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Recent Opinions

Connecticut Law Journal - November 11, 2025

   by Agati, Taryn

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6558

The Connecticut Law Journal, Volume LXXXVII, No. 20, for November 11, 2025 is now available.

  • Table of Contents
  • Volume 353: Connecticut Reports (Pages 666 - 667)
  • Volume 353: Cumulative Table of Cases Connecticut Reports
  • Volume 236: Connecticut Appellate Reports (Pages 269 - 357)
  • Volume 236: Memorandum Decisions (Pages 903 - 904)
  • Volume 236: Cumulative Table of Cases Connecticut Appellate Reports
  • Miscellaneous Notices


Civil Procedure Appellate Court Opinion

   by Agati, Taryn

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6557

AC47591 - Deutsche Bank AG v. Sebastian Holdings, Inc. ("The plaintiff, Deutsche Bank AG, brought this action against the defendants, Sebastian Holdings, Inc. (SHI), and Alexander Vik, seeking to enforce an approximately $243 million foreign judgment (English judgment) rendered against SHI by an English court and to pierce the corporate veil of SHI in order to hold Vik personally liable for that judgment. The trial court, applying the substantive law of Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), rendered judgment in favor of the defendants, and our Supreme Court affirmed that judgment. See Deutsche Bank AG v. Sebastian Holdings, Inc., 346 Conn. 564, 604, 294 A.3d 1 (2023).Thereafter, the trial court denied the defendants' postjudgment motions seeking approximately $11.5 million in prevailing party attorney's fees incurred in defense of this action, concluding that the issue of attorney's fees was a procedural matter governed by Connecticut law, which does not permit the recovery of such fees in this case. On appeal, the defendants claim that the court erred in denying their motions because the issue of whether they are entitled to attorney's fees is governed by TCI law. We disagree and, accordingly, affirm the judgment of the trial court.")


Employment Law Appellate Court Opinion

   by Carey, Sean

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6556

AC46461 - Long v. Putnam (“The plaintiff, Cassie Long, appeals from the summary judgment rendered by the trial court in favor of the defendant, the town of Putnam, on her complaint sounding in pregnancy and gender discrimination in violation of the Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act (act), General Statutes § 46a-51 et seq. On appeal, the plaintiff claims that the court incorrectly determined that there were no genuine issues of material fact as to each of her claims. Because we agree that there are genuine issues of material fact as to the plaintiff’s claim of pregnancy discrimination, we reverse the judgment of the court as to that claim. We decline to reach the merits of the plaintiff’s claim that the court improperly rendered summary judgment on her gender discrimination claim as the claim was inadequately briefed. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the court with respect to her gender discrimination claim.”)


Habeas Supreme Court Opinion

   by Townsend, Karen

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6555

SC21018 - Brewer v. Commissioner of Correction (“On appeal, the petitioner claims that the Appellate Court improperly affirmed the judgment of the habeas court. After examining the entire record on appeal and considering the briefs and oral arguments of the parties, we have determined that the appeal should be dismissed on the ground that certification was improvidently granted. The appeal is dismissed.”)


Foreclosure Law Appellate Court Opinion

   by Zigadto, Janet

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6553

AC48113 - Bordiere v. Chandler ("In this mortgage foreclosure action, the plaintiff, Patricia K. Bordiere, appeals from the judgment of the trial court rendered in favor of the defendant Patrani J. Chandler. On appeal, the plaintiff claims that the court erred in (1) finding in favor of the defendant on her special defense of promissory estoppel and (2) not finding that the oral agreement on which the defendant relied in discontinuing her payments on the mortgage was unenforceable under the statute of frauds. We disagree and affirm the judgment of the trial court.")


Land Use Law Appellate Court Opinion

   by Zigadto, Janet

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6552

AC47532 - Sargent v. Zoning Board of Appeals ("The plaintiff, Gregory Sargent, appeals from the judgment of the trial court dismissing his appeal from the decision of the defendant, the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Town of Fairfield (board), which upheld the issuance of a certificate of zoning compliance by the town's zoning enforcement officer to the intervening defendants, Barbara Bertozzi Castelli and Jose Meller, as trustees of the BBC Revocable Trust. On appeal, the plaintiff claims that the court incorrectly concluded that a variance that had been granted to the intervening defendants in 2011 properly was considered in calculating the maximum building height of the intervening defendants' proposed residence. We disagree and, accordingly, affirm the judgment of the trial court.")


Criminal Law Appellate Court Opinion

   by Greenlee, Rebecca

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6554

AC47513 - State v. Marcus ("The defendant, Alphonso Marcus, appeals from the judgment of conviction, rendered after a trial to the court, of assault of a correctional officer in violation of General Statutes § 53a-167c. On appeal, the defendant claims that there was insufficient evidence to support his conviction because there was no evidence that he caused physical injury. Specifically, he challenges the court’s finding that the correctional officer suffered any physical injury. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.")


Connecticut Law Journal - November 4, 2025

   by Agati, Taryn

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6549

The Connecticut Law Journal, Volume LXXXVII, No. 19, for November 4, 2025 is now available.

  • Table of Contents
  • Volume 353: Orders (Pages 917 - 921)
  • Volume 353: Cumulative Table of Cases Connecticut Reports
  • Volume 236: Connecticut Appellate Reports (Pages 168 - 269)
  • Volume 236: Memorandum Decisions (Pages 901 - 903)
  • Volume 236: Cumulative Table of Cases Connecticut Appellate Reports
  • Miscellaneous Notices
  • Supreme Court Pending Cases


Criminal Law Appellate Court Opinion

   by Agati, Taryn

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6546

AC47193 - State v. Jordan ("The defendant, Zyron Amir Jordan, appeals from the judgments of the trial court finding him in violation of probation under General Statutes § 53a-32. On appeal, the defendant principally claims that there was insufficient evidence that he violated his probation. We disagree with this claim. However, because we conclude that one of the two grounds on which the court found the defendant in violation of his probation was not supported by sufficient evidence, and because we cannot be confident that this error did not impact the sentences it imposed, we set aside the defendant's sentences and remand the matter for resentencing.")


Contract Law Appellate Court Opinion

   by Steinmetz, Mollie

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6547

AC 47341 - Bay Advance, LLC v. Halajian (“The self-represented defendant, Barry Stuart Halajian, doing business as Industrial Electric Company, appeals from the judgment of the trial court granting a motion to enforce a settlement agreement filed by the plaintiff, Bay Advance, LLC. On appeal, the defendant claims that the court improperly determined that the parties had entered into an enforceable settlement agreement. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.”)


Habeas Appellate Court Opinions

   by Townsend, Karen

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6548

AC47784 - Gray v. Commissioner of Correction (“The petitioner claims that the court improperly concluded that he is not entitled to relief from his 2019 conviction for possession of narcotics with intent to sell in violation of General Statutes § 21a-277 (a), based on the state’s failure to disclose to him certain impeachment evidence concerning one of the state’s key witnesses at his criminal trial, because it incorrectly determined that such undisclosed evidence was not ‘‘material either to guilt or to punishment,’’ as required to prove a due process violation under the test set forth in Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 87, 83 S. Ct. 1194, 10 L. Ed. 2d 215 (1963). We disagree and, accordingly, affirm the judgment of the habeas court.”)

AC47894 - Smith v. Commissioner of Correction (“After a hearing, the habeas court dismissed the petition for failure to demonstrate good cause to excuse the late filing of the petition. The petitioner filed a petition for certification to appeal, which the court denied. On appeal, the petitioner claims, inter alia, that his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance. However, the petitioner has failed to allege or demonstrate that the habeas court abused its discretion in denying the petition for certification to appeal, and, accordingly, we dismiss his appeal. See Goguen v. Commissioner of Correction, 341 Conn. 508, 523, 267 A.3d 831 (2021) (‘although the burden of obtaining appellate review of the threshold question under [Simms v. Warden, 229 Conn. 178, 640 A.2d 601 (1994)] and its progeny is minimal, the petitioner must at least allege that the habeas court abused its discretion in denying the petition for certification to appeal’ (emphasis in original)); see also Goguen v. Commissioner of Correction, supra, 524 (‘‘there is no exception to the requirement that a habeas petitioner must expressly allege that the habeas court abused its discretion in denying the petition for certification to appeal when the petitioner is self-represented’’). The appeal is dismissed.”)

AC47290 - Pagan v. Smith (“In the criminal matter underlying this habeas corpus action, the petitioner, Ricardo Pagan, was found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect after an uncontested trial at which the state agreed not to oppose the petitioner’s claim that he lacked substantial capacity to control his conduct within the requirements of the law. See General Statutes § 53a-13 (a). In his amended petition for a writ of habeas corpus (amended petition), the petitioner alleged that his counsel from a prior habeas action (first habeas action), Justine Miller, rendered ineffective assistance by, inter alia, failing to raise certain claims concerning the alleged failure of his criminal trial counsel, Mary Haselkamp, to advise him of the consequences of pursuing a defense of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. Following the granting of his petition for certification to appeal, the petitioner appeals from the judgment of the second habeas court denying in part his amended petition. On appeal, the petitioner claims that the court erred by (1) concluding that Miller did not render ineffective assistance, and (2) declining to address certain aspects of his claim that Miller provided ineffective assistance. We reverse in part the judgment of the habeas court.”)


Connecticut Law Journal - October 28, 2025

   by Agati, Taryn

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6544

The Connecticut Law Journal, Volume LXXXVII, No. 18, for October 28, 2025 is now available.

  • Table of Contents
  • Volume 353: Orders (Pages 912 - 917)
  • Volume 353: Cumulative Table of Cases Connecticut Reports
  • Volume 236: Connecticut Appellate Reports (Pages 11 - 166)
  • Volume 236: Memorandum Decisions (Pages 901 - 901)
  • Volume 236: Cumulative Table of Cases Connecticut Appellate Reports
  • Miscellaneous Notices
  • Notices of Connecticut State Agencies


Insurance Law Appellate Court Opinion

   by Steinmetz, Mollie

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6542

AC 46782 - Krausman v. Liberty Mutual Ins. Co (“The plaintiff, Donna Krausman, appeals from the judgment of the trial court in this insurance coverage dispute. The plaintiff claims that the court improperly (1) granted a motion to bifurcate and stay discovery filed by the defendant, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, (2) denied her motion for an order of compliance, and (3) rendered judgment in favor of the defendant on counts three and four of the operative complaint. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.”)


Criminal Law Appellate Court Opinion

   by Agati, Taryn

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6541

AC47223 - State v. Britto ("The defendant, David Britto, appeals from the judgment of conviction, rendered after a jury trial, of sexual assault in the first degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-70 (a) (1), unlawful restraint in the first degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-95 (a), and assault in the third degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-61 (a) (1). On appeal, the defendant claims that the trial court (1) inadequately canvassed him to determine whether his waiver of his right to counsel was knowing, voluntary and intelligent, and (2) violated his due process rights, including his right to present a defense, when it denied his request for a continuance to obtain a DNA expert. We agree with the defendant's first claim and, accordingly, reverse the judgment of the trial court.")


Attorney Discipline Law Appellate Court Opinions

   by Agati, Taryn

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6540

AC47336 - Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel v. Vaccaro ("In this presentment action, the petitioner, the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel, appeals from the judgment of the trial court ordering certain funds to be disbursed to the respondent attorney, Enrico Vaccaro, from his interest on lawyers' trust account (IOLTA account) following an audit of that account by the Statewide Grievance Committee (grievance committee). On appeal, the petitioner claims that the court erred in (1) determining that there was sufficient evidence in the record to support its conclusion that the funds at issue were fees earned by the respondent and should be returned to him, and (2) concluding that it failed to prove that the funds at issue should escheat to the State of Connecticut, Office of the Treasurer's Unclaimed Property Division. We agree and, accordingly, reverse the judgment of the trial court.")

AC47495 - Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel v. Vena ("The present appeal arises out of a reciprocal disciplinary proceeding commenced pursuant to Practice Book § 2-39 by the petitioner, the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel, against the respondent, John D. Vena II, after his suspension from the practice of law in Virginia for five years for engaging in the unauthorized practice of law. The respondent appeals from the judgment of the trial court, which entered a commensurate order suspending the respondent from the practice of law in Connecticut for five years.

The respondent claims on appeal that the trial court (1) lacked authority to suspend him for five years pursuant to Practice Book § 2-39 because he was not a member of the Virginia bar and, therefore, the discipline was not reciprocal, (2) erred by concluding that he failed to establish a defense to reciprocal discipline under § 2-39, and (3) abused its discretion by imposing a five year suspension in Connecticut pursuant to § 2-39 because the misconduct that occurred in Virginia warrants different discipline in Connecticut. 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=6539

AC47034 - Lisboa v. Commissioner of Correction (“On appeal, the petitioner claims that the court (1) abused its discretion in denying his petition for certification to appeal, (2) incorrectly concluded that he failed to establish good cause within the meaning of § 52-470 (e) for his late filed petition, and (3) improperly denied his request for appointed counsel for the good cause hearing. We dismiss the appeal.”)

AC46901 - White v. Commissioner of Correction (Conviction of home invasion; conspiracy to commit burglary; robbery in the first degree; tampering with a witness; “He claims on appeal that the court improperly (1) denied his freestanding constitutional claim asserting, pursuant to McCoy v. Louisiana, 584 U.S. 414, 138 S. Ct. 1500, 200 L. Ed. 2d 821 (2018), that his criminal trial counsel violated his right to client autonomy under the sixth amendment to the United States constitution by effectively conceding the petitioner’s guilt to the conspiracy to commit burglary charge during closing argument without obtaining his consent to do so and despite his desire to maintain his innocence; (2) concluded that his criminal trial counsel did not provide ineffective assistance by (a) conceding the petitioner’s guilt during closing argument and/or failing to object to the prosecutor’s characterization of that concession during rebuttal closing argument; (b) failing to attack adequately the credibility of one of the petitioner’s alleged coconspirators, Trayvon Dunning, during Dunning’s cross-examination, or to object to the admission into evidence of an unredacted copy of a cooperation agreement between Dunning and the state in exchange for Dunning’s testimony against the petitioner; (c) failing to seek the dismissal of all charges on the ground that the state had monitored and recorded his prison telephone calls while the petitioner was self-represented and failing to seek to suppress the state’s use of such recordings; and (d) failing to object to the trial court’s canvass regarding his waiver of his right to self-representation; and (3) excluded as irrelevant Dunning’s proffered testimony that the gun used during the commission of the underlying crimes was fake. For the reasons that follow, we reject the petitioner’s claims and affirm the judgment of the habeas court.”)


Juvenile Law Appellate Court Slip Opinion

   by Greenlee, Rebecca

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6537

AC48481 - In re Austin C. ("The respondent mother, Fatima C., appeals from the judgment 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 child, Austin C. (Austin). On appeal, the respondent claims that the court erred in determining that the Department of Children and Families (department) made reasonable efforts to reunify her with Austin. We disagree and, accordingly, affirm the judgment of the trial court.")


Connecticut Law Journal - October 21, 2025

   by Agati, Taryn

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6536

The Connecticut Law Journal, Volume LXXXVII, No. 17, for October 21, 2025 is now available.

  • Table of Contents
  • Volume 353: Orders (Pages 908 - 912)
  • Volume 353: Cumulative Table of Cases Connecticut Reports
  • Volume 235: Connecticut Appellate Reports (Pages 774 - 889)
  • Volume 235: Memorandum Decisions (Pages 906 - 908)
  • Volume 235: Cumulative Table of Cases Connecticut Appellate Reports
  • Volume 236: Connecticut Appellate Reports (Pages 1 - 10)
  • Volume 236: Cumulative Table of Cases Connecticut Appellate Reports
  • Miscellaneous Notices
  • Notices of Connecticut State Agencies


Property Law Appellate Court Opinion

   by Zigadto, Janet

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6534

AC46314 - Maefair Health Care Center, Inc. v. Noka ("The plaintiff, Maefair Health Care Center, Inc., appeals from the judgment of the trial court denying its application for a prejudgment remedy filed against Susan Noka, the conservator of the person and estate of Patricia N. Erts. On appeal, the plaintiff claims, inter alia, that the court incorrectly concluded that General Statutes § 52-278a did not permit the plaintiff to attach the decedent's interest in certain real property. We agree and reverse the judgment of the court.")


Family Law Appellate Court Opinion

   by Townsend, Karen

 https://jud.ct.gov/lawlib/LawLibNews/Posts/Post.aspx?Id=6533

AC46484 - Netter v. Netter (Dissolution of marriage; equitable distribution pursuant to § 46b-81; spendthrift trusts; Connecticut Qualified Dispositions in Trust Act § 45a-487j et seq. “On appeal, the defendant claims that the court improperly (1) treated trust assets from four separate trusts as marital property under General Statutes § 46b-812 and ordered the defendant to make a lump sum property distribution to the plaintiff using funds from those trusts, (2) calculated his earning capacity and relied on that ‘astronomical’ calculation to set ‘unachievable child support and alimony orders,’ (3) ordered the defendant to secure and maintain a $5,000,000 life insurance policy, (4) ordered the defendant to pay $3,300,000 in attorney’s fees to the plaintiff, (5) valued the assets within the marital estate, including, but not limited to, the trust assets, (6) faulted him for the breakdown of the marriage and awarded the plaintiff sole legal custody of the parties’ two, then minor, children, and (7) issued a vague and imprecise order that allows the plaintiff unrestricted access to the parties’ former marital residence in order to retrieve her personal property in violation of his constitutional rights. Because we conclude that the court improperly determined that trust assets from one of the four trusts—i.e., the spend-thrift trust the defendant’s father created for the defendant’s benefit, prior to the marriage—constituted divisible marital property, and ordered the defendant to make distributions to the plaintiff from that trust, we reverse the judgment of the trial court with respect to all the financial orders and remand this case for a new trial on all financial issues consistent with this opinion, with the exception of the personal property distribution order that gives rise to the property access order. We affirm the judgment of the court as to the custody order insofar as it pertains to the parties’ remaining minor child and as to the property access order.”)