PLEASE NOTE: This blog is a bigotry free zone open to all persons, regardless of age, race, religion, color, national origin, sex, political affiliations, marital status, physical or mental disability, age, or sexual orientation. Further, this blog is open to the broad variety of opinions out there and will not delete any comments based upon point of view. However, comments will be deleted if they are worded in an abusive manner and show disrespect for the intellectual process.
Showing posts with label JOETTE KATZ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label JOETTE KATZ. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

THE GUTLESS CONNECTICUT LAW TRIBUNE EDITORIAL BOARD 2017! ANONYMOUS NO LONGER!

Joette Katz, Chair 
Robert Mitchell, Vice Chair

Members:

Proloy K. Das
Felice Duffy
Robert Farr
Eugene Fidell
Mary Galvin
Elizabeth Gilson
Rachel Goldberg
Wesley W. Horton
Jocelyn Kennedy
David King
Daniel J. Klau
James B. Lyon
Eugene Marconi
Sean McElligott
Dwight H. Merriam
Dennis C. Murphy
Alan Neigher
Louis R. Pepe
Michelle Querijero
Eugene Riccio
Thomas B. Scheffey
Mark Soboslai
James F. Sullivan
Cecil Thomas
Thomas J. Ullman
Diane Whitney
Steven Wizner

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

CT DCF FINDS 1 YEAR OLD BABY ABUSED AND STARVING, DOES NOTHING!

Josh Kovner of "The Hartford Courant" reports as follows:


"A scathing review by the child advocate of the near-starvation of a baby placed with relatives in Groton reveals "staggering failures and omissions" on the part of the Department of Children and Families, and raises doubts about DCF's decisions on child placements beyond this case.

A DCF social worker visited the boy, identified as Dallas C., on at least five occasions over 102 days between late July and late October 2015, but managed never to see Dallas awake, never roused him and never assessed what others who had contact with the family were calling the child's rapidly deteriorating health, according to the advocate's report, released Tuesday morning.

At one point, the social worker reported that he was "able to confirm that [the child] was indeed breathing," according to state Child Advocate Sarah Eagan's report..."

READ MORE:


http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-foster-care-dcf-child-abuse-1005-20161004-story.html

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

CT DCF FAILS THE NEEDS OF OVER HALF OF THE CHILDREN IN ITS CARE!

"Hartford – Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano (R-North Haven) released the following statement regarding the court monitor’s new report on the Department of Children & Families’ (DCF) compliance with federal-court orders. Sen. Fasano has previously proposed a series of DCF reforms and repeatedly asked DCF Commissioner Joette Katz to consider policy changes. He has also called for Commissioner Katz to resign following multiple reports citing systemic failures within the DCF system..."

READ MORE:

http://ctsenaterepublicans.com/2016/01/fasano-statement-on-court-monitors-report-renews-call-for-commissioner-katzs-resignation/

Friday, July 31, 2015

THE HARTFORD COURANT REPORTS ON FINANCIAL SHENANIGANS GOING ON AT CT DCF!

JACQUELINE RABE THOMAS  REPORTS AS FOLLOWS:


HARTFORD — A number of state employees at the Department of Children and Families routinely show up late for work and are still paid for a full day, state auditors reported Thursday.

The audit examined a sampling of 88 employees at four regional DCF offices and found that nearly a quarter were more than 10 minutes late 75 percent of the time.

"There is a serious lack of accountability over employee starting times. Employees appear to be compensated for time not worked," auditors John Geragosian and Robert Ward reported..."


READ MORE:

Friday, July 24, 2015

CT NEWS JUNKIE REPORTS THAT SENATOR LEN FASANO IS CALLING ON DCF COMMISSIONER JOETTE KATZ TO RESIGN!

Christine Stuart of "CT News Junkie" states as follows:
"Citing recent reports highlighting problems at DCF’s two locked facilities, Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano is calling on Department of Children and Families Commissioner Joette Katz to resign. 
“Commissioner Katz’s autocratic leadership and misplaced priorities have undermined the effectiveness of her agency, put children at risk, and eroded public trust,” Fasano said. “Recent reports, including the Child Advocate’s report released yesterday, highlight the disturbing reality of persistent issues within DCF including the abuse of children at DCF’s locked facilities, the agency’s failure to investigate many of these cases, and a continuous struggle to embrace transparency.”
Katz was one of Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s first appointments. Malloy plucked Katz from the Supreme Court bench and said her work experience — first as a public defender and then as a judge — leaves her well-prepared to lead a bureaucracy that has “too often failed our children.”
DCF’s chronic problems have bedeviled governors for decades..."
Read More:


Sunday, March 8, 2015

MICHAEL NOWACKI CONFRONTS COMMISSIONER KATZ ON HER REFUSAL TO DISCLOSE AS A PUBLIC OFFICIAL!

From: Michael Nowacki < mnowacki@aol.com>
To: jk.dcf < jk.dcf@ct.gov>; barbara.claire < barbara.claire@ct.gov>
Cc: david.sheldon < david.sheldon@usdoj.gov>; leonard.boyl < leonard.boyl@jud.ct.gov>; tj.jones < tj.jones@ct.gov>; colleen.murphy < colleen.murphy@ct.gov>; clifton.leonhardt < clifton.leonhardt@ct.gov>; diana.urban < diana.urban@cga.ct.gov>; dante.bartolomeo < dante.bartolomeo@cga.ct.gov>; claire.janowski < claire.janowski@cga.ct.gov>; bob.duff < bob.duff@cga.ct.gov>; mnowacki < mnowacki@aol.com>; minnie.gonzalez < minnie.gonzalez@cga.ct.gov>; corruptct < corruptct@gmail.com>
Sent: Sun, Mar 8, 2015 11:25 am
Subject: Request to inspect certain public records in the offices of Department of Children and Families as outlined herein
Commissioner Katz:                       

 

As a lawyer and former Supreme Court Justice, your appointment and confirmation to the highest court in the State, provided you a unique seat on the bench to have observed discussions in the legislature concerning the withholding of the release in 2006 of a decision by Supreme Court Chief Justice William Sullivan to what many believed  was withheld from "timely disclosure" of a court decision as a public record, to "improperly" influence the outcome of the confirmation hearings were being conducted in the fall of 2006 on the floor of the General Assembly for Supreme Court Justice Peter Zarella, who aspired to be SC Justice Sullivan's successor.  You concurred with a dissenting view of the case placed in the link below:
 
 
To "refresh your recollection" the failure of you and others to have timely released a "public record" as a court decision by majority of members of the "en banc" members of the Supreme Court on the above case resulted in a sanctioning of Chief Justice William Sullivan and the withdrawal by Governor Rell of the nomination of your fellow Justice of the Supreme Court at that point in time, Justice Peter Zarella. See the attached legal action filed naming Chief Justice Zarella, and the defendants as Senator Andrew Mcdonald and Representative Michael Lawlor:
 
 
In communications with Attorney Claire this week, you were asked to reflect on the "scandal" as described in the Hartford Courant in 2006..  Both  concurrence and dissenting opinions ), and to impact on the vote and nomination of Justice Peter Zarella's nomination to become Chief Justice Sullivan's  successor, I attach the link to the Judicial Review Council's findings:
 
 
Therefore, in light of your experiences as a former Supreme Court Justice, and presuming that you still maintain a unique level of well established legal acumen acquired over your years as a Justice of the Supreme Court, I find it "shocking beyond a reasonable doubt" and rising to the level of "wanton", "reckless" or "malicious" conduct as defined in C.G.S. 4-165 as an appointed public official as the Commissioner of DCF AND  as a licensed attorney in the State of Connecticut, that you would withhold the "timely" disclosure of the "clear and unambiguous" language of the Freedom of Information Act and its "open disclosure" public records compliance requirement, to have "knowingly and willfully" withheld the delivery of your in state and out of state expense reports in order to influence the vote on your scheduled re-appointment vote on the floor of the General Assembly to be conducted on Monday, March 9, 2015.
 
Haven't we seen this horror movie on the abuse of discretion by public officials in "Corrupticut" before, Commissioner Katz?
 
This communication is being delivered to both State of Connecticut and one federal official in the New Haven office of the U.S. Attorney Office, seeking federal intervention or State of Connecticut supervisory authority to seek an injunction to prevent the vote on the floor of the General Assembly, until which point in time, that there is complete compliance with the requests associated with the Freedom of Information requests sent to your attention via email or fax and email or to the email box of Attorney Barbara Claire.
 
Many who serve in the legislature are not aware that once your re-confirmation vote is conducted tomorrow, there is no authority which can command an appointed public official to "resign" from office while a matter of alleged public corruption is properly investigated.
 
Many in the legislature who sit in public office today in Connecticut were not even elected or sitting in public office since 2006, when you concurred on the dissenting 2006 Supreme Court opinion issued in the above link.
 
As having ruled on matters concerning what constitutes a "public record" and "public inspection" requirements of the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act, you certainly cannot deny that you are "reasonably aware of these laws,".  Neither the Freedom of Information Commission (as defined in the Freedom of Information Act) and the Office of State Ethics have no authority to "compel" you to disclose requested public records such as your in state or out of state expense reports be delivered for "public inspection",  before the re-appointment vote tomorrow.
 
I was refused a meeting by Attorney Claire to meet with her at the DCF offices which was requested on Friday, February 27, 2015 at your offices at 505 Hudson Street to discuss a defined "priority" to certain document disclosures on expense accounts which were not filed with the Office of State Ethics.
 
Commissioner Katz, It is my assertion in this email and in emails sent to Attorney Claire as your designated FOI compliance officer at your directive, that your refusal to provide public records, solely in your possession or in the possession of "our financial folks"  (this was the exact term used by Attorney Claire sent to me via email to me on the morning of Friday, February 27 ostensibly because on that date they were at the LOB on that date.
 
Despite a clearly articulated timetable provided to you on or about Monday, March 2, 2015 for the delivery of these expense reports of yours, for all in state and out of state expenses from the date of your administration of an oath of Office as DCF Commissioner until the date of compliance, sent to Attorney Claire via email on Thursday, February 26, which Attorney Claire acknowledged that she had "misunderstood" that this was a "new request" for compliance which initiated a new "good faith" delivery timetable from 30 days from February 26, 2015, there has not been ONE single expense reports provided to me via email or made available for "in person inspection" for scanning of those documents.
 
The purpose of this email is to archive and distribute  this email and my communications with Attorney Claire on your behalf since February 24, 2015 to ensure that it is the respondent to an FOI request who is responsible for the "in person" "public records" inspection in records which are in your possession.  This emails capture that Commissioner Katz is being alleged of misconduct as a public official. 
 
 Only you, and you alone, know what is in the expense reports which you have refused to release in any manner, including any partial compliance since my orginal letter was sent to you by fax at 11:59am on February 24 2015 .. 
 
What is only known as fact at this point in time, is that you have filed only one expense report with the Office of State Ethics, as required by law, while serving in your current capacity as DCF Chair.
 
Tomorrow morning, it is my intent to file electronically, with the Freedom of Information Commission, a detailed complaint seeking an emergency hearing be posted for a public hearing--as is my right defined in the First Amendment right "to petition the Government for redress of grievances.  This FOI complaint will be distributed along with this communications to members of the House of Representatives and Senate, whose chairs of cognizance are copied on this email.
 
There is little question that I could be tried and convicted in the court of public opinion  as a "vigilant citizen" on the "transparent operation" of government agencies through the application of the complaint process detailed in the language and decisional law cases to enforce the Freedom of Information Act, even applied to a former member of the Supreme Court, who is identified as Joette Katz, as the Commissioner of DCF.
 
Attorney Claire on February 25, 2015, sent me an email in which I was accused of engaging in "blackmail" of a public official whose resignation I sought for "undisclosed" conflicts of interest between your defined responsibilities as DCF Commissioner and your position as Chair of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune.  In not turning over the vendor contracts
 
When you elected to "refuse" (as is your prerogative) to resign from your position as the Chair of the Connecticut Law Tribune a copy of the attached letter was sent to the editors of the Connecticut Law Tribune, Jay Stapleton and Paul Sussman, to test the theory espoused in the email by Attorney Claire dated February 25, 2015 that there is no "business relationship" between the Connecticut Law Tribune's Chair and the "editors" of the Connecticut Law Tribune's Chair.  The CLT had the opportunity to print that letter on line, but chose not to do so.
 
Here is the link for the members of the Connecticut Law Tribune's Editorial Board:
 
 
There doesn't appear anyone who is on this list who I could readily identify who could be requested to provide documents requested between February 24, 2015 and the present.
 
Attorney Claire only sent the Microsoft Outlook calendars of Commissioner Katz from the first year of her appointment as DCF Commissioner in 2011, rather than the 2014-2015 calendars, is another example of an attempt to not disclose more recent Microsoft calendars which would capture how much time DCF Commissioner Katz was spending during "normal business hours" to her responsibilities as Chair of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune.
 
Judges meetings involving Commissioner Katz were conducted in 2011 with federal court Judge Droney with Plaintiffs (unnamed and highly unusual for a federal judge to meet with just one party, not both unless by agreement by both parties), Judges Keller (multiple meetings), Judge Knieren (multiple meetings), Judge Emons (at a Brueggers), Judge Borden (by then a trial judge referee), Judge Devlin (sp?) during a one year period.  I am aware of no statutory authority for a judge to order a DCF Commissioner to meet on any matter, but especially in a matter of legal dispute.
 
Noted on the Microsoft Outlook calendars at various times, a "quarterly meeting" to be conducted in Judge Keller's offices.  I such a meeting was governed by provisions of the "open meeting" provisions of the FOI Act, then there may be a claimed violation of the FOI Act if a public notice was not posted, minutes taken at such a meeting and publicly posted on the website.  Perhaps Attorney Claire can identify what "judiciary committee" Commissioner Katz served upon chaired by Judge Keller (who is now an Appellate Court judge)
 
Travel noted in 2011, included a trip to the American Bar Association meeting in July 2015.  It is this conference which was reported to the Office of State Ethics which contained no expenses declared or paid by any source in the report filed (attached).
 
Dinners and banquets attended in 2011 captured on the Microsoft Outlook Calendars sent by email to me capture planned attendance by Commissioner Katz, with the Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers at the Quinnipiac Club, a May 10 Bridgeport Bar Association banquet/dinner, a May 19, Norwalk/Stamford Bar Association meeting, and an April 6, Hartford County Bar Association meeting.  Since the expense reports of Commissioner Katz have not been produced as of the composition of this detailed email, there may or may not be "probable cause" established for OSE Attorney Thomas Jones to conduct a "probable cause" investigation for potential violations of the guidelines of OSE as to the necessity to have filed reports with the Office of State Ethics.
 
If dinners were paid for by any of these organizations, a "gift" declaration would have to have been filed.  DCF Commissioner Katz has not filed a single "gift" declaration form since she took her oath of office.
 
There was a mysterious redaction on the date of May 28, a Saturday of the start of Memorial Day weekend which has no definition of what was redacted.
 
There was also an attendance at a "New Canaan Task Force" meeting conducted on June 9, from 8:30-10am, which has no defined purpose for the attendance of Attorney Katz.  I have no information which can be gleaned.  I have not yet determined what New Canaan based Task Force which was to meet, unless it was a Board of Education related "committee meeting" which would be governed by "minutes" to be taken as an "open" meeting governed by the FOI Act.
 
There was also an unidentified meeting conducted by Commissioner Katz with the Peruvian Embassy, which contained no specific details.
 
Based upon just one year's (2011) cursory review of matters involving issues under the governance of the Freedom of Information Commission and alleged non-compliance when combined with the lack of disclosures of expense reports or gift forms with the Office of State Ethics, it is appropriate that the current Chairs of the Committees of cognizance (the Committee on Children as of January 7, 2015) and the Co-Chairs of the Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee and other representatives of public agencies of cognizance be copied on this detailed email based upon documents provided to me as of Friday, March 6 at 5pm.
 
In light of the "stonewalling" of certain documents by Attorney Claire of "requested timely compliance" of expense report documents which have been obstructed from delivery by DCF Commissioner Katz who had the responsibilities to have filed such expenses reimbursed to any budget funded by taxpayer funding, whether federal or state, I am seeking the Chairs of the Executive and Legislative Nomination Committee remove the name of Commissioner Joette Katz from the calendar for the General Assembly vote scheduled for Monday, March 9, until all relevant compliance has been delivered by Attorney Claire and Commissioner Katz.
 
Commissioner Katz has had no contact with me at any point in time in regards her "intent" to comply with the "timely document delivery requirements of the FOI Act.
 
As to whether the OSE has initiated or will initiate a "probable cause" investigation which can be initiated by OSE will not be known until all of the documents requested can be reviewed.
 
Therefore, for the above stated, well reasoned and appropriate review of these matters, the Chairs of the executive and legislative nominations committee have a fiduciary responsibility to protect the public from "alleged acts of public corruption" in the misuse of federal and state funding, and to appropriately consider my proposal to "postpone" or "table" the vote scheduled for DCF Commissioner Katz for "good cause shown.
 
To ensure that the co-chairs do not obstruct the delivery of these documents attached to this email, I will make every effort to distribute this email and its contents to members of the free press and members of the legislature of my choosing, unless the co-chairs of the executive and legislative management committee send me a copy of an email to verify the distribution of this message to all members of the General Assembly, Governor Malloy and other prosecutorial authorities who may have an unknown authority to seek "injunctive" relief from the Superior Court in Connecticut, as noted in the actions taken in 2006 naming Chief Justice William Sullivan.
 
The amount of time and effort being spent on these posted emails indicates the vigilance of citizens to report matters of public corruption.
 
It should be noted that all that was known on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 of the matters of public corruption concerning the "stonewalling" of public records by Commissioner Katz and Attorney Claire were captured in a 30 minute "intake report" call to the hotline set up for such citizen complaints, 1-800-CALL-FBI.
 
Early tomorrow morning I expect to read this email into the hotline intake line to create a "public record" of the report of public corruption was also made to the individuals on this email.
 
Any of those on this email list, also can call the hotline, 1-800-CALL FBI to report receipt of this email.
 
Cordially,
 
Michael Nowacki
319 Lost District Drive
New Canaan, CT  06840
(203) 273-4296 or (203) 449-6916

COMMISSIONER JOETTE KATZ EXPENSE REPORT!

MICHAEL NOWACKI SENDS A FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST TO DCF COMMISSIONER JOETTE KATZ!


The Honorable Joyette Katz

Commissioner

Department of Children and Families

505 Hudson Street

Hartford, CT

 

Freedom of Information Request

                                                                                                February 24, 2015

 

Dear Commissioner Katz:

Recent publicly televised re-appointment hearings conducted in the Connecticut legislature failed to note that you are currently serving in the capacity as Chair, of the editorial board of Connecticut Law Tribune.

Recent editorial coverage in the Connecticut Law Tribune concerning an article authored by Attorney Norm Pattis, in an opinion piece, published on-line on Wednesday February 11, 2015, entitled: “Despite Allegations, Family Courts not Corrupt” recently was challenged for a lack of authenticity of certain comments authored by Attorney Pattis.

Such “materially false and misleading” publication of information would be potentially a matter of discussion at meetings conducted by the editorial board of the Connecticut Law Tribune.

As Chair of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune, and as an appointed public official as the Commissioner of DCF with substantial responsibilities relating to family court, probate court and juvenile court proceedings, there is substantial public interest in the matters involving your personal use of computers and servers, owned by the State of Connecticut, in your role as the Chair of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune.

If you have used your state provided email address or any personal email address which was accessed through servers owned by the State of Connecticut, the content of the communications contained in such emails are considered “public communications” and subject to the applications of the Freedom of Information Act. 

Decisional cases issued by the FOI Commission are available for your review which have verified that the use of personal email addresses to conduct “business” relevant to your responsibilities as DCF Commissioner are also to be considered “public documents” subject to the application and legislative intent of the Freedom of Information Act. 

Unfortunately, defining potential “conflicts of interest” between your responsibilities as Commissioner of DCF and your role as a Chair, Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune, can only be determined by inspecting “public records” pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act.

Your have massive responsibilities as Commissioner of DCF and this request for access to “public records” for “inspection” should not be considered onerous or impinging on your job responsibilities inasmuch as members of your staff and IT departments can be utilized to easily retrieve documents through search codes for key words.

Based upon the above observations, you are herewith required within four business days to acknowledge the receipt of this request to produce “public records” for public inspection and to indicate your personal intent to comply with this FOI request.

  Within thirty days of the acknowledgment of this Freedom of Information request you are required to produce for “public inspection” at your offices at 505 Hudson Street relevant “documents/public records” requested, subject to “redactions” as permissible and defined in the Freedom of Information Act and decisions issued by the Commission.

For the purposes of clarification, “documents/public records” are defined in the Freedom of Information Act and should be considered as the “base line” for providing the “public records” to be provided for inspection in this request.

For the purposes of all of the documents requested, the date span for the production of all “public records” (including personal emails sent or received regarding DCF business matter referenced in any “public record” of communications with fellow Editorial Board members or members of the staff of the CLT), should be considered from the date of your sworn oath as DCF Commissioner to the date of compliance with this request dated February 24, 2015.

The “public records” to be made available for “public inspection” should include” for the date span indicated in the above paragraph should include:

 

  1.  Any “public records” in your possession sent or received from your State of Connecticut provided email address, state owned fax machine, received at your offices at 505 Hudson Street or your home address authored by you in your capacity as DC Commisioner or sent or received “public records” sent to you by any past or present member of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune, including but not limited to the following individuals:
     
     
    Atty Dwight Merriam    Robert Farr         Elizabeth Gordon    
    Joyce Chen                 Eugene Fidell      Rachel Goldberg
    Prolog K. Das              Mary Galvin         Robert Holzberg
    Wesley Horton             Alan Neigher       Steven Wizner
    Jocelyn Kennedy         Lemis Pepe          Paul Sussman
    David King                   Thomas Scheffer Jay Stapleton
    James Lyon                 Mark Soboslar      Kevin Michielsen
    Eugene Marconi          James F. Sullivan
    Sean McElligot             Cecil Thomas
    Robert Mitchell             Thomas Ullman
    Dennis C. Murphy         Diane Whitney 
  2.  Any “public record” in any communication sent to any of the above individuals issued on DCF Stationery or sent on your personal stationery which references the words “DCF” in any portion of such communication including how you signed such letters using DCF Commissioner.
     
  3. Any “public record” sent or received in your possession confirming the date of your acceptance to become the Chair of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune or to which established a date in which you became a member of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune.
     
  4. A properly redacted copy of your required disclosure of all statements of financial interests (SFI’s) required by law to be filed with the Office of State Ethics from 2010-2015.  A copy of all expense reports filed by you as the Commissioner of DCF filed with the Office of State Ethics required to be filed with the Office of State Ethics filed from 2010 through the date of compliance with this request.  A copy of all gifts received by you in your capacity as Commissioner of DCF required to be filed with the Office of State Ethics from 2010 to the date of compliance with this request.
     
     
  5. Any “public records” in your possession of honorariums or other public speaking engagements which you have made, including appearances you may have made to any law association groups as DCF Commissioner.
     
  6. Any “public records” in your possession which you have sent or received at the DCF offices at 505 Hudson Street from member of the judicial branch of government, including any Superior Court judges, probate court judges, family court judges or any CSSD employee or Court operations personnel which are permissible for release pursuant to the FOI Act.
     
  7. Any “public records” in your possession sent or received from any present or past Editorial Board member of the Connecticut Law Tribune to any personal email account or home address you have maintained during your tenure as DCF Commissioner which embed the words “DCF,” “family court docket numbers or family court litigant names”, “juvenile court docket numbers or juvenile court litigant names” or “probate court docket numbers or juvenile court litigant names”
     
  8. Any “public records” in your possession as DCF Commissioner and as Chair or member of the Connecticut Law Tribune Editorial Board which contain minutes to any meeting convened or attended by you at the Connecticut Law Tribune which would capture any content in such minutes of the meetings of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune concerning discussion of any DCF, family court, juvenile court or probate court legal proceeding in which an employee of DCF would be involved.
     
  9. Any “opinion pieces”, “letters to the editor” which you may have authored and were published in the on line or print editions of the Connecticut Law Tribune as Chair of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune while you have served as DCF Commissioner.
     
  10. A copy of your letter of resignation as a Supreme Court Justice.
     
  11. A copy of any “public records” in your possession which may contain information regarding the proposed consolidation by Governor Malloy of the operations of Court Support Services Division and DCF.
     
  12. A copy of any “public records” in your possession sent or received, whether retrieved from your State of Connecticut provided email address or any personal email address in which the recent publication of the article “Despite Allegations, Family Courts are Not Corrupt” was discussed by you in your role as DCF Commissioner and Chair of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune
     
  13. A copy of any “public records” in your possession, sent or received, whether retrieved from your State of Connecticut provided email address or any personal email address which contains the name Michael Nowacki.
     
  14. A copy of any “public records” in your possession, sent or received whether retrieved from your State of Connecticut provided email address or any personal email address which contains of the name of Peter Szymonik.
     
  15. A copy of any “public records” in your possession, sent or received, whether retrieved from your State of Connecticut provided email address or any personal email address which contains references embedded in any “public records” referencing the words “Task Force To Study Legal Disputes Involving the Care and Custody of Minor Children, CT-N coverage of the public hearings of January 9, 2014 or March 31, 2014, SB 494 or Public Act 14-3” while you were serving in the capacity as DCF Commissioner and the Chair or member of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune.
     
  16. A copy of any resignation letter you might issue as DCF Commissioner to withdraw as the Chair of the Connecticut Law Tribune’s Editorial Board which may ensue from the date of the receipt of this letter by fax and registered mail and the date of compliance with the production of these requested “public records for public inspection.”

 

If you would like me to speak to any member of your staff who is assigned the responsibilities to compile these requested “public records”, please do not hesitate to have that person contact me via email, phone, or letter based upon the information contained below.

When the public records are prepared for inspection, please know it is my intent to be joined by a group of people who will accompany me to scan public records in the most efficient manner possible so as to not occupy your staff’s valuable time.

I would like to “inspect in person” any partial compliance with any of these “public record’s which can be provided to me from this list requested in this letter no later than Thursday, March 5.

As you may know, the United States Attorney Office has recently announced the creation of a Task Force hotline number to allow citizens to report matters of “public corruption” to a special phone number in which complaints can be made.

Therefore, I am copying Deputy Chief State Attorney Leonard Boyle and the U.S. Attorney Deidre Daly on these communications to alert them to the importance of compliance with evidence acquired by citizens pursuant to the application of the Freedom of Information Act.

     Cordially,

 

     Michael Nowacki

     319 Lost District Drive

     New Canaan, CT  06840


     (203) 273-4296

 

     cc:  Deputy Chief State Attorney Leonard Boyle

             U.S. Attorney Deidre Daly

 

 

MICHAEL NOWACKI SENDS A LETTER TO THE EDITOR RE DCF COMMISSIONER JOETTE KATZ!


Dear Sir/Madame:

The recent re-appointment hearing conducted by the executive and legislative nominations committee on Capitol Hill concerning DCF Commissioner Joyette Katz failed to address a significant undisclosed conflict of interest of the Commissioner.

No member of the committee addressed the matter of Commissioner Katz serving as the Chair of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune (CLT).

On February 24, 2015, Commissioner Katz received an extensive Freedom of Information Commission request from me by fax, requesting “public documents” which exist on her email address or were accessed through servers of the State of Connecticut from personal email accounts in which Commissioner Katz was responding to “content based” editorial issues of the CLT in her role as Chair of the Editorial Board.

DCF Attorney Barbara Clare responded to the FOI request via email indicating the “public records” could not be produced by March 5.

Minimally, Commissioner Katz should immediately resign her position as the Chair of the Editorial Board of the CLT inasmuch it creates a considerable conflict of interest.

The General Assembly should defer the confirmation vote on Commissioner Katz which is scheduled for March 9 until a full review of these public documents can be conducted.

 

Michael Nowacki

319 Lost District Drive

New Canaan, CT  06840

(203) 273-4296

Thursday, February 26, 2015

MICHAEL NOWACKI MAKES FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST TO DCF COMMISSIONER JOETTE KATZ IN CONNECTION TO HER ROLE AS CHAIR OF EDITORIAL BOARD OF THE CT LAW TRIBUNE!


The Honorable Joyette Katz
Commissioner
Department of Children and Families
505 Hudson Street
Hartford, CT

 
Freedom of Information Request

                                                                       February 24, 2015

 
Dear Commissioner Katz:

Recent publicly televised re-appointment hearings conducted in the Connecticut legislature failed to note that you are currently serving in the capacity as Chair, of the editorial board of Connecticut Law Tribune.

Recent editorial coverage in the Connecticut Law Tribune concerning an article authored by Attorney Norm Pattis, in an opinion piece, published on-line on Wednesday February 11, 2015, entitled: “Despite Allegations, Family Courts not Corrupt” recently was challenged for a lack of authenticity of certain comments authored by Attorney Pattis.

Such “materially false and misleading” publication of information would be potentially a matter of discussion at meetings conducted by the editorial board of the Connecticut Law Tribune.

As Chair of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune, and as an appointed public official as the Commissioner of DCF with substantial responsibilities relating to family court, probate court and juvenile court proceedings, there is substantial public interest in the matters involving your personal use of computers and servers, owned by the State of Connecticut, in your role as the Chair of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune.

If you have used your state provided email address or any personal email address which was accessed through servers owned by the State of Connecticut, the content of the communications contained in such emails are considered “public communications” and subject to the applications of the Freedom of Information Act. 

Decisional cases issued by the FOI Commission are available for your review which have verified that the use of personal email addresses to conduct “business” relevant to your responsibilities as DCF Commissioner are also to be considered “public documents” subject to the application and legislative intent of the Freedom of Information Act. 

Unfortunately, defining potential “conflicts of interest” between your responsibilities as Commissioner of DCF and your role as a Chair, Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune, can only be determined by inspecting “public records” pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act.

Your have massive responsibilities as Commissioner of DCF and this request for access to “public records” for “inspection” should not be considered onerous or impinging on your job responsibilities inasmuch as members of your staff and IT departments can be utilized to easily retrieve documents through search codes for key words.

Based upon the above observations, you are herewith required within four business days to acknowledge the receipt of this request to produce “public records” for public inspection and to indicate your personal intent to comply with this FOI request.

  Within thirty days of the acknowledgment of this Freedom of Information request you are required to produce for “public inspection” at your offices at 505 Hudson Street relevant “documents/public records” requested, subject to “redactions” as permissible and defined in the Freedom of Information Act and decisions issued by the Commission.

For the purposes of clarification, “documents/public records” are defined in the Freedom of Information Act and should be considered as the “base line” for providing the “public records” to be provided for inspection in this request.

For the purposes of all of the documents requested, the date span for the production of all “public records” (including personal emails sent or received regarding DCF business matter referenced in any “public record” of communications with fellow Editorial Board members or members of the staff of the CLT), should be considered from the date of your sworn oath as DCF Commissioner to the date of compliance with this request dated February 24, 2015.

The “public records” to be made available for “public inspection” should include” for the date span indicated in the above paragraph should include:

 

1.     Any “public records” in your possession sent or received from your State of Connecticut provided email address, state owned fax machine, received at your offices at 505 Hudson Street or your home address authored by you in your capacity as DC Commisioner or sent or received “public records” sent to you by any past or present member of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune, including but not limited to the following individuals:

 

 

Attorney Dwight Merriam    Robert Farr                Elizabeth Gordon    

Joyce Chen                          Eugene Fidell           Rachel Goldberg

Prolog K. Das                       Mary Galvin               Robert Holzberg

Wesley Horton                      Alan Neigher                        Steven Wizner

Jocelyn Kennedy                 Lemis Pepe               Paul Sussman

David King                            Thomas Scheffer     Jay Stapleton

James Lyon                          Mark Soboslar          Kevin Michielsen

Eugene Marconi                  James F. Sullivan

Sean McElligot                     Cecil Thomas

Robert Mitchell                     Thomas Ullman

Dennis C. Murphy               Diane Whitney

 

2.     Any “public record” in any communication sent to any of the above individuals issued on DCF Stationery or sent on your personal stationery which references the words “DCF” in any portion of such communication including how you signed such letters using DCF Commissioner.

 

3.    Any “public record” sent or received in your possession confirming the date of your acceptance to become the Chair of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune or to which established a date in which you became a member of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune.

 

4.    A properly redacted copy of your required disclosure of all statements of financial interests (SFI’s) required by law to be filed with the Office of State Ethics from 2010-2015.  A copy of all expense reports filed by you as the Commissioner of DCF filed with the Office of State Ethics required to be filed with the Office of State Ethics filed from 2010 through the date of compliance with this request.  A copy of all gifts received by you in your capacity as Commissioner of DCF required to be filed with the Office of State Ethics from 2010 to the date of compliance with this request.

 

 

5.    Any “public records” in your possession of honorariums or other public speaking engagements which you have made, including appearances you may have made to any law association groups as DCF Commissioner.

 

6.    Any “public records” in your possession which you have sent or received at the DCF offices at 505 Hudson Street from member of the judicial branch of government, including any Superior Court judges, probate court judges, family court judges or any CSSD employee or Court operations personnel which are permissible for release pursuant to the FOI Act.

 

7.    Any “public records” in your possession sent or received from any present or past Editorial Board member of the Connecticut Law Tribune to any personal email account or home address you have maintained during your tenure as DCF Commissioner which embed the words “DCF,” “family court docket numbers or family court litigant names”, “juvenile court docket numbers or juvenile court litigant names” or “probate court docket numbers or juvenile court litigant names”

 

8.    Any “public records” in your possession as DCF Commissioner and as Chair or member of the Connecticut Law Tribune Editorial Board which contain minutes to any meeting convened or attended by you at the Connecticut Law Tribune which would capture any content in such minutes of the meetings of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune concerning discussion of any DCF, family court, juvenile court or probate court legal proceeding in which an employee of DCF would be involved.

 

9.    Any “opinion pieces”, “letters to the editor” which you may have authored and were published in the on line or print editions of the Connecticut Law Tribune as Chair of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune while you have served as DCF Commissioner.

 

10. A copy of your letter of resignation as a Supreme Court Justice.

 

11. A copy of any “public records” in your possession which may contain information regarding the proposed consolidation by Governor Malloy of the operations of Court Support Services Division and DCF.

 

12. A copy of any “public records” in your possession sent or received, whether retrieved from your State of Connecticut provided email address or any personal email address in which the recent publication of the article “Despite Allegations, Family Courts are Not Corrupt” was discussed by you in your role as DCF Commissioner and Chair of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune

 

13. A copy of any “public records” in your possession, sent or received, whether retrieved from your State of Connecticut provided email address or any personal email address which contains the name Michael Nowacki.
 

14. A copy of any “public records” in your possession, sent or received whether retrieved from your State of Connecticut provided email address or any personal email address which contains of the name of Peter Szymonik.

 
15. A copy of any “public records” in your possession, sent or received, whether retrieved from your State of Connecticut provided email address or any personal email address which contains references embedded in any “public records” referencing the words “Task Force To Study Legal Disputes Involving the Care and Custody of Minor Children, CT-N coverage of the public hearings of January 9, 2014 or March 31, 2014, SB 494 or Public Act 14-3” while you were serving in the capacity as DCF Commissioner and the Chair or member of the Editorial Board of the Connecticut Law Tribune.

 
16. A copy of any resignation letter you might issue as DCF Commissioner to withdraw as the Chair of the Connecticut Law Tribune’s Editorial Board which may ensue from the date of the receipt of this letter by fax and registered mail and the date of compliance with the production of these requested “public records for public inspection.”

 
If you would like me to speak to any member of your staff who is assigned the responsibilities to compile these requested “public records”, please do not hesitate to have that person contact me via email, phone, or letter based upon the information contained below.

When the public records are prepared for inspection, please know it is my intent to be joined by a group of people who will accompany me to scan public records in the most efficient manner possible so as to not occupy your staff’s valuable time.

I would like to “inspect in person” any partial compliance with any of these “public record’s which can be provided to me from this list requested in this letter no later than Thursday, March 5.

As you may know, the United States Attorney Office has recently announced the creation of a Task Force hotline number to allow citizens to report matters of “public corruption” to a special phone number in which complaints can be made.

Therefore, I am copying Deputy Chief State Attorney Leonard Boyle and the U.S. Attorney Deidre Daly on these communications to alert them to the importance of compliance with evidence acquired by citizens pursuant to the application of the Freedom of Information Act.

     Cordially,

 

     Michael Nowacki
     319 Lost District Drive
     New Canaan, CT  06840
      mnowacki@aol.com
     (203) 273-4296

 

     cc:  Deputy Chief State Attorney Leonard Boyle
            U.S. Attorney Deidre Daly