  • Hartford Law Library opens at 10:00 a.m.
  • Middletown Law Library opens at 10:00 a.m.
  • Putnam Law Library is open from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • Torrington Law Library opens at 10:00 a.m.

Monday, November 25th

  • Middletown Law Library is closed from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
  • Torrington Law Library opens at 9:15 a.m.

Tuesday, November 26th

  • Hartford Law Library is closed.
  • Torrington Law Library closes at 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, November 27th

  • New London Law Library is closed.

Thursday, November 28th

  • All Connecticut Judicial Branch Law Libraries are closed in observance of the holiday.

Friday, November 29th

  • Hartford Law Library is closed.
  • New Britain Law Library closes at 1:00 p.m.
  • New Haven Law Library is closed.
  • New London Law Library is closed.
  • Putnam Law Library is closed.
  • Stamford Law Library is closed.
  • Waterbury Law Library is closed.


Connecticut Law Journal - November 19, 2024

   by Agati, Taryn

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6099

The Connecticut Law Journal, Volume LXXXVI, No. 21, for November 19, 2024 is now available.

Contained in the issue is the following:

  • Table of Contents
  • Volume 350: Connecticut Reports (Pages 457 - 556)
  • Volume 350: Orders (Pages 916 - 918)
  • Volume 350: Cumulative Table of Cases Connecticut Reports
  • Volume 229: Connecticut Appellate Reports (Pages 137 - 238)
  • Volume 229: Cumulative Table of Cases Connecticut Appellate Reports
  • Miscellaneous Notices


Election Law Supreme Court Slip Opinion

   by Agati, Taryn

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6098

SC21049 - Whitnum Baker v. Secretary of the State ("This is an original jurisdiction proceeding before a panel of this court pursuant to General Statutes § 9-323, in which the plaintiff, L. Lee Whitnum Baker, sought an emergency hearing to challenge a ruling of an election official, the secretary of the state, in connection with an election for federal office. The plaintiff challenges the defendant's decision to reject her registration as a write-in candidate for the office of United States Representative for the Third Congressional District of Connecticut on the ground that it was untimely filed in violation of General Statutes (Supp. 2024) § 9-373a, which, in connection with General Statutes § 9-265, governs write-in candidacies. In this action, the plaintiff seeks an injunction directing the defendant to accept her registration as a write-in candidate under § 9-373a. She claims that her untimely filing was the result of following guidance from a form cover letter promulgated by the defendant's office that did not update its block quotation of § 9-373a to reflect the earlier filing deadlines contained in the current statutory revision, which was amended in 2023 to accommodate the new early voting program under General Statutes (Supp. 2024) § 9-163aa. In response, the defendant asks us to dismiss this action for lack of subject matter jurisdiction under § 9-323.

We held a hearing on the plaintiff's complaint on Thursday, November 7, 2024. After that hearing, we concluded that we have subject matter jurisdiction over this proceeding, and reserved judgment on the merits. We now conclude that this case does not present the type of "extraordinary circumstance," as contemplated by Butts v. Bysiewicz, 298 Conn. 665, 676 n.7, 5 A.3d 932 (2010), that would warrant equitable relief from the operation of a mandatory statutory provision based on erroneous information given to the plaintiff by an election official. The plaintiff has failed to prove entitlement to relief under the doctrine of equitable estoppel because (1) notwithstanding the defendant's erroneous quotation of an outdated version of § 9-373a on the cover letter provided to the plaintiff, both the cover letter and the registration form itself clearly and unambiguously provided the correct deadline, and (2) the plaintiff failed to exercise any due diligence in resolving the apparent inconsistency. Accordingly, we deny the plaintiff's request for injunctive relief and render judgment for the defendant.")


Criminal Law Appellate Court Opinions

   by Townsend, Karen

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6097

AC45999 - State v. Devin M. (“On appeal, the defendant claims that the trial court (1) violated his right to due process under article first, § 8, of the Connecticut constitution, when it denied his pretrial motion to dismiss the charges against him, in which he alleged that the police improperly failed to preserve and to collect certain evidence relating to clothing recovered from the laundry hamper (hamper) in the victim’s bedroom, and (2) abused its discretion by failing to conduct additional inquiry into an allegation of juror misconduct. We disagree and, accordingly, affirm the judgment of the court.”)

AC46751, AC46758 - State v. Lee and State v. Labrec (“These two appeals, although not consolidated, involve an identical issue, namely, whether the unreasonable delay in the execution of a rearrest warrant for failure to appear, which led to the dismissal of the failure to appear charge on statute of limitations grounds, also warranted, on statute of limitations grounds, the dismissal of the otherwise timely filed underlying charges. In Docket No. AC 46751, the state appeals from the judgment of the trial court dismissing the charges brought against the defendant Timothy A. Lee. In Docket No. AC 46758, the state appeals from the judgment of the court dismissing the charges brought against the defendant Clifton Labrec. In both appeals, the state asserts that, in connection with dismissing the defendants’ respective failure to appear charges on statute of limitations grounds, which the state does not challenge, the court improperly applied statute of limitations principles in dismissing the underlying timely filed charges brought against each defendant We agree with the state and, accordingly, reverse the judgments of the trial court insofar as the court dismissed the defendants’ respective underlying charges.”)

AC45351 - State v. Abramovich (“On appeal, the defendant asks this court to allow him to withdraw his guilty pleas on the grounds that (1) he was not competent to plead guilty; (2) his trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance by failing to investigate his competence and to request a competency evaluation pursuant to General Statutes § 54-56d; (3) he was under duress at the time of his pleas; (4) the court breached the plea agreement; (5) the court failed to substantially comply with Practice Book § 39-19 when it accepted the pleas; (6) the court lacked a factual basis for the pleas; and (7) the court relied on materially false information at sentencing. We affirm the judgments of the trial court.”)

AC46567 - State v. Godbout (“On appeal, the defendant claims that (1) General Statutes § 54-94a is unconstitutional; (2) Practice Book § 39-18 is unconstitutional; (3) the charges against him lacked probable cause; (4) the court erred in not complying with the requirements of Practice Book § 39-18; (5) the court violated his due process rights by failing to hold a hearing on his postjudgment motions; (6) the judges who presided over his case acted without authority; and (7) the court exceeded its authority by imposing terms to his conditional discharge. We affirm the judgment of the court.”)


Property Law Appellate Court Opinion

   by Zigadto, Janet

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6095

AC46821 - D. J. v. F. D. ("In this partition action, the plaintiff, D. J., appeals from the judgment of the trial court ordering the equitable distribution of a parcel of real property jointly owned by the plaintiff and the defendant F. D. and ordering the defendant to pay the plaintiff $2000 as just compensation for his interest in the property pursuant to General Statutes § 52-500 (a). On appeal, the plaintiff contends that the court abused its discretion in determining that (1) he had only a minimal interest in the property and (2) the just compensation owed to him for his interest in the property was $2000. We disagree and, accordingly, affirm the judgment of the trial court.")


Habeas Appellate Court Opinions

   by Townsend, Karen

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6096

AC46663 - Roman v. Commissioner of Correction (“The petitioner claims that the court (1) abused its discretion in denying his petition for certification to appeal and (2) improperly denied his petition for a writ of habeas corpus because the court erred in concluding that his criminal trial counsel had not provided ineffective assistance. We dismiss the appeal.”)

AC44214 - Reynolds v. Commissioner of Correction (Two counts of murder; one count of carrying a pistol or revolver without a permit; ineffective assistance; motion to withdraw as counsel; dismissal of appeal; “The petitioner, now self-represented, thereafter pursued this habeas appeal. As noted by the respondent, the Commissioner of Correction, the petitioner does not challenge the merits of the habeas court’s ruling in his appellate brief, nor does he address the court’s denial of his petition for certification to appeal from the denial of his habeas corpus petition. Instead, the petitioner focuses solely on the court’s ruling on the motion to withdraw as counsel filed by Conlin, which is not a proper subject for an appeal from the court’s denial of a habeas corpus petition.”)


Law Library Hours: November 14th to November 22nd

   by Roy, Christopher

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6093

The regularly scheduled hours for the law libraries are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., unless noted below.

Thursday, November 14th

  • Danbury Law Library is closed from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • Putnam Law Library closes at 1:00 p.m.
  • Torrington Law Library closes at 10:30 a.m.

Friday, November 15th

  • Danbury Law Library closes at 4:00 p.m.
  • Stamford Law Library is closed from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
  • Torrington Law Library is closed.

Monday, November 18th

  • Putnam Law Library is open from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • Rockville Law Library opens at 11:00 a.m.
  • Torrington Law Library is closed from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

Tuesday, November 19th

  • Bridgeport Law Library opens at 10:15 a.m.
  • Danbury Law Library is open from 10:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
  • Hartford Law Library opens at 10:15 a.m.
  • Putnam Law Library opens at 10:15 a.m.
  • Stamford Law Library is closed from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Wednesday, November 20th

  • Middletown Law Library opens at 10:00 a.m.
  • Putnam Law Library is closed.
  • Stamford Law Library is closed.
  • Waterbury Law Library closes at 1:00 p.m.

Thursday, November 21st

  • New Britain Law Library is closed from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • Hartford Law Library is closed.
  • Putnam Law Library is closed.
  • Waterbury Law Library closes at 1:00 p.m.

Friday, November 22nd

  • Putnam Law Library is open from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • Torrington Law Library opens at 10:00 a.m.


Family Law Supreme Court Slip Opinion

   by Greenlee, Rebecca

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6094

SC 20982 - K. S. v. R. S. ("This case comes to us on appeal from the trial court’s judgment in a complex marital dissolution action. The case concerns, among other issues common to divorce proceedings such as custody and child support, the authority of a trial court in Connecticut to decline to give full faith and credit to the judgments and court orders of another state that impact the marital estate. We conclude that the trial court was required to give full faith and credit to the orders of the other state. Accordingly, we affirm in part and reverse in part the judgment of the trial court.")


Connecticut Law Journal - November 12, 2024

   by Agati, Taryn

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6092

The Connecticut Law Journal, Volume LXXXVI, No. 20, for November 12, 2024 is now available.

Contained in the issue is the following:

  • Table of Contents
  • Volume 350: Connecticut Reports (Pages 393 - 457)
  • Volume 350: Orders (Pages 914 - 916)
  • Volume 350: Cumulative Table of Cases Connecticut Reports
  • Volume 229: Connecticut Appellate Reports (Pages 51 - 137)
  • Volume 229: Cumulative Table of Cases Connecticut Appellate Reports
  • Miscellaneous Notices
  • Notices of Connecticut State Agencies



Law Library Hours: November 8th to November 15th

   by Roy, Christopher

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6090

The regularly scheduled hours for the law libraries are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., unless noted below.

Friday, November 8th

  • Danbury Law Library is open from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • New Britain Law Library opens at 9:45 a.m.

Monday, November 11th

  • All Connecticut Judicial Branch Law Libraries are closed in observance of the holiday.

Tuesday, November 12th

  • Middletown Law Library is closed from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • New Britain Law Library closes at 4:45 p.m.
  • New London Law Library opens at 10:00 a.m.
  • Stamford Law Library closes at 12:00 p.m.
  • Torrington Law Library is closed.

Wednesday, November 13th

  • Torrington Law Library closes at 3:45 p.m.

Thursday, November 14th

  • Danbury Law Library will be closed from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • Putnam Law Library closes at 1:00 p.m.

Friday, November 15th

  • Danbury Law Library will be closed from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
  • Stamford Law Library will be closed from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.


Criminal Law Appellate Court Opinion

   by Townsend, Karen

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6089

AC46750 - State v. Reyes (Motion for sentence modification; arson second degree; conspiracy to commit criminal mischief first degree; conspiracy to commit burglary first degree; “On appeal, the defendant claims that the court abused its discretion in finding that he had failed to establish good cause to modify his total effective sentence. We disagree and, accordingly, affirm the judgment of the trial court.”)


Habeas Appellate Court Opinion

   by Townsend, Karen

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6088

AC46884 - Roberto A. v. Commissioner of Correction (“In this appeal we again consider the parameters of the presumption of competence in determining whether trial counsel performed deficiently in representing a petitioner at his criminal trial. The respondent, the Commissioner of Correction, appeals from the judgment of the habeas court granting the petition for a writ of habeas corpus filed by the petitioner, Roberto A. The respondent claims that the court improperly (1) decided an issue not raised in the habeas petition and (2) concluded that the petitioner’s right to the effective assistance of counsel was violated by the failure of his trial counsel to investigate adequately and to call a noncumulative and credible alibi witness. We affirm the judgment of the habeas court.”)