THE HARTFORD COURANT REPORTS THAT A SINGLE DETERMINED LITIGANT BROUGHT DOWN THE NOMINATION OF A JUDICIAL CANDIDATE FOR REAPPOINTMENT!

According to The Hartford Courant:

 

"Gov. Dannel P. Malloy took the unusual step Friday of withdrawing a judicial nomination after allegations were raised about the jurist's temperament. Thomas F. Parker of Niantic currently serves as a state referee, overseeing civil cases in the New London judicial district. But at a Jan. 16 hearing before the legislature's judiciary committee on his reappointment to another seven-year term, lawmakers quizzed Parker for almost 90 minutes about a series of allegations made by a plaintiff in a civil matter. The plaintiff, Sylvester Traylor is African American; he accused Parker of racial bias. He said Parker mocked his manner of speaking, inappropriately detained his attorney and, at one point, grabbed his wrist. "It is my contention that Judge Parker committed a civil rights violation against me by reaching into the witness box and grabbing my wrist, then asking me if I felt intimidated by him,'' Traylor wrote in documents submitted to the judiciary committee. Parker, 79, could not be reached for comment on Saturday. But when asked during the hearing about the allegations contained in the documents, he flatly rejected Traylor's assertions. "I have no bias against him because of his race,'' Parker told lawmakers. Rep. Minnie Gonzalez, D-Hartford, pressed Parker, asking him to explain why he grabbed Traylor's wrist.  "It didn't occur,'' Parker responded. At one point, the questioning grew sharper and Parker repeatedly interrupted Gonzalez. That prompted a warning from Rep. William Tong, co-chairman of the committee. "It's clear Judge Parker that there are going to be some questions from members of the committee about your nomination,'' said Tong, D-Stamford. "Rep. Gonzalez has the right and prerogative to ask you those questions. It would be great if you would give her the opportunity...and not answer preemptively and not try to react to her questions." He also reminded Gonzalez to give Parker time to respond. Throughout the day on Friday, while the committee was holding a series of hearings on other judicial nominees as well as appointees to the board of pardons and paroles, there were discussions over the fate of Parker's nomination behind closed doors. The governor's office ultimately opted to pull the appointment. "While Judge Parker has been a dedicated public servant, we have opted to withdraw his nomination," spokesman Devon Puglia said. He did not provide additional details. Sen. Gary Winfield, a member of the committee, said lawmakers reviewed the documents provided by Traylor. "There were some general concerns about the way [Parker] engages with people in court,'' he said. But Winfield, a Democrat from New Haven, said lawmakers had to balance those concerns with the positive aspects of Parker's long career. "The man has done a lot of good if you look at his record," Winfield said, citing Parker's pro bono work (Parker has not accepted a salary for the past five years.) Parker graduated from Hall High School in West Hartford and studied chemistry at Fordham University in New York. After a stint in the U.S. Army, he attended the University of Connecticut Law School and obtained his law degree in 1962, the same year he was admitted to the Connecticut Bar.  Former Gov. William A. O'Neill appointed Judge Parker to the bench in December 1990. During his 12 years on the bench, Parker has served at courthouses in Bristol, Hartford, Waterbury, New Britain, New London, and Middletown. In 2002, he was appointed the state's Deputy Chief Court Administrator. "Judge Parker has given tremendous service to our state for decades,'' Tong said Saturday. "He was known to be a very able, thoughtful and committed jurist."

 

Also on Friday, the judiciary committee approved the following nominees to the state Superior Court: Bernadette Conway of North Haven, Stephen F. Frazzini of West Hartford, 
Edward C. Graziani of Ellington and Earl B. Richards, III of Woodbridge. The following state referees were also approved: Taggart D. Adams of Wilton, Elizabeth A. Gallagher of Litchfield and Arthur A. Hiller of Shelton. The nominations now move to the full House and Senate for consideration.

               

Courant Capitol Bureau Chief Christopher Keating contributed to this report. 

 

For a direct link to The Hartford Courant article, please clink on the link below:

 

http://www.courant.com/politics/capitol-watch/hc-connecticut-judicial-nominee-withdrawn-20150124-story.html