- Connecticut Probate Courts
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The Connecticut Probate Court system is a system of 54 individual probate courts located throughout the state of Connecticut. The jurisdiction of each court extends to the legal affairs of the deceased, estates, some aspects of family law, conservatorship, and several other matters requiring specific legal decisions.[1] As statutory courts, all jurisdiction and authority is governed by the state legislature.[2]
Contents
Elections of judges
Judges of probate are the only members of the state judicial branch elected in Connecticut.[3] Judges are elected in partisan elections and hold office for a term of four years, their elections held within the same cycle as gubernatorial elections.
Previously, laws permitted anyone to run as a candidate for judge of probate regardless of previous judicial or legal experience. However, a state law which went into effect on January 5, 2011 now requires candidates for judge of probate to be both a lawyer and a member of the Connecticut bar.[3]
Consolidation of court districts
After operating without much change since 1850, growing financial difficulties in the state and within the probate courts created the need for the system to be overhauled. In the summer of 2009, the Probate Court Redistricting Commission assembled to review the aging court system and make recommendations for decreasing the number of judicial districts from 117. In September 2009, the commission announced its consolidation plan to reduce the number of districts to 54[4] for the 2010 elections.
Probate districts
The currently elected judges of probate,[5][6] elected from January 2011 through January 2015:
District Municipalities served Judge of probate Judge's residence Location of court 1 Hartford Robert K. Killian, Jr. (D) Hartford Hartford 2 West Hartford Sydney W. Elkin (D) West Hartford West Hartford 3 Bloomfield, East Granby, Suffield, Windsor Locks Steven M. Zelman (D) Bloomfield Windsor Locks 4 East Windsor, South Windsor, Windsor Brian T. Griffin (D) Windsor South Windsor 5 East Hartford Allan T. Driscoll (D) East Hartford East Hartford 6 Glastonbury, Hebron Peter Jay Alter (D) South Glastonbury (Glastonbury) Glastonbury 7 Newington, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield Robert Randich (D) Newington Newington 8 Berlin, New Britain Walter A. Clebowicz (D) New Britain New Britain 9 Avon, Canton, Granby, Simsbury Cynthia C. Becker (R) Avon Simsbury 10 Burlington, Farmington Evelyn M. Daly (D) Farmington Farmington 11 Enfield, Somers, Stafford Timothy R. Keeney (R) Somersville (Somers) Enfield 12 Ellington, Vernon James Purnell, III (R) Vernon Vernon 13 Andover, Bolton, Columbia, Manchester Michael M. Darby (D) Manchester Manchester 14 East Haddam, East Hampton, Marlborough, Portland Jennifer L. Berkenstock (R) East Hampton Marlborough 15 Cromwell, Durham, Middlefield, Middletown Joseph D. Marino (D) Middletown Middletown 16 Meriden Brian T. Mahon (D) Meriden Meriden 17 Wallingford Philip A. Wright, Jr. (D) Wallingford Wallingford 18 Cheshire, Southington Matthew J. Jalowiec (R) Cheshire Cheshire 19 Bristol, Plainfield, Plymouth Andre D. Dorval (D) Bristol Bristol 20 Waterbury, Wolcott Thomas P. Brunnock (D) Waterbury Waterbury 21 Beacon Falls, Naugatuck, Middlebury, Prospect Peter E. Mariano (R) Naugatuck Naugatuck 22 Bethlehem, Oxford, Roxbury, Southbury, Washington, Watertown, Woodbury Domenick Calabrese (R) Watertown Southbury 23 Barkhamsted, Colebrook, Goshen, Hartland, New Hartford, Torrington, Winchester Michael F. Magistrali (R) Torrington Torrington 24 Canaan, Cornwall, Harwinton, Kent, Litchfield, Morris, Norfolk, North Canaan, Salisbury, Sharon, Thomaston, Warren Diane Blick (D) Litchfield Litchfield 25 Coventry, Mansfield, Tolland, Willington Claire C. Twerdy (D) Coventry Tolland 26 Ashford, Brooklyn, Eastford, Pomfret, Putnam, Thompson, Union, Woodstock Leah P. Schad (D) Pomfret Center (Pomfret) North Grosvenordale (Thompson) 27 Canterbury, Killingly, Plainfield, Sterling David A. Griffiths (D) Danielson (Killingly) Plainfield 28 Colchester, Chaplin, Hampton, Lebanon, Scotland, Windham John J. McGrath (D) Windham Willimantic (Windham) 29 Bozrah, Franklin, Griswold, Lisbon, Norwich, Preston, Sprague, Voluntown Charles K. Norris (R) Norwich Norwich 30 Groton, Ledyard, North Stonington, Stonington Nicholas Kepple (D)† Stonington Groton 31 New London, Waterford Mathew H. Greene (D) New London New London 32 East Lyme, Montville, Old Lyme, Salem Jeffrey A. McNamara (R) East Lyme Niantic (East Lyme) 33 Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme, Old Saybrook, Westbrook Terrance Lomme (D) Essex Old Saybrook 34 Guilford, Madison Joel E. Helander (R) Guilford Madison 35 Branford, North Branford Frank J. Forgione (R) Northford (North Branford) Branford 36 East Haven, North Haven Michael R. Brandt (R) North Haven East Haven 37 Bethany, Hamden Salvatore L. Diglio (D) Hamden Hamden 38 New Haven John A. Keyes (D) New Haven New Haven 39 West Haven Mark J. DeGennaro (D) West Haven West Haven 40 Milford, Orange Beverly Streit-Kefalas (D) Milford Milford 41 Ansonia, Derby, Seymour, Woodbridge Clifford D. Hoyle (D) Ansonia Ansonia 42 Shelton Fred J. Anthony (R) Shelton Shelton 43 Danbury Dianne E. Yamin (R) Danbury Danbury 44 Bridgewater, Brookfield, New Fairfield, New Milford, Sherman Martin F. Landgrebe (R) New Milford New Milford 45 Bethel, Newtown, Ridgefield, Redding Joseph A. Egan, Jr. (R) Ridgefield Bethel 46 Easton, Monroe, Trumbull John P. Chiota (R) Trumbull Trumbull 47 Stratford F. Paul Kurmay (R) Stratford Stratford 48 Bridgeport Paul J. Ganim (D) Bridgeport Bridgeport 49 Fairfield Daniel F. Caruso (R) Fairfiled Fairfield 50 Weston, Westport Kevin M. O'Grady (D) Weston Westport 51 Norwalk, Wilton Anthony J. DePanfilis (R) Westport Norwalk 52 Darien, New Canaan Michael P. Murray (R) Darien Darien 53 Stamford Gerald M. Fox, Jr. (D) Stamford Stamford 54 Greenwich David W. Hopper (R) Greenwich Greenwich † Judge Kepple was elected in an August 16, 2011, special election to fill the unexpired term of Fred Palm, who died in March 2011.
See also
References
- ^ "Probate Court Jurisdiction". Jud.ct.gov. http://www.jud.ct.gov/probate/juris.html. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
- ^ "Probate Court History". Jud.state.ct.us. http://www.jud.state.ct.us/probate/history.html. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
- ^ a b Joseph A. O'Brien (September 27, 2009). "Probate Courts: 'Historic' Makeover". Hartford Courant. http://articles.courant.com/2009-09-27/news/ct-probate0927_1_probate-judges-connecticut-s-probate-court-system. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
- ^ "CT 54 Probate Court Plan" (PDF). Jud.state.ct.us. http://www.jud.state.ct.us/probate/Redistrict/54_court_plan.pdf. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
- ^ "Interim Directory of Judges & Districts" (PDF). State of Connecticut, Judicial Branch. http://www.jud.state.ct.us/probate/Redistrict/Directory2011.pdf. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
- ^ "List of Candidates". Secretary of the State of Connecticut. http://www.statementofvote-sots.ct.gov/StatementOfVote/WebModules/ReportsLink/CLJudgeOfProbView.aspx?Parameter=11/02/2010-General. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
External links
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