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Showing posts with label CT LAW TRIBUNE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CT LAW TRIBUNE. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN CT HAS TIME TO INVESTIGATE BANKS, BUT PREFERS TO IGNORE FAMILY COURT ADA VIOLATIONS! SEE CT LAW TRIBUNE ARTICLE!

When Elizabeth A. Richter approached Attorney John Hughes of the U.S. Attorney's Office regarding ADA violations in CT's Family Court system, she was told they had no time or resources to investigate such incidents.  But they seem to have time and resources to investigate banks as Megan Spicer of The CT Law Tribune reports below.  Isn't it somewhat hypocritical  of the U.S. Attorney's Office to expect private businesses to obey ADA law when it ignores ADA violations within its own profession?  See for yourself in the following article:

"The U.S. Attorney's Office and Waterbury-based Webster Bank have reached a settlement in an Americans with Disabilities Act dispute stemming from a complaint by a deaf customer.

The complaint alleged that the bank refused to accept a call from the deaf customer using a video relay service, or VRS. The service allows a hearing-impaired person to communicate via video, using a sign language interpreter. The deaf person uses sign language to communicate with the interpreter via a webcam, phone or tablet. The interpreter then verbally conveys the message over a phone to the other caller..."

Read more: 


http://www.ctlawtribune.com/id=1202743621095/ConnBased-Bank-Settles-Claim-That-It-Discriminated-Against-Deaf-Customers#ixzz3t4RvazJt

Monday, November 30, 2015

CT LAW TRIBUNE REPORTS THAT GAL TRAINING HAS BEEN HALTED!

The CT Law Tribune reports as follows:

"Any attorneys who would like to add guardian ad litem work to their practice need to undergo training first, but the state hasn't offered it in two years and no new trainings are scheduled.

Attorney Tracey Russo, who has an office in Orange, said she would like to be a GAL, and has been trying unsuccessfully to take the required training class for about three years. A GAL represents the interests of children in family court matters, including custody, care, support, education and visitation.

 "I think parents are looking for there to be more guardians ad litem to choose from," Russo said. "I have been trying to do this for years. If you are going to require training, you should have training at reasonable intervals..."

Read more:


http://www.ctlawtribune.com/id=1202743088535/Court-System-Puts-Guardian-Ad-Litem-Training-Sessions-on-Hold#ixzz3t0r7roKB

Monday, September 28, 2015

THE CT LAW TRIBUNE REPORTS SUPREME COURT GIVES CT CHILDREN THE RIGHT TO SUE FOR LOSS OF CONSORTIUM!

Christopher Nolan of the "CT Law Tribune" reports as follows:


"Plaintiffs' lawyers have a new weapon in their arsenal. The state Supreme Court, in a split decision, has ruled that Connecticut children have the right to sue for loss of consortium in personal injury cases. Previously, only spouses were eligible to collect such damages.

The court, in overturning a 27-year-old precedent, reasoned that there was a "unique emotional attachment" between parents and children, and that the grown-ups provide "critically important services" to their offspring.

The Sept. 28 ruling comes in the case of a West Haven family. The father of three children, Jose Campos, was struck and killed while riding a bicycle in September 2008. The family won more than $2 million in a wrongful death lawsuit. However, the children also sought loss of consortium damages but the trial judge dismissed the claim, citing a 1998 state Supreme Court decision that declined to recognize such claims.

"[W]e agree that the unique emotional attachment between parents and children, the importance of ensuring the continuity of the critically important services that parents provide to their children, society's interest in the continued development of children as contributing members of society, and the public policies in favor of compensating innocent parties and deterring wrongdoing provide compelling reasons to recognize such a cause of action," Justice Richard Palmer wrote for the majority's ruling..."


Read more: 

http://www.ctlawtribune.com/id=1202738402328/Breaking-With-Precedent-Conn-Court-Allows-Children-to-Make-Loss-of-Consortium-Claims#ixzz3n5iotNaw

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

CT LAW TRIBUNE REPORTS THE CT DOJ IS MAKING SURE CT HOTELS ARE ADA COMPLIANT!

Michelle Tuccitto Sullo of the CT Law Tribune reports as follows:
 
"In the 25 years since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, many public buildings like schools and courthouses have been upgraded to be accessible to those with disabilities. But the law also extends to "places of public accommodation" such as hotels, and federal officials have been pushing in recent months to make hotels around the state accessible too.

The U.S. Attorney's Office recently announced that Comfort Inn & Suites on East Main Street in Meriden had entered into a voluntary agreement in which the hotel's owners agree to make several improvements to bring the facility into compliance with the ADA.

Thomas Carson, a spokesman for the office, said its investigation of the hotel stemmed from a citizen complaint.

Investigators did a compliance review at the hotel in March. Because the August agreement was reached with the company, Ekta Meshva Hospitality of Connecticut, doing business as Comfort Inn & Suites, the government decided against pursuing civil litigation.

U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly said the hotel is in the process of making changes, including improvements to rooms, public areas and the parking lot. The improvements will continue over the next 18 months.

The changes to the hotel rooms include seats and additional grab bars in the showers and adjusted showerheads, for example. The parking lot will be restriped. The breakfast area will be staffed with an attendant during the breakfast hours to assist any disabled persons, and a sign will be displayed to let guests know such assistance is available, according to the agreement..."


Read more: 

http://www.ctlawtribune.com/id=1202736199289/Conn-Hotels-Are-Focus-of-ADA-Enforcement-by-US-Attorneys-Office#ixzz3kbOh0Lxn

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

CT LAW TRIBUNE REPORTS NEW LAW WILL REQUIRE TESTING OF RAPE KITS WITHIN 10 DAYS!


"The evidence collected from a victim after a sexual assault can yield key information for investigators, yet a survey of police around the state last fall revealed there were hundreds of untested sexual assault evidence kits kept in storage.

Starting on Oct. 1, a new state law will require police to transfer these evidence kits within 10 days for laboratory analysis and DNA testing. Once received, the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory has 60 days to analyze and process the evidence. Under current state law, there are no deadlines for submitting or analyzing the kits.

These changes mean there will likely be more identification of offenders, including serial offenders, according to Deborah Heinrich, director of public policy and communication with the East Hartford-based Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services, or CONNSACS. "Each kit represents a victim waiting for justice, and we would like to see them have that opportunity," Heinrich said..."



Read more: 


http://www.ctlawtribune.com/id=1202735657293/New-Law-Expected-to-Boost-Sex-Assault-Prosecutions#ixzz3jxJWbSyA

Saturday, August 22, 2015

CT LAW TRIBUNE ADDRESSES THE ISSUE OF WHETHER FORMER CLIENTS CAN GET THEIR FILES BACK FROM ATTORNEYS!


Mark Dubois of the CT Law Tribune reports as follows:

"Clients fire lawyers and vice versa. The rub comes when the former client wants the file and the lawyer won't give it up. Sometimes it relates to outstanding fees, other times, hurt feelings are at the core of the dispute. Sorting out who owns what can be tricky. A recent American Bar Association opinion tried to offer some guidance..."

Read more: 


http://www.ctlawtribune.com/id=1202735043564/Mark-Dubois-Clients-Can-Reclaim-Much-of-Whats-In-Their-Files#ixzz3jY6cUGrn

Thursday, July 23, 2015

CT LAW TRIBUNE REPORTS: ATTORNEY LOREDANA NESCI, "LEGAL DIVA", KILLED IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INCIDENT!

According to The CT Law Tribune:

"A Meriden native who worked at two Connecticut law firms before moving to California and starring in a reality television show has died. Police say Loredana Nesci, who billed herself as the "Legal Diva," was found dead Wednesday in the Redondo Beach, California, home she shared with her longtime boyfriend and father of her child.

The man, Robert Reagan, 51, was questioned by officers and then charged with the homicide, according to published reports. "This just highlights how serious domestic violence is. You never expect to get this call," Sal Nesci, the attorney's brother and a Meriden police lieutenant, told the Meriden Record-Journal newspaper..."

Read more: 

http://www.ctlawtribune.com/id=1202732888305/Former-Conn-Lawyer-Who-Starred-in-Reality-TV-Show-Killed-in-California#ixzz3gkhIUu8h

Friday, July 17, 2015

CT LAW TRIBUNE OP-ED: MICHELLE CRUZ, FORMER CT VICTIM'S ADVOCATE ALSO QUESTIONS JUDGE PINKUS HANDLING OF RESTRAINING ORDER!

Attorney Michelle Cruz states as follows:

"Obtaining a restraining order is not easy for a victim of abuse. Many times it takes weeks, months or even years for the victim to muster the courage and strength to ask the courts to protect her from an abusive partner. The victim often struggles with fears of trusting the courts and the terror of the offender's reaction when he finds out that a restraining order has been sought. Sadly, for Adrianna Oyola, when she applied for protection, she was let down by the court.

Oyola is only 19 years old. She filled out an affidavit for a restraining order on June 17. She alleged that Tony Moreno, the father of 7-month-old Aaden, threatened to take the boy and make him disappear. She said she was afraid Moreno would hurt the child, who was ultimately killed when Moreno threw him off a bridge. Oyola said Moreno threatened to kill her and she was afraid to sleep.

During a June 29 hearing on the request for the restraining order, Superior Court Judge Barry Pinkus never asked Oyola for details of her allegations related to the father's threats or concerns for the child's safety. Rather, the judge glossed over the specifics, instead inquiring about the time frame of encounters between Moreno and Oyola. Had the judge asked specifically why Oyola was afraid for the baby's safety, perhaps he would have better understood the victim's concerns and not dismissed them as a "custody dispute."..."


Read more: 


http://www.ctlawtribune.com/id=1202732500715/Michelle-Cruz-Judge-Asked-Wrong-Questions-to-Babys-Abused-Mother#ixzz3gBmc1vhP

Monday, June 8, 2015

CT LAW TRIBUNE REPORTS ATTORNEY ARRESTED FOR DEFRAUDING A MILITARY VETERAN!

Journalist Michelle Tuccitto Sullo of "The Connecticut Law Tribune" reports as follows:

"An attorney who was acting as a conservator for a military veteran has been arrested and charged with stealing about $68,000 from the now-deceased client by apparently making hundreds of unauthorized payments to himself. Andrew F. Bonito Jr., 56, of Cheshire, was arraigned in Superior Court in New Britain on June 5, following his arrest on a warrant on one count of first-degree larceny, a felony.

The law license of Bonito, who practiced law in New Britain and later from his Cheshire home, is inactive, apparently due to health reasons..."


Read more: 


http://www.ctlawtribune.com/id=1202728705438/Attorney-Arrested-After-Alleged-Theft-From-Military-Veteran-Client#ixzz3cWffwkZg

U.S. SUPREME COURT DECISION MAY HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON TED TAUPIER CASE!

According to Michelle Tuccitto Sullo of "The CT Law Tribune":

"A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in which the justices threw out a man's conviction for making threatening comments about his wife on Facebook is already having an impact in Connecticut.
Closing arguments in the trial of a man accused of threatening a family court judge via email had been scheduled for June 2. However, in light of the June 1 ruling in Elonis v. United States, Middletown Superior Court Judge David Gold granted a continuance in the Connecticut case to June 23. Torrington attorney Rachel Baird, who represents Edward Taupier, of Cromwell, said the continuance will give her an opportunity to file a brief on how the national ruling impacts her client's case. Taupier, 50, faces charges of threatening, disorderly conduct and breach of peace in connection with comments he allegedly made in an August 2014 email about Judge Elizabeth Bozzuto, the state's chief administrative judge for family matters.



"It is my position that the Elonis case will have a tremendous impact on Taupier's case," Baird said. The high court ruling states that "there must be a showing that a person intentionally made a statement to threaten, not that they made a statement and a person felt threatened."

"Otherwise, people will have to be very careful about what they say, because someone might take it the wrong way," Baird said.

Baird said her brief will cover the issue of what the prosecution must prove about her clients mental state in order to convict him of threatening. She said the prosecution must show that Taupier intended to threaten the judge and wasn't just being reckless with his words..."

Read more: 


http://www.ctlawtribune.com/id=1202728420037/Man-Accused-of-Threatening-Conn-Judge-Cites-New-Supreme-Court-Ruling-in-Defense#ixzz3cRitFw1v

Monday, June 1, 2015

CT STATE LEGISLATURE APPROVES FAST-TRACK DIVORCE!

Special Note:  I probably should have reported on this sooner.  However, it is so frustrating to see a frivolous bill like this pass while Bill #5505 for which there was a vital need was simply ignored.  So I was too busy rolling my eyeballs earlier in the month to post this info.
Ken Dixon of The CT Post reports as follows:
"Childless couples could agree to streamlined, amicable divorce settlements in just a few weeks under a bill approved in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
Currently, the fastest couples can legally split is about 90 days, but under the bill those married for fewer than eight years can have their unions dissolved in 30 days.
The bill passed the House by a 135-12 vote and was previously approved in the Senate. It next heads to the governor for his review. 
The bill would allow a couple to file a joint petition and meet 11 requirements, said Rep. William Tong, D-Stamford, co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee, who explained the legislation..."
For more on this interesting topic, please click on the link below:

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

DORI B. HIGHTOWER TALKS ABOUT ROLE OF FATHER'S POST DIVORCE IN CT LAW TRIBUNE!

"If I had one wish as a divorce lawyer, it would be this: to always be able to foster and protect the vital relationships between fathers and their children.

Recently, I spoke with a young woman exploring the pain she carries because her relationship with her father never regained its strength and closeness after her parents' divorce. She drew an analogy about the distance she felt from her father, comparing it to the feelings of Murphy in the movie "Interstellar." Murphy's father, Cooper, had missed her life while he was in outer space. She lived in pain believing her father had abandoned her. Likewise, divorce and separation between unmarried couples can be an agonizing and contentious ordeal, leaving separating spouses and their children emotionally bruised or estranged, often for life. The transition to post-marriage parenting can be particularly challenging and difficult for fathers..."

Read more:


http://www.ctlawtribune.com/id=1202727288452/Fathers-of-Divorce-Parenting-101-Realized#ixzz3bNvYX8wh

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

CT LAW TRIBUNE REPORTS LEGISLATORS READY TO EXTEND DEADLINES FOR MINORS SEEKING TO FILE LAWSUITS!

Connecticut is moving closer toward providing minors who have been injured with additional time to file lawsuits.

The Senate voted 24-10 on May 14 in favor of legislation that would allow a minor injured due to malpractice or negligence to bring action until age 19 or within seven years after the injury occurred.

Minors now have until age 18 or within two years after an injury to file a lawsuit.

The proposal has been opposed by health care providers and the Connecticut State Medical Society, which waged a campaign urging lawmakers to reject it. They contend the bill will lead to more medical malpractice claims, making it more expensive and more difficult for physicians to practice here.


The bill now moves to the House. It's backed by the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, which argues that it often takes more than a few years to fully diagnose the extent of injuries suffered by minors in accidents.

Sen. Eric Coleman, co-chair of the legislature's Judiciary Committee, said nearly all states have a similar provision.


Read more: 


http://www.ctlawtribune.com/id=1202726636711/Legislators-OK-Bill-Extending-Statute-of-Limitations-for-Minors-to-File-Lawsuits#ixzz3aYgMvf38

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

CT LAW TRIBUNE REPORTS ATTORNEY SENTENCED TO A YEAR IN PRISON IN CONNECTION TO MORTGAGE SCAM!

According to the CT Law Tribune,

"A West Hartford lawyer who took part in a $3.5 million mortgage fraud scheme has been sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, according to federal prosecutors.
Gabriel R. "Gabe" Serrano, 47, was sentenced May 8 by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson. He had previously pleaded guilty last August to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and bank fraud, a charge that carries a maximum prison term of 30 years, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, a charge that carries a sentence of up to 10 years. His law license has been suspended since late 2013..."



Read more: 


http://www.ctlawtribune.com/id=1202726103410/Attorney-Sentenced-to-Year-in-Prison-in-Mortgage-Scam#ixzz3a2KgXROa

Monday, April 27, 2015

REPORTING FOR THE CT LAW TRIBUNE, ISAAC AVILUCEA PROVIDES AN UPDATE ON THE FOY CASE!

Isaac Avilucea reports as follows:

"On March 20, 2014, state child welfare officials took three young children from the Simsbury home of two attorneys who were in the midst of a bitter divorce.

The Department of Children and Families had obtained an order of temporary custody even though there was no conclusive evidence that either parent had abused the youngsters, according to court documents. Now, more than a year later, the children remain in foster care.

That's the bare-bones outline of an unusual case working its way through the state's court system. It would, like most custody battles, be playing out in private but for a document erroneously placed on a public portion of the state Judicial Branch website last October..."



Read more: 


Wednesday, April 22, 2015

AP REPORTS VIA CT LAW TRIBUNE $3 MILLION AND A CHANGE IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LAW AFTER TRAGIC MURDER SUICIDE!

The Associated Press reports via the CT Law Tribune as follows:

"A Connecticut city where police officers and dispatchers were accused of negligence and ethnic discrimination in their response to what became a murder-suicide in 2010 has agreed to settle a lawsuit by the victim's family for $3 million.

The estate of Turkish immigrant Shengyl Rasim sued the city of West Haven, two police officers and two dispatchers in 2011. The estate's lawyer, Joel Faxon, of the Faxon Law Group in New Haven, said a settlement recently was reached and is pending probate court approval. The city did not admit any wrongdoing, he said.

Rasim, 25, was shot to death by her husband, Selami Ozdemir, 42, in the early morning hours of Jan. 17, 2010, just hours after he posted bail and got out of jail. He had been arrested the previous evening for a second domestic violence complaint against him in four months. Ozdemir then killed himself. The couple's two young children were home but weren't harmed..."

Read more:

Thursday, April 16, 2015

THE CT LAW TRIBUNE SPEAKS OUT IN REGARD TO EXCESSIVE FORCE BY POLICE!

In a recent editorial, The Connecticut Law Tribune stated as follows:

"We have a national excessive use of force problem in our law enforcement community. The onslaught of examples in the last nine months has moved this issue to the forefront. This is not a new issue, but our awareness is particularly heightened in light of the rapid dissemination of written and visual information. Our use of force problem isn't isolated to racially charged communities, although we are more likely to find excessive use of force in urban and large metropolitan areas where, not by coincidence, we are also likely to find minority communities. Use of force is endemic throughout our nation, including a small community in northern Connecticut, as evidenced by allegations reported in this paper as recently as Oct. 22, 2014."


NOTE:  I would say this issue affects persons of color and also very tragically individuals with disabilities, particularly those with development disabilities and mental health disabilities.

Read more at the link below: 


http://www.ctlawtribune.com/id=1202723729015/Editorial-Police-Excessive-Force-Complaints-a-National-Crisis#ixzz3XVFi3hMw

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

CT LAW TRIBUNE REPORTS THAT ATTORNEY JAILED FOR ATTACK ON WIFE FACES LOSS OF LICENSE!

According to the CT Law Tribune:


'Most times, we see this [disciplinary action] for mortgage fraud or something like that,' said an assistant disciplinary counsel. 'It's an odd case where you have a lawyer convicted of a violent crime.'

Read more:



http://www.ctlawtribune.com/id=1202722326585/Lawyer-Jailed-for-Wife-Attack-Faces-Loss-of-Law-License#ixzz3W5lYd13s