Aunt avoids jail in baby poisoning
Harsh words exchanged as family members face off in court

February 21, 2008 - New Haven Register
By Amanda Pinto, Register Staff

The Killingworth woman accused of poisoning her sister’s infant son in 2006 was granted a special form of probation by a Superior Court judge in New Haven Wednesday, despite objections from several of her family members.

Under the program, Nicole Burger, 41, would see charges of reckless endangerment and risk of injury to a child wiped from her record if she is not arrested for two years, undergoes a psychological evaluation and completes 75 hours of community service, Judge Earl Richards ruled.

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Court overturns doctor's conviction for fondling patients
By John Christoffersen, Associated Press Writer
January 9, 2008 - www.ctcentral.com

NEW HAVEN —The state appellate court overturned the conviction of a former New Haven doctor accused of fondling and kissing patients. The court ruled on Wednesday that evidence was excluded, and that two cases should have been tried separately. The appeals court ordered separate trials for Dr. Sushil Gupta, a pulmonary physician who was convicted of fourth-degree assault.

He was acquitted of charges he sexually assaulted a third woman. "I am delighted for Dr. Gupta," said attorney Hugh Keefe, who handled the case with attorney Tara Knight. "I didn't think he got a fair trial the first time."

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City man guilty of manslaughter
'Accidental' shooting left woman, 21, dead
By Randall Beach, Register Staff
October 17, 2007 - New Haven Register

NEW HAVEN —A Superior Court jury Tuesday found Vincent Cornelius guilty of second-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of Kendraya Glasper, but decided he was innocent of murder.

The 12-member jury also found Cornelius guilty of carrying a pistol without a permit, a charge he and defense attorney Glenn Conway had not contested.

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Weapon returned to officer for work
By Michael P. Mayko
October 5, 2007 - Connecticut Post

MILFORD —A Superior Court judge gave a controversial Seymour police sergeant his gun back, but ordered him and his wife to live apart and stay away from each other. Superior Court Judge Sheridan Moore granted a request by Sgt. Richard Gittings and his lawyer, Gregory Ceritelli, to allow the police officer to carry a gun Monday through Friday between the hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., his usual work shift.

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No comfort for victim's mother
By Randall Beach, Register Staff
January 20, 2007 - New Haven Register

NEW HAVEN —Eddie Washington’s mother wept in Superior Court Friday as the man originally charged in the shooting death of her son was sentenced to serve 10 years on weapons charges.

Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Pepper admitted the state didn’t have enough evidence to convict Vegas Valentine, 23, of first-degree manslaughter, a charge he initially faced. Pepper also said the shooting was accidental.

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Wallingford man cleared in sex assault
November 22, 2006 - New Haven Register

NEW HAVEN — A Superior Court jury has cleared a Wallingford man in connection with the sexual assault of a 7-year old relative.

Lucas Gonzalez, 54, Monday was deemed innocent of both charges: first-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor.

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Gun owner avoids jail as wounded cop forgives
October 25, 2006 - New Haven Register
By Phil Helsel, Register Staff

NEW HAVEN — When New Haven police Officer Robert Fumiatti came to Superior Court Tuesday morning, he was planning to ask a judge to send Michael Rice to prison for initiating a chain of events resulting in Fumiatti being shot in the face.

But after he finally met Rice in a closed room, at Rice’s request, and saw he was genuinely apologetic, Fumiatti changed his mind.

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Appellate Court Visits Wilbur Cross High School
By Stephen Rosenberg and Karen Kravetz
October 12, 2006

On October 12, 2006, the Connecticut Appellate Court convened an actual court session in the auditorium of New Haven's Wilbur Cross High School. This special event was the idea of the Honorable Lubbie Harper Jr., an Appellate Court judge who is a graduate of Wilbur Cross.

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EXTERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION
Hartford, Connecticut

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 4, 2006

Appellate Court on Tour at
New Haven's Wilbur Cross High School

The Honorable Lubbie Harper Jr. will return to his alma mater on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2006, when the Appellate Court on Tour program visits Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven. During the visit, Judge Harper, Judge Chase Rogers and Judge Douglas Lavine will hear oral arguments in two criminal cases.

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Cabbie cleared in ‘rape’ that never was
May 24, 2006 - New Haven Register
By Phil Helsel, Register Staff

WEST HAVEN — When a 15-year-old girl ran up to a cop May 8, screaming and claiming that a taxi driver had tried to rape her, the officer assumed the worst and police arrested the cabbie later that day.

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SUPER LAWYERS: This pair met their match in the courtroom
February 22, 2006 - New Haven Register
By Phil Helsel, Register Staff

NEW HAVEN — Three years out of graduate school, Tara Knight began her law practice out of a small, cheap office on Williams Street, overlooking the noisy train tracks that occasionally interrupted her discussions with clients...

...This year, Connecticut Magazine named her a "Super Lawyer" and her name is routinely mentioned among the top criminal defense attorneys in the area.

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Man acquitted of cheating ailing senior
February 1, 2006 - New Haven Register
By Phil Helsel, Register Staff

Prosecutors had alleged that Wilbert Howard helped his wife cheat an 85-year-old Ansonia man with Parkinson’s disease out of $500,000 while she worked for him as a home health aide, cashing obviously forged checks and accepting thousands of dollars to which he was not entitled.

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West Haven drug bust case falls apart
October 21, 2005 - New Haven Register
By Phil Helsel, Register Staff

Legality of search questioned; 2 accept plea deal.

What was likely the biggest pot bust in West Haven history went up in smoke Thursday after serious doubts arose about the legality of the search that uncovered millions of dollars in marijuana plants.

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Real prison time light in West Haven drug case
October 21, 2005 - Connecticut Post
By Dirk Perrefort, CT Post Staff

MILFORD- West Haven's largest marijuana bust in history went up in smoke Thursday as a Superior Court judge signed off on a surprise plea deal that resulted in the suspects receiving little or no prison time.

Court officials cited problems with how police conducted their search of homes on Center Street and Washington Avenue in West Haven, where $4 million worth of the drug were found.

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City man, 34, acquitted of alleged sexual assault
April 29, 2005 - New Haven Register
By Michelle Tuccitto, Register Staff

NEW HAVEN — A city man who was incarcerated since late 2003 on charges that he raped a female acquaintance was acquitted Thursday.

Lawrence Harris, 34, was on trial this week on charges of first-degree sexual assault and first-degree unlawful restraint.

A jury acquitted Harris after about two hours of deliberations.

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Arbitrator orders marshal reinstated with pay
March 2, 2005 - New Haven Register
By Michelle Tuccitto, Register Staff

NEW HAVEN — A judicial marshal who was among those fired after a prisoner abuse scandal is to be reinstated with back pay, according to an arbitrator's award.

John Barron Jr. was terminated after the April 26, 2003, incident at the New Haven police lockup at 1 Union Ave.

Attorney Gregory Cerritelli, who represents Barron, said his client was fired after being accused of failing to intervene to protect the prisoner and failing to file a report on the incident. Barron filed a grievance in an effort to get his job back, and an arbitrator, Peter Adomeit, sided with Barron in a decision dated Feb. 25.

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As reported by the Associated Press, Attorney Tara L. Knight, president-elect of the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, spoke at a news conference in Hartford, Jan. 13, 2005.

Defense attorneys call for abolition of death penalty
January 14, 2005
By Susan Haigh, Associated Press

HARTFORD —Contending that the death penalty is unconstitutional and a waste of
taxpayers' money, a statewide association of defense attorneys urged Gov.
M. Jodi Rell and the state legislature on Thursday to stop this month's
execution of serial killer Michael Ross.

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NUTS & BOLTS CLE SERIES FINISHES THIRD YEAR
October 2004 - New Haven County Bar Association Newsletter

The NHCBA’s annual Nuts & Bolts Basic Practice CLE Series concluded in December 2004. It was a resounding success and will return again in the Fall of 2005. The 10 week course was attended by over 130 people; each seminar gave tools and tips for newer practitioners in the specific practice area.

The NHCBA warmly thanks Charles P. Reed, chair of the organizing committee, Courtney Barnikow, Ed McManus, Robert Hinton, Jane Milas and Rick Roberts, committee members, and the judges and attorneys who participated as speakers in the series: Hon. David Gold, Hon. Michael A. Albis, Richard Beatty, Ned Burt, Norb Church, Suzanne Colasanto, Glenn Conway, Jack Doyle, Deb Eldrich, Peter Gruen, Joan Molloy, Glen Pierson, Tim Pothin, Ken Rubin, David Schancupp, Douglas Skalka, Kevin Shea, Donn Swift, and Wayne Winters.

Featured speakers at the Criminal Law Nuts & Bolts CLE Seminar on October 19, 2004 were (seated L-R) Judge Daniel Gold, Glenn Conway, and (back L) Jack Doyle, pictured with series committee member Ed McManus.

Judge tosses charges against Jackson, others
Arrests stem from Yale union strike actions

November 22, 2003 - New Haven Register
By Michelle Tuccitto, Register Staff

NEW HAVEN — A Superior Court judge on Friday dismissed a disorderly conduct charge against the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who had been arrested for obstructing traffic at a Yale University strike in September.

Superior Court Judge Stuart Bear also dropped the charges against two of Jackson’s fellow demonstrators, the Rev. Scott Marks and the Rev. William David Lee.

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More cases from Yale labor strike dismissed
November 15, 2003 - New Haven Register
By Kara Ouellet, Special to the Register

NEW HAVEN — More than 150 cases of disorderly conduct in connection with civil disobedience during the recent Yale University labor strike were dismissed Thursday and Friday, said one of the defense attorneys.

In such a short time period, “It is a record number of dismissals for criminal cases in the court,” attorney Hugh Keefe said.

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Victim's parents protest sentence
May 29, 1999 - Connecticut Post
By Michael P. Mayko, Staff Writer

BRIDGEPORT — It's been almost a year since Rafael Garcia was assassinated in Bridgeport, but his parents haven't given up hope that his killers will be caught.

On Friday, they pressed their case for answers during the sentencing of Carmen Cotto, one of the last people to see their son alive. They received no satisfaction.

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Jury finds man innocent
October 1998
Press Release

HARTFORD — A Superior Court jury acquitted a man today of Robbery in the First Degree and Conspiracy to Commit Robbery in the First Degree after deliberating for only half a day. Garshon Brown, 25, of Brooklyn, New York was found not guilty by a Hartford jury of robbing a Mobil gas station clerk at gunpoint in Manchester, Connecticut in September 1995. The prosecutor introduced a surveillance tape into evidence and called the gas station clerk to the stand to identify Mr. Brown. The State also called Kevin Charles, 21, of Hartford, Connecticut, a co-defendant, who testified that he robbed the convenience store with Mr. Brown and another individual, Levi King. Mr. Brown faced 40 years in prison. His lawyer, Tara L. Knight of New Haven said her client cried after the verdict was announced and asked her to thank the jury for him.

The following news item is printed in its entirety as it appeared in the New Haven Register, June 4, 1998:

Jury takes 25 minutes to clear man in shooting
June 4, 1998 - New Haven Register

NEW HAVEN — In what some called one of the fastest acquittals during a trial at the Church Street courthouse, a Superior Court jury this week found a city man innocent of shooting and wounding another man after deliberating for only about 25 minutes.

Clarence P. Austin, 18, also known as Prince Austin, formerly of Winchester Avenue, was acquitted of the April 14, 1996, shooting of P.J. Carmichael of New Haven.

Carmichael, now 21, was shot in the buttocks while he was walking on Southeast Drive at 1:15 a.m. He has since recovered from his wounds.

Austin's attorney, Tara L. Knight of New Haven, said her client was relieved by the verdict. Lawyers who heard about the verdict said they were surprised by the jury's quick decision.