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A Black Mark On The City The Hartford Courant expresses the opinion that Eddie Perez was entrusted by Hartford voters with unprecedented power as the city's first strong mayor in more than half a century. That power may have gone to his head. He turned out, sadly, to be a grifter, another politician who traded his office and his city's resources for personal and political gain. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 19, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_061910_3.asp

A Convict Hanging Around The Mayor's Office In this editorial, the Hartford Courant expresses the opinion that Eddie Perez's immediate resignation as mayor would be in the city of Hartford's best interests. After all, "his honor" was convicted of five felony corruption charges, including bribery and extortion recently. How could his hanging around even a day longer help in any meaningful way in an orderly transition of power to city council President Pedro Segarra? Under the city charter, Mr. Segarra becomes mayor for the remainder of Mr. Perez's term — until November 2011. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 24, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_062410.asp

A Just Sentence For Perez No one who has followed Eddie Perez's career should take any pleasure in his being sentenced recently to serve three years in prison. Mr. Perez, an energetic community organizer, project manager at Trinity College and then mayor, did much for many people. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 15, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_091510_1.asp

A New Proposed Amendment to the Constitution Would Allow Federal Laws To Be Rejected. Don't Worry. There's No Way It'll Pass. Some Connecticut officials say the idea of giving state legislatures power to “nullify” federal law sounds like the kind of thing that helped trigger the American Civil War, and that this Tea Party-ish concept doesn’t stand a chance in hell. Published by The Hartford Advocate ; Publication Date: December 29, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/democracy/htfd_advocate_122910.asp

A Passion For Urban Planning, And For Food Terry Tondro was a law school professor, but no ivory tower academic; he enjoyed the finest in wines and foods, but preferred to cook dinner himself. He loved cities — he was truly an urbanist, but he relished the air and the ocean of rural Maine. He knew opera well, but enjoyed Ella Fitzgerald. He worked to preserve historic buildings, and also helped create housing available for low income families and people of color. Tondro, a Hartford resident, died of a stroke on April 26, 2012, two weeks shy of his 74th birthday. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 18, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/history/htfd_courant_051812.asp

A Proposed Ban on Campaign Contributions from Contractors with Business in Hartford Remains in Limbo The Hartford City Council is pushing forward with a proposal that would ban campaign contributions from contractors who have business deals with the city. The measure was proposed more than two years ago by Councilman Luis Cotto, partly in response to the corruption scandal of former Mayor Eddie Perez, and has been repeatedly delayed since. Questions about the measure's legality are the latest hurdle to be cleared. Published by The Hartford Advocate ; Publication Date: March 08, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_advocate_030811.asp

A Threat To Democracy In this editorial, the Courant expresses the opinion that the U.S. Supreme Court's lamentable 5-4 decision last week to sweep away a century of practice and precedent and allow torrents of corporate money to flood elections threatens to make our political system even more the playground of the rich at the expense of the average citizen. Congress and President Barack Obama must do all they can to temper or reverse the baleful impact of the decision by the court's conservative majority. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: January 25, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/democracy/htfd_courant_012510.asp

A Time To Kill The majority of people in Connecticut agree that Steven Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky - the men accused of murdering the wife and two daughters of Dr. William Petit in Cheshire and severely beating him with a baseball bat before setting the house on fire - should get the death penalty. But the most recent execution in Connecticut was in 2005. This ambivalence toward the death penalty resulted in the legislature voting last year to abolish it, with Gov. M. Jodi Rell stepping in to veto the measure. Published by The Hartford Advocate ; Publication Date: April 14, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_advocate_041410.asp

Abraham Giles Case Goes to Trial Former state Rep. Abraham Giles, charged with criminal attempt to commit larceny by extortion and conspiracy to commit larceny by extortion in the investigation that ensnared former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez, decided to take his chances at a trial. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: November 03, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_110310.asp

Abraham Giles In Critical Condition, Family Says Former State Rep. Abraham Giles was admitted to St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center recently. Giles, 84, was in critical condition in the intensive care unit at St. Francis. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: March 22, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_032211.asp

Abraham Giles Opts For Jury Trial Former state Rep. Abraham Giles, who was arrested in the city hall corruption investigation involving former Mayor Eddie A. Perez, has opted to take his chances at a trial. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: November 03, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_110310_1.asp

Achievement First Pledges To Do Better With Disabled Students A new federal civil rights agreement aims to get better and more appropriate services for children with disabilities who have been continually suspended or excluded from class at Achievement First Hartford Academy Middle School for disciplinary reasons. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 11, 2013
Document Link: /issues/documents/education/htfd_courant_061113.asp

ACLU, Lobbyists' Lawyer In Elections-Law Suit Seek Nearly $4 Million From State The minor political parties and lobbyists whose legal challenges overturned parts of Connecticut's historic campaign finance reform law want the state to pay nearly $4 million to cover their costs. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: February 10, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/democracy/htfd_courant_021011.asp

Advocates Needed For Young Each year, special civilian advocates fight for the rights of thousands of abused and neglected children in Connecticut’s 13 juvenile courts. About a quarter of those cases involve Latino children or their families, officials say. Yet there are no Latino civilian advocates in Hartford juvenile court and only two statewide, both of them in New Haven. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: November 24, 2006
Document Link: /issues/documents/LegalIssues/htfd_courant_112406.asp

After Fighting, Council Hires Attorney The city council decided recently to hire its own attorney, but not until after a nasty exchange between councilors centered on whether the council's new law firm wants to impeach Mayor Eddie A. Perez. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 14, 2009
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/cityline_041409.asp

Aid For Legal Aid Connecticut's legal-aid lawyers, defenders of the poor, need a champion of their own now — as do so many agencies helping those who are down on their luck Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: December 29, 2008
Document Link: /issues/documents/region/htfd_courant_122908.asp

Aide: Mayor Got E-Mail Printouts Mayor Eddie A. Perez's reading ability and the screening of his e-mails continued to be a focus of his corruption trial. Those issues go to the heart of whether the mayor is to be believed when he told investigators in 2007 that he never saw an e-mail from a developer reminding the mayor that political ally Abraham Giles was demanding $100,000 to vacate city-owned land coveted by the developer. The e-mail is central to the state's assertion that Perez tried to help Giles get paid off in exchange for Giles' galvanizing support for the mayor in a divided North End political district. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 12, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_061210.asp

Airey-Wilson Applies For AR Hartford city Councilwoman Veronica Airey-Wilson, one of several people charged in connection with the city hall corruption probe, has applied for a special form of probation. Airey-Wilson applied for accelerated rehabilitation, a type of probation that would allow her record to be expunged if successfully completed. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 28, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_092810.asp

Airey-Wilson Applies For Special Probation Hartford city Councilwoman Veronica Airey-Wilson, one of several people charged in connection with the corruption investigation into former Mayor Eddie A. Perez, has applied for a special form of probation. Airey-Wilson applied for accelerated rehabilitation, a type of probation that would allow her record to be expunged if successfully completed. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 28, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_092810_1.asp

Airey-Wilson Granted AR Hartford city Councilwoman Veronica Airey-Wilson, one of several people ensnared in the corruption investigation into former Mayor Eddie Perez, was granted a special form of probation recently. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: October 21, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_102110.asp

An Agency Badly Needs Rescuing Columnist Stan Simpson sheds light on some of ONE/CHANE's difficulties and offers suggestions to the board and executive director. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 20, 2005
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_042005.asp Related Link(s): North End Agency In Battle for Survival ; Community Groups Finances Investigated

An Honest Disagreement City Councilman Larry Deutsch's campaign to take a vote of no confidence in Hartford Corporation Counsel John Rose was tabled for the second city council meeting in a row recently, as Deutsch became increasingly isolated in his attempt to impose some sort of formal sanction on Rose. Published by The Hartford Advocate ; Publication Date: April 20, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_advocate_042010.asp

Anguish, Anger In City Over Perez It could be said that Perez's political career started on Park Street, often called the heart of the state's Latino population. And it also could be said that his political career ended here. His months-long criminal trial was launched by his relationship with contractor Carlos Costa, who, in 2003, won the bidding for the $5 million Park Street streetscape project. But some Park Street residents - and people elsewhere in the capital city - had a more complicated reaction to the news of Perez's conviction. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 19, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_061910_1.asp

Appellate Court Sets Former Mayor's Appeal Hearing For January A hearing on an appeal from former Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez has been scheduled for January. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: December 06, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_120612.asp

As Prosecution Rests, Question Becomes: Will Perez Testify? With the prosecution done with its case, and the defense set to begin its presentation, the question of whether Perez will testify remains open. Lawyers Hubert Santos and Hope Seeley declined to say whether the mayor will take the stand. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 09, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_060910_1.asp

Assistant Principal Files Racial Discrimination Suit A year after she was passed over for the job of principal at Hartford's Simpson-Waverly Classical Magnet School, Jane Pertillar has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court alleging racial discrimination. In her lawsuit against the school district Pertillar demands, among other things, to be installed as principal at Simpson-Waverly. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: August 18, 2005
Document Link: /issues/documents/education/htfd_courant_081805.asp

At Perez Trial, Jury Is Out On City Helen Ubiñas writes that it was downright depressing. Potential jurors from suburbia in Mayor Eddie Perez’s corruption trial said that it's not just the perception of a crime-riddled city that has kept them out, but that they just have no reason to come to Hartford. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 15, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/region/htfd_courant_041510.asp

Attorney General Files Suit Seeking To Revoke Perez's Pension Attorney General Richard Blumenthal filed a lawsuit recently seeking to revoke or reduce the pension of former Mayor Eddie Perez, who resigned in June following his conviction on corruption charges. The lawsuit was filed in Superior Court in Hartford, though Blumenthal said Perez was served with the suit on Sept. 17. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 27, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_092710.asp

Attorney Says Council Has Subpoena Power Earlier this summer, some on the council were frustrated by their inability to get timely budgetary information from the staff of Mayor Eddie A. Perez. The council passed a resolution giving itself the ability to subpoena both records and people -- specifically city department heads -- to its budget committee meetings. After it did, Rose wrote an opinion saying that the council didn't have that authority, and Perez vetoed the resolution. But recently, attorney Allan Taylor said in an opinion requested by the council that Rose's "fundamental misunderstanding" of state law led him to wrongly conclude that the city council does not have subpoena power. In fact, Taylor said, state law "plainly allows" the kind of additional subpoena powers sought by the council. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 08, 2009
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_090809.asp

Attorneys For Former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez File Final Brief In Appeal Of His Convictions Attorneys for former Mayor Eddie A. Perez recently filed what is expected to be their final brief in the mayor's appeal of his criminal convictions before the case goes before a judge. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 28, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_092812.asp

Attorneys For Perez Marshal Hundreds Of Letters Of Support As former Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez prepares to face sentencing on corruption charges, his attorneys have given a judge more than 200 letters of support from friends, family and colleagues describing his civic contributions and accomplishments over the years. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 13, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_091310_1.asp

Battle Brewing On Juvenile Justice Connecticut police chiefs say a proposal to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to be treated as juveniles in the criminal justice system would hinder investigations and potentially cost towns money. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: February 28, 2007
Document Link: /issues/documents/FamiliesandChildren/htfd_courant_022807.asp

Blumenthal Files To Revoke Perez Pension Attorney General Richard Blumenthal says his office has filed court papers to revoke the pension of former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: September 27, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_092710.asp

Blumenthal Will Move To Revoke Mayor's Pension Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said recently that he will seek to revoke the pension of former Mayor Eddie A. Perez, but the Superior Court judge who will ultimately make the decision could return all or part of it to his family. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 30, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_063010_3.asp

Borges Returns To Hartford City Hall Mayor Pedro E. Segarra announced his selection of a new corporation counsel recently — someone who knows "the ins and outs of city government" — Saundra Kee Borges, the former city manager. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: July 16, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_071610.asp

Bring Crack Penalties Into Line Bolstered by grassroot and lobby group support, legislators recently approved an amendment to a drug law that many think is unfair. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 19, 2005
Document Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_courant_041905.asp Related Link(s): The Alliance of Connecticut

Brought to Connecticut as a Toddler, 22-Year-Old Mariano Cardoso Faces Deportation a Semester Before Graduating Mariano Cardoso admits he crossed the United States border illegally. Although he knows what he did was illegal, he didn't have a lot of choice in the matter. He was still in diapers at the time. Now 22, Cardoso is one semester away from receiving his associate's degree in engineering at Capital Community College. But, Cardoso is nearing the end of the legal deportation process. Published by The Hartford Advocate ; Publication Date: February 22, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/immigrants/htfd_advocate_022211.asp

Bushnell Regency Sued Over Condo Dealings Nearly a dozen condo owners in downtown Hartford’s Bushnell on the Park have filed suit against the property’s majority owners, who are facing foreclosure, alleging they have violated state condo laws. Published by The Hartford Business Journal ; Publication Date: March 22, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/housing/hbj_032210.asp

Campaign Finance Ruling Has Lawyers, Legislators Scrambling As the clock continued to run down on primary and general elections, lawyers sparring over the state's campaign finance reform law returned to court recently in a hurried effort to save the landmark legislation, parts of which were held to be unconstitutional a day earlier by a federal appeals court. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: July 14, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/democracy/htfd_courant_071410_2.asp

Capitol West Owner Sues To Block City's Acquisition Of The Property The owner of the Capitol West building on Myrtle Street has filed a lawsuit to stymie the city's efforts to take the property through eminent domain. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 04, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/downtowndevelopment/cityline_050411.asp

Capitol West Owner Sues To Block Hartford's Acquisition The owner of the Capitol West building on Myrtle Street has filed a lawsuit to try to block the city's efforts to take the property through eminent domain. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 05, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/downtowndevelopment/htfd_courant_050511.asp

Carlos Costa Applies For AR A city contractor who was embroiled in a corruption investigation that led to the conviction of former Mayor Eddie Perez applied for a special form of probation. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: February 03, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_020311_1.asp

Carlos Costa Denied AR During former Mayor Eddie Perez's four-week trial in May 2010, city Contractor Carlos Costa essentially admitted his guilt on corruption charges that included two counts of bribery. He was recently denied special probation, Accelerated Rehabilitation, or AR probation. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: February 24, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_022411.asp

Carlos Costa Spared Prison Sentence, Must Perform Community Service City contractor Carlos Costa, the key witness in the corruption trial of former Mayor Eddie A. Perez, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of aiding and abetting coercion and was spared a prison sentence. Judge David P. Gold accepted Costa's plea, and sentenced him to a one-year suspended prison term, meaning he won't serve time, and a one-year conditional discharge. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: March 10, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_031011_1.asp

Chief Cites Obstacles to Consent Decree Chief Patrick J. Harnett recently testified in federal court in a case that dates from the early 1970s. The group of residents who are plaintiffs in the Cintron vs. Vaughn lawsuit want the court to find the city in contempt; the city wants the court to nullify the decree. The lawsuit was resolved through a 1973 consent decree that required the city to take steps to be more accountable and responsive to the community, particularly in hiring more minority officers and investigating civilian complaints of police misconduct. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 2, 2005
Document Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_courant_040205.asp Related Link(s): Standoff Not Helping City Police

City Community Group Takes New Step Forward Despite angry outbursts and charges of illegality, the election of new directors to the ONE/CHANE board is a step in the right direction according to an optimistic Chairman Terry Waller. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 6, 2005
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_050605.asp Related Link(s): An Agency Badly Needs Rescuing ; North End Agency In Battle for Survival ; Community Groups Finances Investigated

City Contractor Applies For Special Probation A city contractor who was embroiled in a corruption investigation that led to the conviction of former Mayor Eddie A. Perez applied for a special form of probation recently. Judge David Gold ordered Carlos Costa to return to Superior Court in Hartford on Feb. 24, when Judge Julia Dewey will decide whether to grant him accelerated rehabilitation, a program that would allow his record to be cleared if he successfully completes a probationary term. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: February 03, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_020311.asp

City Council Grapples With Contractor Influence With former Mayor Eddie Perez heading to jail for accepting bribes from a city contractor, and a sitting councilwoman, Veronica Airey-Wilson, facing related charges, the question of contractors’ influence on local politics isn’t exactly academic in Hartford. An ordinance that would prohibit city contractors from donating to local political campaigns has been languishing on the city council dais for more than a year. Councilman Luis Cotto first proposed the new rule in February 2009, but the item was repeatedly tabled over the past year. Published by The Hartford Advocate ; Publication Date: October 11, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_advocate_101110.asp

City Council Members Knows When Perez Will Resign…But They’re Not Telling Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez and the man who will replace him have agreed on a date on which the mayor will resign. At a city hall press conference, council President Pedro Segarra said that the date had been agreed upon – and that the mayor would make that date known in a statement on June 25, 2010. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: June 22, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_062210_1.asp

City Is The Biggest Loser In Perez Case Helen Ubiñas writes that supporters poured into a Hartford courthouse for the closing arguments in Mayor Eddie A. Perez's corruption trial. Friends and family hugged El Jefe tight and wished him luck. Loyal city employees — on a day off? personal time? a take-your-employees-to-court day? — offered him firm handshakes, and a little playful ribbing. Inside the packed courtroom, lawyers made the most of their last chance to make their cases, revisiting just about every point made during the mayor's monthlong trial. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 17, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_061710.asp

City Loses FOI Appeal A state court judge upheld a recent Freedom of Information Commission decision against the city recently, saying Mayor Eddie A. Perez broke the law when he convened closed-door meetings in 2008 to discuss corporate support for a new arena in Hartford. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 05, 2009
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_060509_2.asp

City May Settle Lawsuit With Perez Home Contractor The city of Hartford may settle a lawsuit brought by contractor Carlos Costa – the man who did deeply discounted renovations on the home of former Mayor Eddie Perez while falling behind on a multi-million dollar contract with the city. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: September 24, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_092410.asp

City Ordinance About Mayoral Absence Being Drafted The city charter is clear about what would happen if Mayor Eddie A. Perez were to be convicted or resign from his post amid his trial on corruption. But the question of what would happen if the trial keeps Perez from fulfilling his duties as mayor — or if any future mayor were to be debilitated in some fashion — is less clear. Some council members said the charter doesn't adequately address what is considered to be an absence. The panel is now working to draft such an ordinance. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 25, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_052510.asp

City Pays Legal Fees, But Not For Eddie Perez Now that the corruption trial of former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez is over, the city still has some legal bills to pay. The city has been paying the legal bills of its employees involved in the probe of Perez since the investigation began. As of this week, the city says that total is roughly $160,000 -- and it is likely to get bigger. One bill not in the city's files is the one from the firm of Santos and Seeley -- Perez's attorneys. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: June 30, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_063010.asp

City Police Officer Accused of Faking Time Cards The Hartford Police Department has charged one of its own with double dipping and working private duty jobs while getting paid for his regular assignment. Hector Robles, the police officer, is also a state representative who just won a Democratic primary. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: August 13, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_081310_2.asp

City Settles Suit With Carlos Costa The city will pay contractor Carlos Costa $485,000 to settle a lawsuit that Costa filed alleging the city owed him money for work he did on a stalled Park Street reconstruction project. Costa, the man at the center of the bribery case against former Mayor Eddie A. Perez, sued the city for $2.2 million last year, citing a breach of contract, unpaid change orders and unpaid work on what began as a $5.3 million job to reconstruct Park Street. Costa, of USA Contractors, is accused of trading discounted home repairs for Perez's help in holding onto the Park Street contract -- a job mired in problems. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 28, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_092810_1.asp

Civil Lawsuit Dismissed Against Former Hartford Officer in Fatal 2005 Shooting A Superior Court judge has dismissed a civil lawsuit against Robert Lawlor, a former Hartford police detective involved in a controversial police shooting in 2005 in which an 18-year-old was killed. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Lydia Cabrera, Ruben Perez and Dejavahn Watkins, who were injured in a car crash that followed the shooting. Their vehicle was struck by a car driven by Brandon Henry, who had been shot by Lawlor and was fleeing. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: March 17, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_courant_031711.asp

Civil Legal Needs Among Low-Income Households in Connecticut The Connecticut Bar Foundation commissioned the University of Connecticut's Center for Survey Research and Analysis to conduct a statistically sound telephone survey of the civil law needs of low-income households in Connecticut. The survey was conducted from November 8 through December 13, 2002. The survey's two most important lessons are (1) that there is a huge unmet need for civil legal aid in Connecticut, and (2) that the legal aid agencies in our state, although they experience very high levels of active demand for their services, have low visibility within their population of potential clients. PDF document; 32 pages. Published by Connecticut Bar Foundation ; Publication Date: April 2003
Document Link: /issues/wsd/legalissues/ctbf_final_report.pdf Related Link(s): CBF Press Release ; CBF Statement

Claiming Dyslexia Is A Poor Defense Tactic For Eddie Perez If Mayor Eddie Perez is dyslexic or has other reading problems, as claimed by staff members in testimony at his corruption trial, the disability certainly hasn't kept him from performing the duties of his office. Whether or not you admire his leadership style or agree with his policies and decisions, you must admit Mr. Perez has been a hands-on executive, a strong, engaged mayor. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 15, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_061510_1.asp

Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparity in the Criminal Justice System Annual Report African-Americans and Hispanics / Latinos in Connecticut are disproportionably involved in the criminal justice system. In 2003 the Commission undertook four studies to garner further knowledge regarding how actions taken in the pre-arrest, pre-trial, trial and sentencing phases contribute to the proportion of African Americans and Latinos/Hispanics comprising the pretrial and sentenced population of correctional facilities. These four studies -- a survey of police departments regarding use of alternatives to arrest, an analysis of pretrial data, an analysis of juries, and an analysis of sentencing data -- provide insight into points in the system where disparity can occur. Recommendations include encouraging an increase in the numbers of minority employees visible at all levels of the criminal justice system. Published by Justice Education Center ; Publication Date: 2004
Document Link: /issues/wsd/LegalIssues/RedReport.pdf

Community Court A Different Model For Criminal Justice It's been 10 years since the inception of Hartford's Community Court, and it continues to be a different criminal justice model. In addition to social services being offered in the courthouse, almost every defendant is given a sentence of community service. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: November 24, 2008
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_112408.asp

Community Court Newsletter, Fall 2010 The Fall 2010 Newsletter from the Hartford Community Court includes a celebration of their 12 year anniversary and the more than 340,000 hours of commmunity service that has been performed. (PDF document, 12 pages) Published by State of Connecticut Judicial Branch ; Publication Date: December 2010
Document Link: /issues/wsd/Crime/10CommCourt_Fall_News.pdf

Community Court Newsletter, Fall 2011 The Spring Newsletter from the Hartford Community Court includes a description of Access to Recover (ATR) III that provides assistance to people in recovery from alcohol and other drug use, as well as other services of the court. (PDF document, 12 pages) Published by State of Connecticut Judicial Branch ; Publication Date: November 2011
Document Link: /issues/wsd/crime/2011_COMMCourtFallNewsletter.pdf

Community Court Newsletter, Spring 2007 The Spring Newsletter from the Hartford Community Court includes a description of a visit by Hartford Police Department's Community Service Officers to the court. (PDF document, 12 pages) Published by State of Connecticut Judicial Branch ; Publication Date: March 1, 2007
Document Link: /issues/wsd/crime/2007_COMMCourtSpringNewsletter.pdf

Community Court Newsletter, Summer 2010 The Summer 2010 Newsletter from the Hartford Community Court includes an announcement of the return of a DSS case worker to the court, an award for Judge Norko, and the work of AIDS Project Hartford. (PDF document, 16 pages) Published by State of Connecticut Judicial Branch ; Publication Date: July 2010
Document Link: /issues/wsd/Crime/10CommCourt_SummerNews.pdf

Community Court To Be a Mentor Good news for Hartford's Community Court. The decade-old court system -- which uses restitution and rehabilitation to fight prostitution, public drinking, drug use, vandalism and other quality-of-life crimes -- has been selected by the U.S. Department of Justice as one of three nationwide "community court mentor" sites. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: March 25, 2009
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/cityline_032509.asp

Community Groups Finances Investigated ONE/CHANE, a north Hartford community improvement non-profit organization, is under scrutiny for possible financial irregularities and improprieties. To comply with the investigation and to restructure under its new executive director the organization has closed its doors to the public for the time being. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 13, 2005
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_041305.asp

Community Reaction on Perez Following former Mayor Eddie Perez's sentencing recently, Steve Goode went out in the community to get people's thoughts on Perez's legacy, his downfall and the judge's decision to impose a 3-year prison term. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 15, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_091510.asp

Connecticut Activists Seek to Abolish the Death Penalty, and Gov. Malloy Says He'll Sign the Bill if it Lands on His Desk Two major issues are currently coursing their way through the Connecticut legislature. First, there's the push for the elimination of the death penalty, which has gained momentum after Governor Dannel Malloy said he'd sign a bill abolishing capital punishment if it made it to his desk. There is also the separate push to expand the collection of DNA by law enforcement in the state. Published by The Hartford Advocate ; Publication Date: February 15, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_advocate_021511.asp

Connecticut Board of Pardons and Parole The Board of Pardons and Paroles is an autonomous panel with administrative support provided by the Department of Correction. The Board possesses discretionary authority to grant pardons for criminal convictions and to place appropriate offenders in the community under supervision as a means of supporting their successful reintegration into law abiding society. Published by Connecticut Department of Corrections, Board of Pardons and Paroles
Document Link: /Issues/wsd/PrisonerRe-entry/board_of_pardons_parole.asp

Connecticut Court Considers: What Is A Good Education? Simon Bernstein sat in the front row of the courtroom recently as state Supreme Court justices, an assistant attorney general and two law students grappled over the meaning of his words. Back in 1965, Bernstein had been largely responsible for crafting an article added to the state constitution guaranteeing "free public elementary and secondary schools." A former Hartford alderman and Bloomfield school board member, Bernstein's experience with local school funding debates had convinced him of the need to make education a fundamental right. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 23, 2008
Document Link: /issues/documents/education/htfd_courant_042308.asp

Connecticut Pardon Team, Inc. The Connecticut Pardon Team, Inc. provides tools and information to help change the lives of individuals who were formerly convicted of a crime, who have successfully completed their parole and/or probation, who have remained conviction-free for at least 5 years, who have made significant steps toward rebuilding their lives and have taken positive action to rehabilitate themselves, who are taking a proactive role in giving back to their communities, and who are setting an exceptional example for other convicted persons. Published by Connecticut Pardon Team
Document Link: /Issues/wsd/PrisonerRe-entry/wsd_connecticutpardonteam.asp

Connecticut Science Center Sues Its Architect The Connecticut Science Center has filed suit against the world-renowned architectural firm that designed it, seeking at least $10 million and claiming that architects at Pelli Clarke Pelli designed an iconic roof that was "structurally unsound." Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: November 05, 2009
Document Link: /issues/documents/downtowndevelopment/htfd_courant_110509_1.asp

Connecticut Urban Legal Initiative, Inc. The Connecticut Urban Legal Initiative ("CULI") is a non-profit corporation located on the campus of the University of Connecticut School of Law. CULI has two missions: to provide effective quality legal services to nonprofit clients and to provide law students with a service learning opportunity working with these community-based clients. Published by Connecticut Urban Legal Initiative
Document Link: /issues/wsd/LegalIssues/wsd_culi.asp

Contractor Denied Bid For Special Probation City contractor Carlos Costa, who is facing bribery and other charges in connection with former Mayor Eddie Perez's corruption scandal, apologized to a Superior Court judge recently in a bid for a special form of probation. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: February 25, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_022511.asp

Convicted Ex-Mayor Wins $70,947 For Unused Vacation, Sick Time An arbitrator has awarded former Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez $70,947 for unused vacation and sick time during his 8 1/2-year tenure, but he will receive nothing for the time he was on trial for corruption in 2010. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: December 02, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_120211.asp

Convicted Former Hartford Mayor Perez Gets January Appeal More than two years after he resigned his office, former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez had his second day in court. Perez is appealed his corruption convictions. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: December 06, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_120612.asp

Corruption Or Incompetence In Perez Case? Helen Ubiñas writes that if the first day of testimony in Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez's corruption trial proved one thing, it's that nothing comes easy in city government — least of all getting someone to do the right thing. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 13, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_051310.asp

Costa Spared Prison Carlos Costa, the key witness in the corruption trial of former Mayor Eddie A. Perez, agreed to a plea deal recently that will allow him to avoid prison. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: March 10, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_031011.asp

Court Monitor Rules Mayor Must Testify in Police Hearing A federal official has ruled that Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez must testify to determine whether the city's police department has violated the 1973 consent decree that required the city to take steps to be more accountable and responsive to the community. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 6, 2005
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_040605.asp Related Link(s): Chief Cites Obstacles To Consent Decree ; Standoff Not Helping City Police

DCF Task Force Disbands The joint federal and state task force that has been running the state's troubled child welfare system for the past two years has disbanded, state officials confirmed. The task force was established in 2003 as a compromise to avoid having the DCF placed in federal receivership for repeatedly failing to comply with court-ordered reforms. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: October 19, 2005
Document Link: /issues/documents/familiesandchildren/htfdcourant_101905.asp

Defense In Perez Case Rests Without Mayor's Testimony Mayor Eddie A. Perez walked with his wife, Maria, out of the courthouse after four weeks of evidence in his bribery and larceny trial had ended, and was questioned by reporters about his decision not to take the stand and testify. "Will it hurt you in the eyes of the voters, mayor?" a TV news reporter asked. "My story has been told in court,'' the mayor said as the cameras pushed in close.”I've had my day in court.'' Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 15, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_061510.asp

Defense Offers Reason Why Perez Lied About Payment Mayor Eddie A. Perez lied to an investigator at a tape-recorded meeting in June 2007 about when he paid for remodeling work done by a city contractor because he didn't want the city's lawyer, who was also in the room, to know what had happened. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 21, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_052110.asp

Defense: Giles Was On His Own; Perez Trial The prosecution in Mayor Eddie A. Perez's corruption case says that Abraham Giles, the mayor's erstwhile political ally, had no legal right to run a parking lot at 1143 Main St., and therefore had no business subleasing the land for four times what he was paying the city. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 04, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_060410.asp

Defense: Perez's Dyslexia Is Reason He Didn't See E-Mail The defense in the Mayor Eddie A. Perez trial offered a reason why he may not have seen a March 5, 2007, e-mail from a developer indicating North End politician Abraham Giles was, with the mayor's knowledge, demanding $100,000 to vacate a parking lot that the developer wanted to buy. "The mayor's dyslexia creates a problem,'' Susan McMullen, the mayor's chief of staff, testified at Perez's corruption trial. She said the city hall staff tries "to keep reading to a minimum." Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 10, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_061010_1.asp

Democratic Primary Has Many Ifs A slate of candidates for the town committee's fifth district whose petitions weren't completed properly should be removed from the ballot for the Democratic primary, Judge Susan Peck ruled recently. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: March 02, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/democracy/htfd_courant_030210_1.asp

Developer Citino Testifies In Perez Trial The prosecution in Mayor Eddie A. Perez's corruption case says the mayor wanted North End politician Abraham Giles to be paid off to vacate a parking lot that was on a sliver of land crucial to a developer's plans for a condo and shopping center. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 27, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_052710_2.asp

Did Former Corporation Counsel John Rose Behave Inappropriately When He Accepted A Position At A Local Law Firm? The Hartford Ethics Commission is reviewing a formal complaint filed against former Corporation Counsel John Rose, alleging that the city’s former top attorney behaved inappropriately when he accepted a position at a local law firm, Crumbie Law Groups Llc., after leaving office. Published by The Hartford Advocate ; Publication Date: January 03, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_advocate_010311.asp

Dismissed! If you recall, earlier this month Hartford Corporation Counsel John Rose filed an appeal to the state Supreme Court over Judge Susan Peck's decision to remove a slate of candidates, including Democratic Registrar of Voters Olga Vazquez, from the ballot in the 5th district Democratic town committee primary. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: March 19, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/cityline_031910.asp

Distraction, Dyslexia: Desperate Defense For Perez Helen Ubiñas writes that a funny thing happened on the way to Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez's defense in his month-long corruption trial. Throughout the state's presentation of their case, El Jefe's defense was absolute innocence. Oh, his attorneys hinted that his wife Maria's serious illness may have made him forgetful of a few details, like paying for some deeply discounted home repairs a little later than he had admitted to inspectors. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 13, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_061310.asp

Does Campaign Finance Discriminate Against Minor Parties? A U.S. Supreme Court ruling could topple Connecticut’s system of public funding for campaigns. Connecticut’s Green Party is challenging this state’s public campaign financing law on the grounds that it discriminates against minor-party candidates and acts as an “incumbent protection” for Democrats and Republicans. Published by The Hartford Advocate ; Publication Date: June 15, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/democracy/htfd_advocate_061510.asp

Does Mayor Eddie Perez Have Too Much Power? Even as Mayor Eddie Perez spends his days in Hartford’s Superior Court, on trial for corruption with perhaps five weeks to go, the struggle to sort out his powers as the city’s first strong mayor beginning in 2004 continues. Published by The Hartford Advocate ; Publication Date: May 18, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_advocate_051810.asp

Drug Distribution Ordinance Councilperson Luis Cotto has introduced an ordinance to restrict the sale of items that would not typically be used for anything except illegal drug use. Blunts and rolling papers would not likely be affected, as people do not use these exclusively for illegal drug use, but items like glass vials, cutting agents, and scales would be restricted. Published by Real Hartford ; Publication Date: December 20, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/drugs/realhtfd_122010.asp

Drug Summit Takes On Issue of Legalization Participants in a recent drug policy summit at Trinity College agreed wholeheartedly that addiction is a serious problem, but were divided over whether that problem is fundamentally one of health - or of crime. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: October 22, 2005
Document Link: /issues/documents/LegalIssues/htfd_courant_102205.asp

Eddie Perez Got His Due In this opinion piece, the author suggests that the jury in Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez's corruption trial restored our faith in common sense. The jurors arrived at a verdict with dispatch. Any way you spell it, backward or forward: guilty. The Perez saga provided a view of life at the intersection of law enforcement and politics from the defendant's beleaguered corner. Perez claimed city contractor Carlos Costa performed valuable renovations at the mayor's home because they were friends. That Costa needed Perez's help with the mess he made at a city construction project had nothing to do with those home renovations, according to Perez. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 20, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_062010_1.asp

Eddie Perez Out, Pedro Segarra In City Council President Pedro Segarra found himself at the center of the political and media storm that washed over the city in the wake of Mayor Eddie Perez’s conviction on bribery and extortion charges. Segarra succeeded Perez as mayor. Published by The Hartford Advocate ; Publication Date: June 22, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_advocate_062210.asp

Eddie Perez Trial Focuses On Park Street Contractor Jurors in Mayor Eddie A. Perez's bribery and larceny trial got their first taste recently of the kind of decision they're going to have to make in the jury room about six weeks from now. Opening day in the mayor's felony corruption trial centered on how the mayor and other city departments dealt with Perez confidant Carlos Costa as the contractor struggled to complete the troubled Park Street restoration project — a $5.3 million job whose cost has potentially ballooned to more than $8 million and is still tied up in court. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 12, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_051210.asp

Eddie Perez Wrongfully Convicted In this opinion piece, the author says he was stunned, shocked by the verdict brought in by the jury in the case of Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 27, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_062710.asp

Eddie Perez's Lawyer Says Disclosed Information Prejudiced Jury One of Connecticut's most notorious — and in many minds, still unsettling — criminal cases resurfaced Friday when embattled Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez tried and failed to have the charges against him dismissed by arguing that prosecutors intentionally prejudiced his prospective jury with the disclosure of secret and sensational allegations. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 05, 2009
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_090509_1.asp

Eddie Perez's Supporters Must Forge Ahead The author suggests that when the citizens of Hartford supported and elected Eddie Perez, the first Puerto Rican mayor of a New England capital city, their sense of pride and achievement overflowed. His conviction for bribery and other crimes gave them a blow. But they are ready to fight the good fight and ready to overcome. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 19, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_061910_2.asp

Ethics Charges Have Been Filed Against Former Hartford Corporation Counsel John Rose An outside attorney has been hired to investigate ethics charges filed against former Hartford Corporation Counsel John Rose. Published by The Hartford Advocate ; Publication Date: January 25, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_advocate_012511.asp

Ethics Commission To Discuss Section 8 Subsidies Issue News broke recently that Mayor Pedro Segarra's spouse, Charlie Ortiz, collects about $2,000 a month in federal Section 8 rent subsidies as the landlord for low-income tenants, and that Segarra hasn't disclosed that on his annual ethics disclosure forms. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 12, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_041211.asp

Ethics Commission Will Decide Whether To Hire Outside Law Firm To Look Into Segarra Matter The city's ethics commission investigated whether it needs to hire an outside law firm to look into a potential conflict of interest involving Mayor Pedro Segarra and his spouse, Charlie Ortiz. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 12, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_041211_1.asp

Ex-Hartford Mayor Perez's Appeal On Corruption Charges To Be Heard Today More than two years after former Mayor Eddie A. Perez was convicted of five felony corruption charges and sentenced to three years in prison, his lawyers had a chance to make their case for why those convictions should be thrown out. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: February 18, 2013
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_021813.asp

Ex-Hartford Officer's Lawyer Criticizes Police Record-Keeping The police department's system for keeping track of the hours that officers spend on private duty jobs is so flawed it's unfair to prosecute one person for double-dipping, an attorney representing state Rep. Hector Robles said. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 21, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_042111.asp

Ex-Mayor Eddie Perez's Appeal Grinds On Former Hartford Mayor Eddie has been free on bond while the appeal of his conviction on five of six felony corruption charges is wending its way through the courts. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 25, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_062512.asp

Face-Off on Immigration Connecticut Citizens for Immigration Control delivered a letter to Sen. Lieberman's office on Constitution Plaza. The letter, signed by 100 state residents and about 225 people from other states, opposes an immigration reform bill that the senator is co-sponsoring. Immigration activists responded with their own demonstration. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 26, 2005
Document Link: /issues/documents/immigrants/htfd_courant_062605.asp

Familiar Face For Hartford's Top Lawyer Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra reached into the past Thursday in picking Saundra Kee Borges to be city hall's top lawyer. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: July 22, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_072210.asp

Feltman, NRZs Cook Up Free Speech Folly State Representative Art Feltman submitted a bill to the General Assembly that would strip an NRZ’s power to comment on housing projects for persons with developmental disabilities. While it died on the vine, it did stir controversy among the Hartford NRZ’s and Hartford 2000. Published by The Hartford News ; Publication Date: May 15, 2008
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_news_051508.asp

Fifth District Race Still in Doubt It has been well over a month since the Democratic Primary and, as of press time, Leo Canty of Windsor and Brandon McGee of Hartford were still waiting to hear which one of them will be the party’s endorsed candidate for State Representative from the 5th District in November’s general election. Published by The Hartford News ; Publication Date: September 20, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_news_092012.asp

Final Alternate Selected For Perez Jury The final alternate juror in Mayor Eddie A. Perez's corruption case was selected recently, clearing the way for a trial on bribery and larceny charges to start May 12, 2010. The jury of six comprises three white women — two from Manchester and one from Canton — a white man from Simsbury, a Cuban-born woman from Hartford and a Hispanic man from Hartford. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 23, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_042310_1.asp

Former Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez Sentenced To Three Years In Prison Former Mayor Eddie A. Perez found out the real cost of discounted home repairs and attempted payoffs to political allies when he returned to court for sentencing. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 15, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_091510.asp

Former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez Appeals His Conviction Former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez was back in court recently, appealing his 2010 convictions on corruption-related charges. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: February 19, 2013
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/jcohen_021913.asp

Former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez Appeals His Corruption Convictions Nineteen months after his conviction on five felony corruption charges, attorneys for former Mayor Eddie A. Perez filed an appeal saying the court shouldn't have consolidated Perez's two criminal cases and that there ultimately was insufficient evidence to support the convictions. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: January 10, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_011012.asp

Former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez Was Sentenced to Jailtime. So ... Why Does He Have a Job with an Advocacy Group? Former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez recently landed a new gig with an AIDS advocacy group, the Connecticut AIDS Resource Council. Perez oversaw the granting of funds to that group from the city, to the tune of $419,132 over three years. Published by The Hartford Advocate ; Publication Date: January 03, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_advocate_010311.asp

Former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez’s House Has New Owners Former Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez’s house in the city’s West End has sold after being on the market for more than a year. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 13, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_061312.asp

Former Hartford Mayor Perez's Appeal Scheduled For Feb. 19 Former Mayor Eddie Perez's appeal of his June 2010 convictions on bribery and other charges is scheduled for Feb. 19 , 2013. Perez, 54, will appear in front of a three-judge panel. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: January 18, 2013
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_011813.asp

Former Hartford Mayor To Be Sentenced Tuesday Former Mayor Eddie A. Perez found out the real cost of discounted home repairs and attempted payoffs to political allies when he returned to court for sentencing. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 12, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_091210.asp

Free Legal Clinics Help Haitian Immigrants Gain Temporary Protection In U.S. At one of five free legal clinics held around the state, lawyers helped Haitian immigrants fill out the complicated forms to apply for temporary protected status. The designation allows qualified undocumented Haitian immigrants to live and work in the country legally for at least 18 months, perhaps years if the government extends it. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: February 07, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/immigrants/htfd_courant_020710.asp

Freedom vs. Safety Would tracking the movements of parolees and persons released on bail with a Geographic Positioning System (GPS) be an infringement on constitutional rights or a necessary step to reduce both crime and the cost of our prison system? That question was hotly debated at a recent meeting of the Maple Avenue Revitalization Group (MARG) at St. Augustine’s Church. Published by The Hartford News ; Publication Date: October 25 - November 1, 2006
Document Link: /issues/documents/PrisonerRe-entry/htfd_news_102506.asp

Fund Cuts Curtail Essential Legal Aid Service In this editorial, the Hartford Courant expresses the opinion that falling revenue from Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts, state budget cuts and the proposed reallocation of funds originally intended for legal aid have put the critical Legal Aid Service at jeopardy. The funding that has been allocated to legal services should be sustained. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: February 09, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/region/htfd_courant_020910.asp

Giles Doesn't Get Probation. Case On Track For Trial A state court judge has denied a special form of probation for Hartford politician Abraham Giles. Giles was arrested in connection with the corruption case of former Mayor Eddie Perez. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: August 10, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_081010.asp

Giles Pleads Guilty Former State Representative Abraham Giles pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors but got no jail time for his role in the corruption case of former Mayor Eddie Perez. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: December 21, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_122110.asp

Giles Pleads Guilty, Avoids Prison Abraham Giles, a former state representative and political power broker in Hartford's North End who was arrested in the city hall corruption investigation that brought down former Mayor Eddie A. Perez, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor corruption charges recently at Superior Court in Hartford. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: December 21, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_122110.asp

GOP, Democrats Battle In High Court Over Ballot Position Time is running out on exactly how the election ballot will look this November in all 169 towns in Connecticut. With towns needing to be notified of the ballot order by September 15, 2012 and overseas ballots needing to be mailed to members of the military by September 21, 2012 the state Supreme Court is moving to act quickly. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 12, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/democracy/htfd_courant_091212_1.asp

Grand Jury Investigation Outside Counsel Legal Fees As of April 18, 2010 A list of the legal fees paid by the City of Hartford to the Grand Jury for the investigation of Mayor Eddie Perez. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: June 30, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/outsidecounselfeesas-of-4-8-2010.pdf

Greater Hartford Legal Aid Greater Hartford Legal Aid is a not-for-profit law firm whose staff helps clients with civil (not criminal) legal issues. They are advocates — primarily lawyers and paralegals — who use their resources and know-how to serve people who have little money. They seek to equalize power and influence and see that all people are treated justly. Published by Greater Hartford Legal Aid
Document Link: /issues/wsd/LegalIssues/wsd_ghla.asp

Hartford City Council Wants To Hire Its Own Legal Counsel Dissatisfied with the legal advice it gets from the city's attorneys, Hartford's city council wants to hire legal counsel of its own. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: March 12, 2009
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_031209.asp

Hartford City Councilman Settles Malpractice Lawsuit When the federal government began investigating a Mather Street bodega and its owner, Maribel Diaz, for food stamp irregularities in 2005, attorney Alexander Aponte handled the case on behalf of the couple who ran the store. Diaz had never met Aponte, and she wasn't aware of the investigation until after she had been fined thousands of dollars in penalties, she claims in a legal malpractice lawsuit she filed in June 2010 against Aponte, who now sits on Hartford's city council. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: November 15, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_111510.asp

Hartford Cop Fired For Conduct Unbecoming In this editorial, the Hartford Courant expresses the opinion that Hector Robles, who falsified department pay records, refused to act honorably and resign as a Hartford police officer after he got caught. So Chief Daryl K. Roberts did what he had to do: He terminated Mr. Robles this week for "a flagrant violation" of the department's code of conduct. Now Mr. Robles should resign the other office of public trust he has sullied — that of state representative from the 6th District in Hartford. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: November 06, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_courant_110610.asp

Hartford Council Has Subpoena Power, Lawyer Says Twice the city council has asked its own attorney for a second opinion on a ruling by Corporation Counsel John Rose.And twice the council's attorney said Rose was wrong. Earlier this summer, some on the council were frustrated by their inability to get timely budgetary information from the staff of Mayor Eddie A. Perez. The council passed a resolution giving itself the ability to subpoena records and people — specifically city department heads — to its budget committee meetings. After it did, Rose wrote an opinion saying that the council didn't have that authority, and Perez vetoed the resolution. But recently, attorney Allan Taylor said in an opinion requested by the council that Rose's "fundamental misunderstanding" of state law led him to wrongly conclude that the city council does not have subpoena power. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 09, 2009
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_090909.asp

Hartford Council Member Should Resign In this editorial, the Hartford Courant expresses the opinion that if Veronica Airey-Wilson is to receive a special form of probation for her role in Hartford's recent corruption scandal, it should come with one important caveat — that she resign from the city council. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: October 02, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_100210_1.asp

Hartford Council Seeks Legal Advice On Perez's Absence With the start of Mayor Eddie A. Perez's corruption trial approaching, the council plans to ask an independent attorney to clarify whether the city charter adequately addresses what happens when a mayor is "absent or disabled." Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 28, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_042810_1.asp

Hartford Council Wants To Review Freedom Of Information Appeals The city has spent more than $200,000 in the past 18 months appealing state Freedom of Information Commission rulings that documents must be made public. Because of that, the city council has asked Mayor Eddie A. Perez not to authorize any more FOI appeals without first getting council approval. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 15, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/democracy/htfd_courant_041510.asp

Hartford Councilwoman Applies For Special Form Of Probation Hartford Republican Councilwoman Veronica Airey-Wilson has applied for a special form of probation. She was arrested with former Mayor Eddie Perez in 2009 and charged with faking payment to a city contractor for work done on her home. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: September 28, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_092810.asp

Hartford Councilwoman Gets Special Form Of Probation Hartford City Councilwoman Veronica Airey-Wilson was granted a special form of probation today. She was arrested with former Mayor Eddie Perez last year and charged with faking payment to a city contractor for work done on her home. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: October 21, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_102110.asp

Hartford Councilwoman Says She Saw No Conflict In Hiring Client As Assistant Councilwoman Cynthia Jennings said she saw no conflict in hiring as her executive assistant a man she was also representing in a federal lawsuit against several state officials. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: December 12, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_121212.asp

Hartford Housing Authority: Mystery Memo Is Back It's been a few years since allegations of corruption racked the Hartford Housing Authority. But there's an old mystery that won't go away: a disputed 2002 memorandum that developer Salvatore Carabetta says gives him the rights to develop Nelton Court and other sites. The authority has long disavowed the memo. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 02, 2009
Document Link: /issues/documents/housing/htfd_courant_040209.asp

Hartford Lawyer Helping Bar Association Attract More Minorities To The Profession Hartford lawyer David Jimenez was recently appointed as the labor and employment law section liaison to the American Bar Association's Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession.As liaison, Jimenez will promote and monitor diversity issues in the legal profession. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: October 24, 2008
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_102408.asp

Hartford Mayor On Trial: Eddie Perez Must Step Aside In this editorial, the Hartford Courant expressed the opinion that Hartford leaders were in the midst of a difficult budget debate. Mayor Eddie Perez proposed a potentially back-breaking tax increase, and the city council tried to get that increase down to zero. The negotiations were nuanced and complex. The Courant suggested that for Mr. Perez to take part in the process because of his trial on bribery and extortion charges. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 12, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/taxes/htfd_courant_051210.asp

Hartford Mayor Punished For Legal Mistake The Statewide Grievance Committee signed off recently on an agreement that calls for Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra to take an ethics class because of a mistake he made representing a city woman in a 2007 slip-and-fall lawsuit. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: March 01, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_030112.asp

Hartford Mayor To Get Slap From Lawyers' Oversight Panel At the time he was serving on the Hartford city council in 2007, Mayor Pedro Segarra failed to file a notice of intent to sue the city on behalf of a 64-year-old legal client who had fallen on a cracked sidewalk, thereby preventing the woman from recovering full damages from her injuries. Segarra will be disciplined by the Statewide Grievance Committee, which oversees lawyer conduct, recently in Hartford Superior Court for his actions, or lack thereof, when he represented Warnelly Martinez. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: February 28, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_022812.asp

Hartford Police Fires One Of Its Own A day before the general election, Hartford Police Chief Daryl Roberts has fired Officer Hector Robles. Robles is also a state representative on the ballot for reelection. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: November 01, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_110110.asp

Hartford Seeks To Dismiss Court Order Governing Voter List The city and its registrars of voters are seeking to dismiss a two-decades-old federal court order requiring the registrars' office to take extra precautions so residents — particularly those of Latino background — aren't unfairly purged from the registered voters list. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: July 11, 2013
Document Link: /issues/documents/democracy/htfd_courant_071113.asp

Hartford Settles Lawsuit With Contractor The city will pay contractor Carlos Costa $485,000 to settle a lawsuit he filed seeking money owed to him for work on a stalled Park Street reconstruction project. Costa, the man at the center of the bribery case against former Mayor Eddie A. Perez, sued the city for $2.2 million last year, citing breach of contract, unpaid change orders and unpaid work on what began as a $5.3 million job to reconstruct Park Street. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 28, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_092810.asp

Hartford State Rep Gets Probation In Larceny Case Outgoing state Rep. Hector Robles, a former city police officer accused of defrauding the police department of more than $10,000, was granted a special form of probation recently that would allow his criminal record to be erased. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: January 07, 2013
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_010713.asp

Hartford Students Thrive In Law Academy As the Hartford schools implement educational reforms aimed at improving results, students are benefitting from partnerships that offer Hartford high school students at the Law Academy valuable experience and guidance Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: July 14, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/educationfunding/htfd_courant_071410.asp

Hartford Teachers Arbitration Award, February 17, 2011 An arbitration panel recently rejected the Hartford School district's attempt to enforce school-based seniority in the next teachers' union contract. Superintendent Steven Adamowski has pushed for a system in which seniority "bumping" would occur only within individual schools when there are layoffs, an idea that has taken hold among education reform groups. Currently, with citywide seniority -- informally known as "last hired, first fired" -- a teacher targeted for layoff at one school could bump a teacher with specialized training who was hired more recently at one of the city's redesigned academies. (PDF document, 122 pages) Published by Connecticut State Department of Education ; Publication Date: February 17, 2011
Document Link: /issues/wsd/Education/HartfordTeachersAward_2011-02-17.pdf

Hartford Tenant Fights To Stay In Home After Foreclosure Four days after Evelyn Colon paid the September rent for her Hartford apartment, a state marshal knocked on the door. He handed her a notice that she had to be out in a month. Fannie Mae, the huge mortgage financier, had foreclosed on her building and was evicting Colon and two other tenants. Colon is now fighting her eviction in what her attorneys believe is the first court challenge in the country to use a provision deep within the government's $700 billion bailout legislation to seek protection for renters facing eviction after foreclosure. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: October 24, 2008
Document Link: /issues/documents/housing/htfd_courant_102408.asp

Hartford To Hire Independent Attorney To Clear Up Dispute Over Re-Hiring Retired Employees The city council will hire an independent attorney to review whether some employees are in violation of an ordinance that says retirees cannot be re-hired for longer than six months. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 22, 2013
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_042213.asp

Helen Ubiñas: Eddie Perez Uses I Am The Victim Defense On the third day of jury selection in the bribery and larceny trial of Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez, Helen Ubiñas senses a theme in the mayor's defense. Poor Eddie. His defense team's questions suggested El Jefe is a victim. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 14, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_041410.asp

Help for Ex-Offenders: A List of Resources A list of resources for ex-offenders in Connecticut, from Employment to Parenting (Word document, 4 pages) Published by Hartford Public Library ; Publication Date: July 22, 2010
Document Link: /issues/wsd/PrisonerRe-entry/Help_for_Ex-offenders.doc

Hospital Showdown In an unprecedented clash, five major hospitals teamed up and went public recently to protest the University of Connecticut's plan to build a $500 million hospital in Farmington. They asked the legislature to block the proposal. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: March 9, 2007
Document Link: /issues/documents/Region/htfd_courant_030907.asp

Housing Complex Ordered To Address Residents' Concerns The management of Chappelle Gardens, a 188-unit affordable housing complex in the North End, has been ordered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to address a variety of concerns raised recently by residents. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 08, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/housing/htfd_courant_060810.asp

HUD Rent Arrangement With Segarra's Spouse Draws Attention Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra's spouse, Charlie Ortiz, collects about $2,000 a month in federal Section 8 rent subsidies as the landlord for low-income tenants under a "housing choice voucher program" administered locally by the city, public records show. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 10, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_041011_1.asp

Immigration Policy Report: 2011 Immigration-Related Laws and Resolutions in the States (January-June) In the first half of 2011, state legislators introduced 1,592 bills and resolutions relating to immigrants and refugees in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. The number of bill introductions is an increase of 16 percent compared to the first half of 2010, when 46 states considered 1,374 bills and resolutions pertaining to immigrants. Published by National Conference of State Legislatures
Document Link: /issues/wsd/Immigrants/wsd_immigration_policy_report.asp

In Perez Appeal, Is One Trial Fair For Two Crimes? Former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez says the two cases against him never should have been combined into one trial and that argument is the crux of his criminal appeal. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: January 10, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_011012.asp

Incumbent Robles Wins 6th District Seat Incumbent state Rep. Hector Robles easily fended off three write-in candidates in the 6th House District race to win his second term, according to unofficial results. Robles, a Democrat who was fired recently from his job as a city police officer, said his top priorities would be job growth, property tax relief for home and business owners and closing the education achievement gap. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: November 03, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_110310.asp

It Was Eddie — Not Strong Mayor System — That Went Wrong In this editorial, the Hartford Courant expresses the opinion that the conviction of Mayor Eddie A. Perez on bribery and corruption charges raises the question of whether Hartford made a mistake in adopting a strong mayor form of government in 2002. Absolutely not. The city simply had the wrong person in the job. Hartford adopted a progressive council-manager system after World War II, replacing a confusing system of boards and commissions. In the 1960s, the system underwent considerable fiddling, ending up with an unstable system in which the mayor was a figurehead with no vote on the council. The deputy mayor often had more power than the mayor. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 20, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_062010_2.asp

Judge And Lawyers Discuss Juror Instructions In Perez Trial The judge and the lawyers in Mayor Eddie A. Perez's corruption case discussed the delicate matter of how to instruct the jury on the charges of bribery, evidence fabrication, and attempted larceny by extortion that the mayor faces. Final arguments in the mayor's case are scheduled followed by instructions to the jury by Superior Court Judge Julia D. Dewey. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 16, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_061610.asp

Judge Denies Giles Bid For Special Probation A Superior Court judge rejected Abraham Giles' request for a special probationary program during a hearing recently, citing the serious nature of the crime he is accused of committing. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: August 11, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_081110.asp

Judge Grants Perez Co-Defendant Special Form of Probation Judge Julia Dewey granted special probation to Edward Lazu, a former city employee who the state arrested on charges relating to home driveway work done by Carlos Costa — the same contractor whose home improvement work led to guilty verdicts for Mayor Eddie A. Perez. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: June 23, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_062310_1.asp

Judge Keeps Hispanic Juror On Panel In Mayor Eddie Perez Case The judge in Mayor Eddie A. Perez' bribery and larceny trial has ruled that a Hispanic bail bondsman could not be dismissed from the jury solely because his job brings him in close proximity to criminal defendants. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 14, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_041410_1.asp

Judge Orders New Democratic Primary Election In Deadlocked 5th House District A Superior Court judge has ordered a new election on Oct. 2, 2012 in the deadlocked Democratic primary for the 5th General Assembly District. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 19, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_091912_1.asp

Judge Rejects Motions In Perez Case; Jury Selection On Track A Superior Court judge rejected a last round of motions recently from Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez's defense, setting the stage for jury selection in the mayor's bribery and extortion trial to begin. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 06, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_040610.asp

Judge Rules Juror Can Stay On Panel In Perez Case In the end, a judge ruled recently that a Cuban American juror could remain on the panel in Mayor Eddie A. Perez's corruption case. Superior Court Judge Julia Dewey said there was no evidence that the woman's actions as a crime victim in a separate case would affect her ability to be an impartial juror. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 21, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_042110.asp

Judge: Hartford Wrongly Told Jewish Organization To Cease And Desist A few years ago, an Orthodox Jewish group opened a religious center for students at the nearby University of Hartford. But the city told them to stop. Now, a state court judge says the city was wrong. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: December 16, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/faithcommunity/jcohen_121611.asp

Judge: Perez Trial To Stay In Hartford Superior Court Judge Julia Dewey rejected several motions by defense attorneys for Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez and told everyone to clear their schedules through the last week of June for the mayor's bribery and corruption trial. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 06, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_040610.asp

Jury Begins Deliberations In Perez Trial Mayor Eddie A. Perez abused his power and hurt the people of Hartford by taking a bribe in the form of free home remodeling work and trying to extort a payoff on behalf of a political ally, the prosecutor said in his final argument in the mayor's corruption case. Defense attorney Hubert Santos acknowledged that the mayor showed bad judgment in some instances, lied to an investigator, and was distracted by his wife's illness, but maintained that there was no corrupt agreement with the city contractor who did the home renovations, and no attempt to facilitate a payoff to North End politician Abraham Giles. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 16, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_061610_1.asp

Kee Borges Returns To City Government Saundra Kee Borges wasn't looking to return to city government. The former city manager bowed out of the municipal workforce in early 2002 during a tumultuous time in the city's history. Eddie Perez had just taken office as mayor, and the city was preparing to switch to a "strong mayor" form of government. The city manager's post would soon be eliminated and Kee Borges found herself heading for the door. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 25, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_092510.asp

Lawsuit Filed Over Bidding On Trash Plant Contract The Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority is mishandling the bidding process for a lucrative 5- to 10-year contract to run its trash-to-energy plant in Hartford, the Metropolitan District Commission says in a new lawsuit. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: December 09, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/landfill/htfd_courant_120910.asp

Lawsuit Spurs New Deportation Policy A civil rights lawsuit brought by an undocumented immigrant in Connecticut facing deportation has prompted federal officials to adopt a new policy that will have a national impact. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: July 03, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/immigrants/htfd_courant_070311.asp

Lawyer Hired By Hartford Council Says Mayor Can't Reject Their Budget Cuts Mayor Pedro Segarra does not have the authority to reject or amend the city council's cuts to his proposed budget, an independent lawyer hired by the council wrote in an opinion issued recently. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 30, 2013
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_053013.asp

Lawyer's License Plea Opposed An immigration lawyer whose license was suspended after his 2008 conviction for federal document fraud faced opposition recently from other lawyers and former clients as he tried to regain the right to practice law. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 05, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/immigrants/htfd_courant_060510.asp

Lawyer: Former Hartford Mayor Perez Deserves Two New Trials Former Mayor Eddie A. Perez's lawyer reiterated his argument recently that Perez's bribery and extortion cases should not have been combined, and that as a result the jury was unfairly prejudiced against Perez. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: February 19, 2013
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_021913.asp

Layoffs Loom At Legal Aid Because of a tanking economy, eight staff members at Greater Hartford Legal Aid — including six attorneys — have been notified of impending layoffs. About 64 percent of Legal Aid's funding comes from interest on money held by law firms for clients. The fund is administered by the nonprofit Connecticut Bar Foundation. When the economy is good — or even passable — things are fine, but earnings have dropped precipitously this year, and alternate sources of income aren't enough to cover the difference. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: November 18, 2008
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_111808.asp

Lazu Gets AR Less than a week after Mayor Eddie A. Perez was convicted of five felony corruption charges, a former city contract compliance supervisor tied in with the probe received a special form of probation that, if successfully completed, would result in the erasure of his charges. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 23, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_062310.asp

Legal Aid Offices Seek Increase In State Support At a time when funding for virtually every state agency is under siege, Connecticut's legal aid offices are pleading with legislators not only to preserve their state allotment, but also to increase it by $8 million. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: February 26, 2009
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_022609.asp

Letter Concerning Robles Request Under Freedom of Information Act A copy of a letter and attachments from Attorneys Halloran & Halloran concerning a Freedom of Information request to the City of Hartford. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 19, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/Government/RoblesFOI.pdf

Lies And Silence Hurt The Mayor, Observers Say In the end, it was the lies that Mayor Eddie A. Perez told investigators in a secretly recorded interview on June 27, 2007, that did him in, said veteran criminal defense lawyers who followed the four-week trial that ended with guilty verdicts on five of six felony counts. The mayor said on the tape that he had paid a contractor - who was doing millions of dollars of work for the city - for the roughly $40,000 worth of remodeling work done at his house. But the mayor hadn't paid, and wouldn't pay until after he was confronted by investigators. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 19, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_061910.asp

Marches Today In Hartford, New Haven To Focus On Immigration Reform Organizers hope that marches in Hartford and New Haven calling for immigration reform will refocus attention in the state on the controversial issue of immigration reform after several years of relative quiet. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 01, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/immigrants/htfd_courant_050110.asp

Mayor Eddie Perez's Conviction Yet Another Chance To Learn From Scandal Helen Ubiñas writes that after a two year investigation, a month-long trial and endless defiant vows of innocence, convicted Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez announced in a bizarrely vague press release that he would "relinquish his duties." Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 20, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_062010.asp

Mayor's Departure Is Long Overdue Helen Ubiñas writes that the idea was that convicted felon Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez would hand over the reins to the city to council President Pedro Segarra promptly. He submitted his letter of resignation, but the days came and went without a letter of resignation — or whatever word Perez decides to choose to convey that he's out. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 23, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_062310_1.asp

Mayor's Spouse's Housing Assistance Contracts Do Not Create A Conflict Of Interest, Attorney Says The contracts that Mayor Pedro Segarra's spouse, Charlie Ortiz, has with the city's Public Housing Authority do not create a conflict of interest for the mayor and don't violate the city's code of ethics, an attorney hired to investigate the matter said. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 11, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_051111.asp

McGee Picks Up 1 Vote In Windsor; 5th House District Race Is Now A Tie It’s a tie, and heading back to Hartford. The highly unusual second recount of votes in the disputed Democratic primary for the 5th General Assembly District turned up a single additional vote for Brandon McGee. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 17, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/democracy/htfd_courant_091712.asp

Minnie Gonzalez Must Resign State representative Minnie Gonzalez must resign before the Connecticut General Assembly starts it 2014 session. She should not appeal her political death sentence, meted out by the Connecticut Appellate Court on September 10, 2013. Published by The Hartford News ; Publication Date: September 12, 2013
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_news_091213.asp

New Hartford Law Would Restrict Racial Profiling Police Chief Doesn't Like It The Hartford city council is considering an ordinance that would limit police powers when it comes to enforcing federal immigration laws. The measure would also limit police surveillance and prohibit profiling. It's opposed by the city's police chief. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: November 12, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/jcohen_111210.asp

New Rule Makes Hartford Hub of Wal-Mart Debate A new Wal-Mart opens on January 26 on the site of the city-owned old Charter Oak public housing project. The opening comes after a local ordinance was passed that mandates large retail stores to allow all manner of speech on or near their "city-affiliated" property. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: January 5, 2005
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_010505.asp Related Link(s): Large Retailers Like Wal-Mart May Need to Comply with a Special Free Speech City Ordinance

New Voting Rights Debate When Latino voters go to Hartford's polls this summer and fall, federal law requires that Spanish-speaking observers will be present to help them read the ballot and understand the voting procedures. But that guarantee - now the law in seven Connecticut cities and more than 400 other areas around the country with large Hispanic populations - expires next year. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 9, 2006
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_050906.asp

No Child Left Behind Upheld By Appeals Court The U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld a lower court's dismissal of Connecticut's lawsuit charging that the federal No Child Left Behind school reform law is an unfunded mandate. The appeals court ruled that the lower court did not have jurisdiction over the case. The state had argued that the No Child Left Behind law, designed to improve low-performing schools, was forcing towns and cities to spend millions to comply with the program. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: July 14, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/education/htfd_courant_071410_1.asp

No Spanking Rose or the Board of Ed At a recent meeting, the Hartford city council didn't take action on two resolutions aimed at getting Corporation Counsel John Rose's undivided attention. The first measure took note of his 18-month, $200,000 losing streak with the FOI Commission and sought to force him to ask for permission before he goes off on another appeal. The resolution, which also called for him to pay future fines out of his own pocket, was postponed. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: March 23, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_032310.asp

North End Agency In Battle for Survival ONE/CHANE, a nonprofit, community organization in Hartford, is not only under investigation, but experiencing internal turmoil as well, particularly on the board. The dissension among ONE/CHANE board members and new executive director may prohibit the group from receiving over $1 million it has requested from the state. The group has significant status in Hartford's black community that many are reluctant to lose. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 17, 2005
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_041705.asp Related Link(s): Community Groups Finances Investigated

Opinion Finds No Conflict In Housing Subsidy For Hartford Mayor's Spouse Mayor Pedro Segarra did not violate the city ethics code when he failed to disclose that his spouse receives Section 8 housing subsidies as a landlord for low-income tenants, an independent attorney hired by the city said. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 12, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_051211.asp

Ordinance Intended to Guard Liberties A proposed ordinance, which some say targets the new Wal-Mart at Charter Oak Marketplace, would mandate large retail stores to allow all manner of speech on or near their "city-affiliated" property. The issue seems simple, but gets complicated. Learn more in this October 7, 2004 Hartford Courant article. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: October 12, 2004
Document Link: /issues/documents/economicdevelopment/courant_101204.asp Related Link(s): New Rule Makes Hartford Hub of Wal-Mart Debate

Parking Lots And Special Deals Discussed At Perez Trial Even in the loosely regulated, intensely political business of running parking lots in the city, Abraham Giles' no-bid deals with city hall stood out, the prosecution said recently in Mayor Eddie A. Perez's corruption trial. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 05, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_060510.asp

Pathway to Stalemate The long battle over the proposed site for the new Pathways to Technology School reached a climax recently. Mayor Eddie Perez and others have pushed for building the school at the corner of Farmington Avenue and Broad Street. But others, including Governor Jodi Rell, have said the site is unsuitable for a school. Published by The Hartford News ; Publication Date: February 7 – 14, 2007
Document Link: /issues/documents/Education/htfd_news_020707.asp

Perez Appeal Will Be Heard Later This Winter Former Mayor Eddie Perez's appellate case will not be heard by a judge until at least February, an appellate court clerk said recently. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: December 18, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_121812.asp

Perez Attorneys Continue Former Mayor’s Appeal Attorneys for former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez have filed what should be their final brief before the appeal of his criminal conviction goes to court. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: September 28, 2013
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/jcohen_092813.asp

Perez Co-Defendants Due In Court Just because the Perez trial is over, that doesn’t mean the affair is over. Republican city Councilwoman Veronica Airey-Wilson, former Democratic state Rep. Abraham Giles, and former city employee Edward Lazu were all due back in court recently. It may just be a series of procedural hearings, but it’s worth noting that both Giles and Lazu have applied for a special form of probation called accelerated rehabilitation. Hearings on this program have yet to take place. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: June 23, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_062310.asp

Perez Continues His Work As Trial Looms Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez is two weeks away from jury selection in his corruption trial. Members of the Hartford city council say the mayor is continuing to perform in his job and that he plans to do so throughout his trial. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: April 01, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_040110.asp

Perez Defense: Developer Wanted Access To Mayor City contractor Carlos Costa said in court recently that he did free work for two city officials in addition to Mayor Eddie A. Perez because they were in a position to help him with his problems on the troubled Park Street reconstruction project. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 18, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_051810.asp

Perez Denies Knowledge Of Giles' Payoff On Tape In a secretly recorded conversation with an investigator, Mayor Eddie A. Perez denied he ever knew that political confidant Abraham Giles was demanding a $100,000 payoff to vacate a parking lot that a developer wanted to buy. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 08, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_060810.asp

Perez Due Pension Despite Conviction Convicted on counts of bribery, extortion and conspiracy to fabricate evidence, Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez faces up to 55 years in prison and has resigned as mayor. Should Perez, in addition to jail time, fines, loss of job and public humiliation, also lose all or part of his pension? The answer is a qualified no. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 27, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_062710.asp

Perez Expected To Resign After Conviction Minutes after the city council issued a statement saying that it would "take action" if Mayor Eddie A. Perez didn't decide whether to resign, Perez told council members that he would step down from his post. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 18, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_061810.asp

Perez Facing Tough Decision About Whether To Testify Mayor Eddie A. Perez faces a tough decision about whether to testify at his corruption trial. His lawyers are concerned about opening Perez up for questioning on charges that have yet to be raised at the trial. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 21, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_052110_2.asp

Perez Files His Appeal Attorneys for former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez have appealed his recent conviction. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: October 04, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_100410.asp

Perez Jury Selection Halted While Juror's Honesty Questioned Jury selection was abruptly halted recently in Mayor Eddie A. Perez' bribery and larceny trial after the prosecution questioned the truthfulness of a Cuban-born juror's responses, and the defense fired back that the state just wants to strike jurors of color. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 19, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_041910.asp

Perez Jury To Continue Deliberations Today The six-member jury in Mayor Eddie A. Perez's corruption trial recently began deliberations, but paused in its discussions to ask the judge if presenting a document that is false is the same as fabricating physical evidence — one of the felony charges against the mayor. Judge Dewey said that presenting and fabricating are not the same. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 17, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_061710.asp

Perez Prepares To Resign, Staffers Prepare His Belongings It was an odd time when Jeff Cohen stopped in at city hall on June 25, as he camped out with other reporters and waited for the resignation letter of Mayor Eddie A. Perez. The lack of clarity has made everyone a little jumpy. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: June 25, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_062510.asp

Perez Probe: Many Leads, Few Useful When law officers who were dogging Mayor Eddie A. Perez heard about a list of vehicles that were exempt from parking tickets in the city, they went after it, just as they went after thousands of other documents in an 18-month pursuit of corruption in the Perez administration. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 09, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_050910.asp

Perez Resigns Effective 5 p.m. At 3:07 p.m. on June 25, 2010, a letter was submitted to the Town and City Clerk stating that Eddie A. Perez is resigning today as Mayor of the City of Hartford. The resignation is effective today, June 25, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: June 25, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_062510_1.asp

Perez Resigns; Segarra Sworn In After a week of uncertainty about when Mayor Eddie A. Perez would resign following his conviction on corruption charges, the transition occurred on June 25, 2010 in the span of a minute. Pledging to change the way city government is run, Pedro Ernesto Segarra, the city council president, was sworn in as Hartford's 66th mayor at 5:01 p.m. Perez's resignation took effect at 5 p.m. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 26, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_062610.asp

Perez Seeks New Trial, Acquittal Attorneys for former Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez filed two motions recently requesting a new trial and asking that Perez be acquitted of all charges on which he was convicted, including bribery and extortion. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: July 07, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_070710.asp

Perez Seeks Pay For Unused Sick, Vacation Time An attorney for former Mayor Eddie Perez said the city owes Perez potentially thousands of dollars for unused sick and vacation time. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 20, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_042011.asp

Perez Seeks Pay For Unused Vacation, Sick Days Former Mayor Eddie Perez, convicted last June on corruption charges, is seeking what could amount to thousands of dollars for unused vacation and sick time, his attorney said. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 20, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_042011.asp

Perez Sentenced To Three Years In Prison, Three Years Probation A state court judge sentenced former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez to three years in prison for a conviction on corruption-related charges. But, he is not expected to begin his sentence until a higher court hears his appeal. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: September 14, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_091410_1.asp

Perez Should Do Time And Move On Helen Ubiñas provides a little advice, offered with love, to former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez. Forget the appeal. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: July 22, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_072210_1.asp

Perez Still At Work Following Conviction Mayor Eddie A. Perez was back at work at city hall. He had a busy day by all accounts - but didn't resign. The mayor, fresh from his conviction on bribery and extortion charges, made no public appearances or statements and spent the day in his office. The question of his resignation went unanswered. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 22, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_062210_1.asp

Perez Supporters Speak In Court And React Afterwards Former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez was sentenced today on corruption related charges. The three-year prison sentence brought a wave of emotion from his supporters, both inside and outside the courthouse. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: September 14, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_091410.asp

Perez To Resign On Friday. Kind of. Mayor Eddie A. Perez says he’ll resign on Friday, June 25, 2010, but that the “effective date will be worked out with Council leadership in order to allow for a smooth transition.” Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: June 22, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_062210.asp

Perez To Submit Letter Of Resignation Friday Mayor Eddie A. Perez, who was convicted of felony corruption charges, said he will submit his letter of resignation, but has not set a definitive date for leaving office. In a statement issued, Perez said that the effective date of his resignation "will be worked out with council leadership in order to allow for a smooth transition." City Council President Pedro Segarra, who will become mayor once Perez steps down, said that Perez's departure could take days or weeks — time he will need to help Segarra transition into his new role. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 22, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_062210_2.asp

Perez Trial: Did You Bribe The Mayor? Carlos Costa, the prosecution's star witness and the man at the center of the bribery case against Mayor Eddie A. Perez, described in recent testimony a straight-up business deal he said he had with the mayor. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 15, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_051510.asp

Perez's Lawyer Says He Might Have To Withdraw From Case And Request A Mistrial Mayor Eddie A. Perez's lawyer said he was unknowingly tape-recorded by the lead investigator in the mayor's corruption case and made a statement on the tape that might implicate him in the evidence-fabrication charge that the mayor faces. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 19, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_051910.asp

Perez's Lawyer Vows To Watch Racial Makeup Of Jury Pool Jury selection recently started in Mayor Eddie A. Perez's bribery and larceny trial, and his lawyer has made it clear to everyone in the case that he would be looking hard at the racial makeup of the jury pool. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 12, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_041210.asp

Perez's Promise — And Downfall After the verdict was given there was the slow, agonizing polling of the jurors, during which the sniffling and dabbing of eyes on Eddie Perez's side of the courtroom waxed into full weeping, as if every utterance of the word "guilty" — 30 times in all — turned loose a new stream of tears. And then that was done, everyone one rose to leave, and Maria Perez began to clutch her husband and wail, crying out her sorrow in Spanish and English and then sinking to the floor, unable to rise. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 20, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_062010.asp

Pre-trial Diversions and Alternative Sanctions Staff Briefing Report Focusing on the organization, effectiveness, and efficiency of the state's system of pre-trial diversion and alternative sanctions, this study reviews the history of alternatives to incarceration and suggests that financing has not kept pace with demand. Programs including alcohol and drug education, community service and violence education in treatment centers have the potential to reduce the prison population. Published by Connecticut General Assembly Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee ; Publication Date: September 22, 2004
Document Link: /Issues/wsd/LegalIssues/wsd_092204.asp

Proposal Limits Campaign Contributors The city council is considering a resolution that would prohibit campaign contributions from city contractors to candidates running for mayor, council, board of education, registrar of voters or treasurer. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: July 01, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_070110.asp

Proposed Anti-Profiling Ordinance Resurfaces In Hartford The city council recently revived a proposed ordinance that, if adopted, would limit the Hartford Police Department's immigration enforcement and domestic surveillance activities. The council unanimously referred the amended ordinance — initially proposed in August 2010 by Councilman Luis Cotto — to its quality of life and public safety committees for further discussion. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: November 09, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_courant_110910.asp

Prosecution: Perez Called For Probe Into Developer To Distance Himself The jury in Mayor Eddie A. Perez's corruption trial recently was served with another challenge: what to make of the mayor's April 23, 2007, request for a criminal investigation of developer Joseph Citino, his proposed development deal at 1161 Main St., and an alleged payoff demand from North End politician Abraham Giles. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 02, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_060210_1.asp

Race Card Is Played In this editorial, the Hartford Courant expresses the opinion that defense attorney Hubert Santos might be stirring up an issue that otherwise wouldn't exist in Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez's bribery and larceny trial, which began Monday with jury selection. Jury makeup in the corruption case should have no bearing on outcome. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 13, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_041310.asp

Rape Victim's Claim That Wrong Man Was Convicted Didn't Keep Her Off Perez Jury The recent sentencing of Angel Martinez for the brutal rape of a city woman should have closed a difficult chapter in the victim's life. But in a different courtroom two weeks later, the woman's past surfaced again as she was being questioned as a potential juror in the corruption trial of Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 23, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_042310.asp

Recession Cutting Legal Aid Services For Poor Legal Aid offices around Connecticut, which open 25,000 cases a year for clients with little or no money, are facing a 2009 cut of at least one-third of their budgets. In the downturn, the state-sanctioned fund that finances their work is running dry. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: October 30, 2008
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_103008.asp

Report Slams Special School In a blunt report, the state office that advocates for people with disabilities calls for shutting down the Hartford Transitional Learning Academy, saying students with learning disabilities and behavior problems are dumped at the school and left to languish. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: November 16, 2005
Document Link: /issues/documents/education/htfd_courant_111605.asp

Robles Appears In Court, Doesn't Enter Plea State Rep. Hector Robles, a former city police officer, made his first appearance in Superior Court in Hartford. Robles, who was elected to a second term in November 2010 despite having been fired from the police department for double billing, was charged with two counts of first-degree larceny. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: March 08, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_030811.asp

Robles Fired From Hartford Police Department One day before the midterm election held on November 2, 2010, city police officer and incumbent state Rep. Hector Robles, who was accused in August of fabricating time cards to show he was on duty while working private jobs, was fired from the Hartford Police Department. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: November 01, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_110110.asp

Robles Fired From Hartford Police Department One day before the election, state Rep. Hector Robles was fired from his job as a city police officer for fabricating time cards to show he was on duty while working private jobs.. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: November 02, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_110210.asp

Robles Says He Won't Yield Either Of His Jobs Embattled state Rep. Hector Robles, appearing in court recently to testify in a lawsuit brought by his opponent in the Aug. 10 primary, has no intention of resigning his legislative seat or his job as a Hartford police officer, his attorney said. A yearlong police department internal investigation into Robles ended two days after he easily won a Democratic primary in south Hartford's 6th House District. The internal investigation concluded that Robles violated the department's code of conduct when he knowingly falsified time cards and cheated the department out of more than $9,000 in overtime. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: October 21, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_102110_1.asp

Robles Still Unopposed Despite Investigation, Calls To Resign With less than a month until Election Day, incumbent state Rep. Hector Robles remains the only candidate for the 6th House District seat — despite being the subject of a disciplinary hearing by his employer and calls from fellow Democrats to resign from the legislature. Robles, a city police officer, is accused of fabricating documents to give the appearance that he was on duty while he was working private jobs. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: October 04, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_100410.asp

Robles' Attorney Says Police Department's System For Tracking Private Duty Hours Is Flawed The police department's system for keeping track of the hours that officers spend on private-duty jobs is so flawed it's unfair to prosecute one person for double-dipping, an attorney representing state Rep. Hector Robles said recently. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 20, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_042011_1.asp

Robles' Case Continued; Mayor Says Meeting With Robles Was Routine State Rep. Hector Robles appeared briefly in Hartford Superior Court recently, and his case was again continued. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 25, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_052511.asp

Roldan Calls For Segarra Disclosures Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra's announcement that he'll amend his city ethics disclosures concerning his spouse's income from federal rent subsidies drew a blast from a potential opponent in this year's mayoral election, who demanded broad-ranging public disclosures from Segarra. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 12, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_041211.asp

Roldan, Segarra Camps Battle Over Mayor's Spouse The political battle escalated in Hartford recently over federal rent subsidies received by Charlie Ortiz, the spouse of city Mayor Pedro Segarra. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 21, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_042111.asp

School Construction Starts at Controversial Site Mayor Eddie Perez is for it. Governor Jodi Rell is against it. And Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has yet to make ruling on it. The “it” in question is the site of the new Pathways to Technology School at the southeast corner of Broad Street and Farmington Avenue. Construction on the new school started in late January 2007. Published by The Hartford News ; Publication Date: January 31 – Feb 7, 2007
Document Link: /issues/documents/Education/htfd_news_013107.asp

Second Alternate Juror Picked For Perez Jury A 29-year-old office manager from Simsbury was chosen recently as the second alternate juror to serve on the panel that will hear the corruption case against Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 22, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_042210.asp

Second Recount Ordered In 5th District State Assembly Race Superior Court Judge A. Susan Peck recently ordered an highly unusual second recount in the disputed Democratic primary for the 5th General Assembly seat. The party-endorsed candidate, Leo Canty of Windsor, was declared the winner of the Aug. 14 primary by one vote over political newcomer Brandon McGee of Hartford following a recount that concluded Aug. 21. The outcome prompted McGee to file a complaint alleging that election officials improperly counted abstentee ballots in Hartford and lost a ballot at a Windsor polling place. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 14, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/democracy/htfd_courant_091412.asp

Segarra Will Seek Ethics Opinion On Spouse's Rent Subsidies Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra said Sunday that he will be amending his financial disclosures to the city's ethics commission, which have not mentioned that his spouse, Charlie Ortiz, collects about $2,000 a month in federal Section 8 rent subsidies as the landlord for low-income tenants. The subsidies are under a federally funded "housing choice voucher program" administered locally by the city. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 11, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_041111.asp

Segarra, Cloud: Working To Avoid Appearance Of Conflict Of Interest In Hartford, the mayor and the city treasurer are working to resolve a staffing issue that both say could look like a conflict of interest. The concern is the treasurer's office, where Adam Cloud was appointed treasurer earlier this year. But also in that department is his wife, Nicole Plessy-Cloud. She works as a supervisor. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: September 27, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_092711.asp

Silent Treatment On State Rep.'s Ethics Fine In May 2009, state Rep. Minnie Gonzalez, an influential Hartford politician, paid a $300 fine to the Office of State Ethics after admitting that she failed to completely fill out required financial disclosure statements for the years 2004 through 2007. Omissions included her husband's income and rental income from several properties. But the public didn't know about Ms. Gonzalez's admission and fine because the ethics agency didn't report it in a press release, as is generally its practice. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 05, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_060510_1.asp

Since Marijuana Was Decriminalized in Connecticut, Small Busts Have Dropped 43 Percent Statistics from the first three months of Connecticut's new marijuana decriminalization law indicated that busts for small amounts of pot have plunged by 43 percent since the law took effect July 1, 2011. Published by The Hartford Advocate ; Publication Date: October 25, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/drugs/htfd_advocate_102511.asp

Sister Sue Ann Shay Devoted Her Life To The Downtrodden Sister Sue Ann Shay — most people just called her Sue Ann — was a tireless fighter for social justice who never stopped working for peace and equal opportunity for all. Shay began her career representing poor children who were entangled in the legal system because they were accused of delinquency or because their parents were charged with neglect and abuse. She died on October 15, 2009. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: November 08, 2009
Document Link: /issues/documents/faithcommunity/htfd_courant_110809.asp

Sixth Juror Chosen In Perez Trial With the six regular jurors now seated, the prosecution and defense in Mayor Eddie A. Perez's bribery and larceny trial need only select three alternate jurors to have a full panel. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 15, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_041510.asp

Standoff Not Helping City Police A special master has been appointed by federal Judge Ellen Bree Burns to facilitate a resolution to the continuing conflict in the Cintron vs. Vaughn lawsuit. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: March 23, 2005
Document Link: /issues/documents/crime/htfd_courant_032305.asp Related Link(s): Chief Cites Obstacles to Consent Decree

State Counters Perez Claims The chief state's attorney's office has filed court papers rebutting claims by attorneys for former Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez that Perez's criminal convictions should be reversed and that Perez should get a new trial. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: August 11, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_081112.asp

State Democratic Committee Rules Against Vargas In Segarra Complaint The Democratic State Central Committee ruled against Edwin Vargas in his complaint alleging that Mayor Pedro Segarra violated party rules when he accepted a nomination from city Republicans. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: November 03, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_110311.asp

State Primary Thriller Not Over Yet The result of the Aug. 14, 2012 primary election and the two recounts is that Brandon McGee of Hartford is tied with party-endorsed candidate Leo Canty of Windsor at 774 votes each. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 20, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/democracy/htfd_courant_092012.asp

State Rep. Hector Robles Arrested State Rep. Hector Robles, who was fired from his job as a Hartford police officer in November 2010 for falsifying time cards to show he was on duty while working private jobs, has been charged with two counts of felony first-degree larceny. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: March 01, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_030111.asp

State Rep. Robles Seeks Probation In Larceny Case State Rep. Hector Robles, a former city police officer who is accused of defrauding the police department of more than $10,000, has applied for a special form of probation. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: January 02, 2013
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_010213.asp

State Representative Charged With Larceny State Rep. Hector Robles, who was elected to a second term in November despite having been fired from the Hartford Police Department for double billing, was charged recently with two counts of first-degree larceny. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: March 01, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_030111.asp

State Supreme Court: GOP Gets Top Ballot Line In November The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled unanimously recently that the Republican Party will be placed on the top line on November's election ballot in all races. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 26, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/democracy/htfd_courant_092612.asp

State to Sue Over "No Child" Law Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced plans to sue the U.S. Department of Education for requiring Connecticut to expand its student testing program without providing enough money to cover the cost. The action would make Connecticut the first state to file a lawsuit challenging the government's No Child Left Behind Act. The lawsuit drew a lukewarm response from Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell, who said that she wondered if the money for the legal battle would be better spent in the classroom. She also questioned Connecticut's being the only plaintiff in the case. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 6, 2005
Document Link: /issues/documents/education/htfd_courant_040605.asp Related Link(s): State Doesn't Need More School Testing ; Task Force on No Child Left Behind Final Report (PDF Document: Full Report)

State's 'No Child' Lawsuit Still Alive A federal judge recently dismissed much of Connecticut's argument for challenging a controversial U.S. government school reform law but left open one avenue for the state's lawsuit to continue. U.S. District Judge Mark R. Kravitz dismissed three of the four counts in Connecticut's complaint that the 4-year-old No Child Left Behind Act unfairly costs state and local taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. The judge also ruled that the court will be able to review a fourth count in the state's argument. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 28, 2006
Document Link: /issues/documents/Education/htfd_courant_092806.asp

State's Case For Perez's Pension Continues In Hartford, a state court judge has allowed a civil case over whether former Mayor Eddie Perez can collect his city pension…to continue. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: March 30, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_033011.asp

Stop Jailing Minors As Adults This Courant editorial expresses the opinion that it's time that Connecticut stopped making the vast majority of juvenile offenders pay for the violent crimes of a tiny few. Connecticut locks up more minors in adult prisons than any other state in the nation, according to a study released recently by the Campaign for Youth Justice in Washington, D.C. Judicial officials justify this abnormality on grounds that Connecticut is one of only three states - the other two being New York and North Carolina - that prosecute 16- and 17-year-olds as adults. But Connecticut's level of incarcerating juveniles as adults is disproportionate even among those three states. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: March 28, 2007
Document Link: /issues/documents/FamiliesandChildren/htfd_courant_032807.asp

Supervisor Granted Special Probation Less than a week after a jury found Mayor Eddie A. Perez guilty on five felony corruption charges, a former city contract compliance supervisor arrested in connection with the same investigation received a special form of probation. Judge Julia Dewey, who also presided over Perez's trial, said recently that she granted former city employee Edward Lazu accelerated rehabilitation because it would be unfair to look at all city corruption cases the same way. If Lazu successfully completes the probation, his arrest record will be expunged. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 23, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_062310_2.asp

Supporters In Court For Perez Trial Helen Ubiñas writes about various supporters of Mayor Eddie Perez who came to court to view his trial on bribery and corruption charges. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 27, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_052710.asp

Taking Stock Of Perez Trial Helen Ubiñas comments that, hands down, the most interesting, entertaining and potentially damaging witnesses in the trial of Eddie Perez were developer Joseph Citino and city contractor Carlos Costa. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 09, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_060910.asp

Taking The Crime Out Of Drugs Councilman Robert L. Painter writes that when it comes to drugs, we stumble over new approaches for fear they will make matters worse. A large number of citizens are ahead of politicians in considering alternatives to our present approach. It is time to begin the conversation about alternatives. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 1, 2007
Document Link: /issues/documents/Drugs/htfd_courant_040107.asp

Testimony Continues In Ballot Battle The second day of testimony in the disputed Democratic primary for the 5th statehouse district focused mainly on a hand-counted ballot for Windsor Democrat Leo Canty. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 07, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/democracy/htfd_courant_090712.asp

Testimony Ends In 5th General Assembly District Election Complaint Testimony continued recently in Hartford Superior Court in the dispute over the Democratic primary for the 5th General Assembly District, this time focusing on absentee ballots counted in the Hartford portion of the district. The party-endorsed candidate, Leo Canty of Windsor, was declared the winner of the Aug. 14 primary by one vote over political newcomer Brandon McGee of Hartford following a recount. The outcome prompted McGee to file a complaint alleging that election officials improperly counted abstentee ballots in Hartford and lost a ballot at a Windsor polling place. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 12, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/democracy/htfd_courant_091212.asp

Testimony Resumes In Perez Trial The jury in Mayor Eddie A. Perez's corruption case got a primer on mayoral politics in 2006 and 2007 – and, as was fitting, the accounts were in dispute. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 26, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_052610.asp

Testimony: Perez Cursed At Employee After Learning That Contractor Was In Trouble An enraged Mayor Eddie A. Perez, according to testimony in his corruption trial, dropped an F-bomb on the public works director when he found out that officials were trying to oust contractor Carlos Costa from the troubled Park Street restoration project. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 13, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_051310_1.asp

The (former) Mayor Was In The House Disgraced former Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez made a rare public appearance recently at the SAND America's Choice School for Superintendent of Schools Steven Adamowski's final state of the schools address. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: October 28, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/education/cityline_102810.asp

The Latest On Hector Rep. Hector Robles, a Hartford police officer facing departmental charges for allegedly running a double billing scheme, is now embroiled in a lawsuit brought by his opponent in the August 2010 primary, Alyssa Peterson. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: October 25, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_102510.asp

The Unfinished Business of Former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez Helen Ubiñas writes that after attending most of former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez's corruption trial this spring, not being at his sentencing felt like unfinished business.But we all have to move on sometime. Now if only Perez could understand that. From what she gathers, nothing much changed from the days of the trial. Perez remains a man unwilling to take responsibility for his actions - nothing proves that more than his plan to appeal. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: September 14, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_091410_1.asp

Too Many Conflicts The Hartford Courant expresses the opinion that it's troubling that nothing in law or policy prevents a Hartford city council member from serving on the city's school board at the same time, according to an opinion rendered by the corporation counsel's office. Something should prevent it. That kind of dual service is a bad idea. A prohibition should be added to the city charter the next time it's revised. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: January 14, 2012
Document Link: /issues/documents/legalissues/htfd_courant_011412.asp

Tracking A Rumor Rumors began swirling in the fall of 2006 that city contractor Carlos Costa had done a significant amount of free remodeling work on Mayor Eddie A. Perez's house. The prosecution in Perez's corruption trial has identified a Hartford man - Jack Santos - as a main source of that information. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 20, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_052010.asp

Two Jurors Selected Two jurors were selected on Monday, April 12, 2010, in Mayor Eddie A. Perez's bribery and larceny trial, including a Hispanic bail bondsman whose dismissal from the panel by prosecutors was successfully blocked by the mayor's lawyers. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 13, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_041310_1.asp

Two Reasons Eddie Perez Should Step Aside In this editorial, the Hartford Courant expresses the opinion that governing Hartford under any circumstances — especially during a budget crisis — is a tall order. But multitasking? Mayor Eddie Perez says he and his team can do it even while he's defending himself in a corruption trial. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: April 07, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_040710.asp

Up To 22 To Testify For State In Perez Corruption Trial Prosecutors intend to call as many as 22 witnesses in Mayor Eddie A. Perez's felony corruption trial. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: May 07, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_050710.asp

Update On John Rose So, fellow blogger Brookman posted a few weeks back that former Hartford corporation counsel John Rose has a new gig. And he does – at the Crumbie Law Group. The thing that raised flags was this: Rose had hired the firm to do work for the city while he was at city hall. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: October 22, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_102210_1.asp

Wal-Mart Set to Open to Cheers, Criticism Connecticut Working Families, a coalition of unions and advocates for the working class, plan to distribute fliers to employees and sympathetic customers as they enter the new Wal-Mart store in Hartford. Their efforts are possible because of an unusual city ordinance that allows for demonstrations, protests or any other exercise of free speech on the property. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: January 26, 2005
Document Link: /issues/documents/employment/htfd_courant_012605.asp Related Link(s): Ordinance Intended to Guard Liberties ; New Rule Makes Hartford Hub of Wal-Mart Debate ; Wal-Mart Hits Critics In Media Blitz

Warning About Tenant Eviction New state and federal laws passed in 2009 are supposed to protect renters in foreclosed properties from getting tossed out with little or no notice. But the state attorney general and legal aid lawyers said recently there is strong evidence that those laws are being violated - and hundreds, perhaps thousands, of tenants have been pressured to leave sooner than legally required. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: February 02, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/homeownership/htfd_courant_020210.asp

Was Perez Working While He Was On Trial? Former hartford mayor is seeking back vacation pay from Convicted former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez is seeking what could amount to tens of thousands of dollars in back vacation and sick time. But, there's a question as to whether Perez was at work or on vacation while he was on trial last year for corruption. Published by Capital Region Report, Jeff Cohen @ WNPR ; Publication Date: April 20, 2011
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/jcohen_042011.asp

What's Wrong With Hartford In this editorial, the Courant expresses the opinion that just because former Mayor Eddie Perez has been convicted on felony corruption charges and sentenced to three years in prison doesn't mean city government in Hartford has been completely disinfected. An internal police investigation found in August that Officer Hector Robles knowingly falsified time cards and bilked the department out of more than $9,000 in overtime. A disciplinary hearing concluded last week, but Police Chief Daryl K. Roberts has yet to decide on a punishment. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: October 27, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_102710_1.asp

Will Eddie Perez Take The Stand? Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez, who maintains his innocence, is under no legal obligation to testify at his trial on corruption charges as the defense begins presenting its case. Perez is the leader of a city whose residents are vitally interested in their mayor's own explanation of his behavior. They doubtless hope he decides to testify. Published by The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: June 10, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/htfd_courant_061010.asp

Write-In Candidate For 6th District Race Commends HPD For Firing Robles Michael Lupo, a Republican write-in candidate for the 6th House District race, is commending the Hartford Police Department for firing his opponent, incumbent state Rep. Hector Robles, a Democrat. Robles was fired for falsifying time cards to give the appearance that he was on duty while working private jobs. Robles, a 15-year police veteran, had worked the overnight shift at the department. Published by Hartford Cityline, The Hartford Courant ; Publication Date: November 02, 2010
Document Link: /issues/documents/government/cityline_110210.asp

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