Joette Katz
Encyclopedia
Joette Katz is Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families
, and a former Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court
, where she also served as the administrative judge for the state appellate system.
She is married to Philip Rubin
, CEO of Haskins Laboratories
, and lives in Fairfield, Connecticut
. They have two children, Jason Rubin and Samantha Katz.
). She received a bachelor of arts degree, graduating cum laude, in 1974 from Brandeis University
and her law degree, graduating cum laude, from the University of Connecticut School of Law
in 1977.
. From 1978 to 1981 she was as an assistant public defender in the appellate unit of the office of the Chief Public Defender http://www.ocpd.state.ct.us/ in New Haven, Connecticut
. From 1981 to 1983 she was an assistant public defender in the trial unit in Bridgeport, Connecticut
. She served as Chief of Legal Services for the Office of the Chief Public Defender from 1983 to 1989 and was the first woman to serve in this role in Connecticut.
Katz was nominated for the Superior Court bench by Gov. William A. O'Neill
in 1989. She was elevated to the state Supreme Court by Gov. Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
in 1992. Her appointment at age 39 made her the youngest justice ever appointed to the Connecticut Supreme Court
http://www.quinnipiac.edu/prebuilt/pdf/magazines/magazines-law_winter2007_balance.pdfhttp://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/19/nyregion/weicker-names-young-judge-to-top-court.html. She was reappointed by Gov. John G. Rowland
in 2001 and Gov. M. Jodi Rell
in 2009 http://www.instituteforlegalreform.com/component/ilr_states/18/justicesystem/CT.html. From 2006 until her resignation, she served as administrative judge for the state appellate system, a position she previously held from 1994-2000.
Justice Katz has served on numerous committees and commissions, including the American Law Institute
Model Penal Code: Sentencing project http://www.ali.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=projects.proj_ip&projectid=2, the Connecticut chapter of the American Inns of Court, the Connecticut Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules http://www.jud.ct.gov/committees/ap_rules/ (which she chaired), the Connecticut Code of Evidence Oversight Committee http://www.jud.ct.gov/Committees/code_evidence/ (which she chaired), the Connecticut Criminal Practice Commission http://www.jud.ct.gov/Committees/Criminal_Practice/default.htm, the Connecticut Law Revision Commission http://www.cga.ct.gov/lrc/, the Connecticut Public Defender Services Commission http://www.ocpd.state.ct.us/Content/Annual2008/PDSCM.htm, and the Connecticut Client Security Fund http://www.jud.ct.gov/CSF/ (which she currently chairs).
She is co-author of the book, Connecticut Criminal Caselaw Handbook: A Practitioner’s Guide, published in 1989 by the Connecticut Law Tribune.
Justice Katz has been an instructor of ethics at the Yale Law School
in New Haven. She also has been an instructor of criminal law and ethics at the Quinnipiac University School of Law
in Hamden and also served from 1981 to 1984 as an instructor in legal research and writing, Moot Court, and appellate advocacy at the University of Connecticut School of Law
.
On November 30, 2010, incoming Gov. Dannel Malloy named Justice Katz to head the troubled Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF). She stepped down from the Connecticut Supreme Court on January 5, 2011 in anticipation of assuming the DCF post. Justice Katz said she looked forward to the challenge of leading DCF, noting, "I can think of few things more important than the mission of this agency."
Commissioner Katz was confirmed as Commissioner of DCF by unanimous vote of the Connecticut State Senate on February 4, 2011.
Connecticut Department of Children and Families
The Connecticut Department of Children and Families is a state agency of Connecticut providing family services. Its headquarters are in Hartford.-Bureau of Juvenile Services:...
, and a former Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court
Connecticut Supreme Court
The Connecticut Supreme Court, formerly known as the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors, is the highest court in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The seven justices sit in Hartford, across the street from the Connecticut State Capitol...
, where she also served as the administrative judge for the state appellate system.
Early life and family
Katz was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Her parents were Harry and Sayre Katz.She is married to Philip Rubin
Philip Rubin
Philip E. Rubin is an American cognitive scientist and technologist who since 2003 has been the Chief Executive Officer and a Senior Scientist at Haskins Laboratories in New Haven, Connecticut...
, CEO of Haskins Laboratories
Haskins Laboratories
Haskins Laboratories is an independent, international, multidisciplinary community of researchers conducting basic research on spoken and written language. Founded in 1935 and located in New Haven, Connecticut since 1970, Haskins Laboratories is a private, non-profit research institute with a...
, and lives in Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404...
. They have two children, Jason Rubin and Samantha Katz.
Education and legal training
Katz went to high school at the Berkeley Institute in Brooklyn (now known as the Berkeley Carroll SchoolBerkeley Carroll School
The Berkeley Carroll School is an independent, nonsectarian, coed day school, enrolling about 800 students from pre-kindergarten through high school...
). She received a bachelor of arts degree, graduating cum laude, in 1974 from Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
and her law degree, graduating cum laude, from the University of Connecticut School of Law
University of Connecticut School of Law
The University of Connecticut School of Law is the only public law school in Connecticut and one of only four in New England. The school was recently ranked forty-sixth out of the 190 American Bar Association-accredited law schools in the United States and is considered a Tier 1 school by U.S...
in 1977.
Professional career
Katz started her professional career in 1977 as an attorney at the law firm of Winnick, Vine and Welch (now Winnick, Vine, Welch & Teodosio http://www.wvwtlaw.com/) in Shelton, ConnecticutShelton, Connecticut
Shelton is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,559 at the 2010 census.-Origins:Shelton was settled by the English as part of the town of Stratford, Connecticut, in 1639...
. From 1978 to 1981 she was as an assistant public defender in the appellate unit of the office of the Chief Public Defender http://www.ocpd.state.ct.us/ in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
. From 1981 to 1983 she was an assistant public defender in the trial unit in Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
. She served as Chief of Legal Services for the Office of the Chief Public Defender from 1983 to 1989 and was the first woman to serve in this role in Connecticut.
Katz was nominated for the Superior Court bench by Gov. William A. O'Neill
William O'Neill (Connecticut politician)
William Atchison O'Neill was a twentieth century U.S. political figure, most notably as the 84th Governor of Connecticut from 1980 to 1991....
in 1989. She was elevated to the state Supreme Court by Gov. Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
Lowell Palmer Weicker, Jr. is an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the 85th Governor of Connecticut, and unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for President in 1980...
in 1992. Her appointment at age 39 made her the youngest justice ever appointed to the Connecticut Supreme Court
Connecticut Supreme Court
The Connecticut Supreme Court, formerly known as the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors, is the highest court in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The seven justices sit in Hartford, across the street from the Connecticut State Capitol...
http://www.quinnipiac.edu/prebuilt/pdf/magazines/magazines-law_winter2007_balance.pdfhttp://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/19/nyregion/weicker-names-young-judge-to-top-court.html. She was reappointed by Gov. John G. Rowland
John G. Rowland
John Grosvenor Rowland was the 86th Governor of Connecticut from 1995 to 2004; he is a member of the Republican Party. He is married to Patty Rowland, his second wife, and the couple have five children between them...
in 2001 and Gov. M. Jodi Rell
M. Jodi Rell
Mary Jodi Rell is a Republican politician and was the 87th Governor of the U.S. state of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. She was the Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut under Governor John G. Rowland, who resigned during a corruption investigation. Rell is Connecticut's second female Governor,...
in 2009 http://www.instituteforlegalreform.com/component/ilr_states/18/justicesystem/CT.html. From 2006 until her resignation, she served as administrative judge for the state appellate system, a position she previously held from 1994-2000.
Justice Katz has served on numerous committees and commissions, including the American Law Institute
American Law Institute
The American Law Institute was established in 1923 to promote the clarification and simplification of American common law and its adaptation to changing social needs. The ALI drafts, approves, and publishes Restatements of the Law, Principles of the Law, model codes, and other proposals for law...
Model Penal Code: Sentencing project http://www.ali.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=projects.proj_ip&projectid=2, the Connecticut chapter of the American Inns of Court, the Connecticut Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules http://www.jud.ct.gov/committees/ap_rules/ (which she chaired), the Connecticut Code of Evidence Oversight Committee http://www.jud.ct.gov/Committees/code_evidence/ (which she chaired), the Connecticut Criminal Practice Commission http://www.jud.ct.gov/Committees/Criminal_Practice/default.htm, the Connecticut Law Revision Commission http://www.cga.ct.gov/lrc/, the Connecticut Public Defender Services Commission http://www.ocpd.state.ct.us/Content/Annual2008/PDSCM.htm, and the Connecticut Client Security Fund http://www.jud.ct.gov/CSF/ (which she currently chairs).
She is co-author of the book, Connecticut Criminal Caselaw Handbook: A Practitioner’s Guide, published in 1989 by the Connecticut Law Tribune.
Justice Katz has been an instructor of ethics at the Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
in New Haven. She also has been an instructor of criminal law and ethics at the Quinnipiac University School of Law
Quinnipiac University School of Law
Quinnipiac University School of Law is the law school of the Quinnipiac University. The School is the youngest law school in the U.S. state of Connecticut, having received full accreditation from the American Bar Association in 1995. It is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. It is...
in Hamden and also served from 1981 to 1984 as an instructor in legal research and writing, Moot Court, and appellate advocacy at the University of Connecticut School of Law
University of Connecticut School of Law
The University of Connecticut School of Law is the only public law school in Connecticut and one of only four in New England. The school was recently ranked forty-sixth out of the 190 American Bar Association-accredited law schools in the United States and is considered a Tier 1 school by U.S...
.
On November 30, 2010, incoming Gov. Dannel Malloy named Justice Katz to head the troubled Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF). She stepped down from the Connecticut Supreme Court on January 5, 2011 in anticipation of assuming the DCF post. Justice Katz said she looked forward to the challenge of leading DCF, noting, "I can think of few things more important than the mission of this agency."
Commissioner Katz was confirmed as Commissioner of DCF by unanimous vote of the Connecticut State Senate on February 4, 2011.
Awards and honors
Justice Katz has received many awards and honors, including:- The National Organization for WomenNational Organization for WomenThe National Organization for Women is the largest feminist organization in the United States. It was founded in 1966 and has a membership of 500,000 contributing members. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S...
’s Harriet TubmanHarriet TubmanHarriet Tubman Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman (born Araminta Harriet Ross; (1820 – 1913) was an African-American abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union spy during the American Civil War. After escaping from slavery, into which she was born, she made thirteen missions to rescue more than 70 slaves...
Award in 1993 - The Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund’s Maria Stewart Award in 1993
- The University of Connecticut School of LawUniversity of Connecticut School of LawThe University of Connecticut School of Law is the only public law school in Connecticut and one of only four in New England. The school was recently ranked forty-sixth out of the 190 American Bar Association-accredited law schools in the United States and is considered a Tier 1 school by U.S...
’s Distinguished Graduate Award in 2000 - The National Council of Jewish WomenNational Council of Jewish WomenThe National Council of Jewish Women defines itself as a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive ideals into action...
’s Women of Distinction Award in 2001 - The Connecticut Bar Association’s Henry J. Naruk Judiciary Award in 2004
- An Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from Quinnipiac University School of LawQuinnipiac University School of LawQuinnipiac University School of Law is the law school of the Quinnipiac University. The School is the youngest law school in the U.S. state of Connecticut, having received full accreditation from the American Bar Association in 1995. It is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. It is...
, 2004 - The University of Connecticut School of LawUniversity of Connecticut School of LawThe University of Connecticut School of Law is the only public law school in Connecticut and one of only four in New England. The school was recently ranked forty-sixth out of the 190 American Bar Association-accredited law schools in the United States and is considered a Tier 1 school by U.S...
’s Law Review Award in 2009 - Associate Fellow of Trumbull CollegeTrumbull CollegeTrumbull College is one of twelve undergraduate residential colleges of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.The college is named for Jonathan Trumbull, the last governor of the Colony of Connecticut and first governor of the State of Connecticut, serving from 1769 until 1784, and a friend and...
at Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, 2009
Notable cases and opinions
As an Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, Justice Katz sat on over 2,000 cases and authored over 400 majority opinions. Some notable and/or controversial opinions and cases include:- Sheff v. O'Neill, 238 Conn. 1, 678 A.2d 1267 (1996). Sheff v. O'NeillSheff v. O'NeillSheff v. O'Neill refers to a 1989 lawsuit and the subsequent 1996 Connecticut Supreme Court case that resulted in a landmark decision regarding civil rights and the right to education.-Timeline:...
is a landmark 1996 Connecticut Supreme Court decision regarding civil rightsCivil rightsCivil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
and the right to educationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
. The Court ruled that the state had an affirmative obligation to provide Connecticut's school children with a substantially equal educational opportunity and that this constitutionally guaranteed right encompasses access to a public education that is not substantially and materially impaired by racial and ethnic isolation. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P3-582143061.html This was a split 4-3 decision, which was authored by Chief Justice Ellen Ash PetersEllen Ash PetersEllen Ash Peters was appointed to the Connecticut Supreme Court in 1978. She was the first woman appointed to that court.At age nine she emigrated to the United States with her parents from Nazi Germany...
. She was joined in the majority opinion by Justice Robert Berdon, Justice Flemming L. Norcott, Jr.Flemming L. Norcott, Jr.Flemming L. Norcott, Jr. is an Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court. He was appointed to the Connecticut Superior Court in 1979 and remained there until his elevation to the Connecticut Appellate Court in 1987. He was appointed to the Connecticut Supreme Court in 1992. He also serves...
, and Justice Joette Katz. Justice David Borden authored the dissent, with Justices Robert Callahan and Richard PalmerRichard N. PalmerJustice Richard N. Palmer is an Associate Justice on the Connecticut Supreme Court. He was born on May 27, 1950 in Hartford, CT. He received his Bachelor of Arts Phi Beta Kappa, from Trinity College in Hartford in 1972...
concurring with the dissent. - State v. Johnson, 253 Conn. 1, 751 A.2d 298 (2000). Katz authored the majority opinion in this controversial case. The decision said that the shooting of a state trooper did not meet the statutory standard for "especially cruel or heinous." As a result, the death penalty was overturned and the sentence was eventually changed to life without parole. While the Court claimed it was following the intent of the legislature, this decision and a subsequent death penalty decision State v. Courchesne led the General Assembly to pass a "plain meaning" statute regarding statutory interpretation. http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=140680
- Kelo v. New London, 268 Conn. 1 (2004). Justice Katz joined the minority in the Kelo v. New London case heard by the Connecticut Supreme CourtConnecticut Supreme CourtThe Connecticut Supreme Court, formerly known as the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors, is the highest court in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The seven justices sit in Hartford, across the street from the Connecticut State Capitol...
(2004), which was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. In the Connecticut case, the majority sided with the city in an en banc 4-3 decision, with the opinion authored by Justice Norcott and joined by Justices Borden, Palmer and Vertefeuille. The dissent was authored by Justice Zarella (joined by Justices Sullivan and Katz). The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Connecticut Supreme Court's decision in favor of the city, in a 5-4 decision, with the dissent written by Justice O'Connor and joined by Chief Justice Rehnquist and Justices Scalia and Thomas. The Kelo decision is studied as a continuation of the expansion of governments' power to seize property through eminent domainEminent domainEminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
, although the widespread negative popular reaction has spurred a backlash in which many state legislatures have curtailed their eminent domain power. - State v. Bell, 283 Conn. 748, 931 A.2d 198 (2007)http://www.jud.ct.gov/external/supapp/Cases/AROcr/CR283/283CR116.pdf. Among her more publicized opinions was State v. Bell http://www.jud.ct.gov/external/supapp/Summaries/Docket/17864.htm where "the high court unanimously upheld the conviction of Arnold Bell, who had shot a New Haven police officer, but found part of a law giving him a stiffer sentence as a persistent dangerous offender unconstitutional. The court ruled that a jury, not a judge, must make that determination." This decision led prominent legislators to conclude it had effectively voided the state's persistent violent offender law, and a new law would need to be implemented.http://www.senaterepublicans.ct.gov/press/fasano/2007/090607.html http://www.courant.com/news/local/statewire/hc-05012650.apds.m0572.bc-ct--scocsep05,0,6569531.story
- Kerrigan v. Commissioner of Public Health, 289 Conn. 135, 957 A.2d 407 (2008)http://www.jud.ct.gov/external/supapp/Cases/AROcr/CR289/289CR152.pdf. On October 10, 2008, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled in Kerrigan v. Commissioner of Public HealthKerrigan v. Commissioner of Public HealthKerrigan v. Commissioner of Public Health, 289 Conn. 135, 957 A.2d 407, is a 2008 decision by the Connecticut Supreme Court holding that the Connecticut Constitution protects the right to same-sex marriage. The vote was 4-3. The decision made Connecticut the third state to have its state supreme...
that gay and lesbian couples could not be denied the right to marry because of the Equal Protection Clause of the state constitution.http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hcu-gaymarriage-1010,0,7812756.story This decision made Connecticut the third state (along with MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) to legalize same-sex marriage through judicial decree of the state supreme court. The majority opinion was written by Justice Richard N. PalmerRichard N. PalmerJustice Richard N. Palmer is an Associate Justice on the Connecticut Supreme Court. He was born on May 27, 1950 in Hartford, CT. He received his Bachelor of Arts Phi Beta Kappa, from Trinity College in Hartford in 1972...
, and joined by Justices Flemming L. Norcott, Jr.Flemming L. Norcott, Jr.Flemming L. Norcott, Jr. is an Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court. He was appointed to the Connecticut Superior Court in 1979 and remained there until his elevation to the Connecticut Appellate Court in 1987. He was appointed to the Connecticut Supreme Court in 1992. He also serves...
, Katz, and Judge Lubbie Harper, Jr. Justices Peter T. ZarellaPeter T. ZarellaPeter T. Zarella is an Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court . He was appointed by former Governor John G. Rowland in January 2001. Zarella is the former chair of the Connecticut Criminal Justice Commission and the current chair of the Rules Committee which has responsibility for...
, Christine S. VertefeuilleChristine S. VertefeuilleChristine S. Vertefeuille is a Senior Associate Justice on the Connecticut Supreme Court. She is a Connecticut native, born in New Britain, Connecticut...
, and David Borden dissented. - Rosado v. Bridgeport Roman Catholic Diocesan Corp., 292 Conn. 1 (2009)http://www.jud.ct.gov/external/supapp/Cases/AROcr/CR292/292CR90.pdf. Katz authored the majority opinion in this case which effectively ordered the Roman Catholic Diocese of BridgeportRoman Catholic Diocese of BridgeportThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport is located in the south western part of the state of Connecticut, and its boundaries are the same as that of Fairfield County, Connecticut. There are 87 parishes in the diocese. Its cathedral is St. Augustine in Bridgeport.The current bishop is The Most...
to release thousands of legal documents from previous lawsuits filed against priests accused of sexually abusing children. The Connecticut Supreme Court case stemmed from a suit brought by the Boston Globe, Hartford Courant, New York Times and Washington Post in 2002. In October 2009, the United States Supreme Court rejected requests by the Diocese to stay or reconsider the Connecticut opinion ordering the release of the documents http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/nyregion/06abuse.html. The documents were released at the Waterbury Superior Courthouse on Dec. 1, 2009 http://www.connpost.com/ci_13900709http://www.courant.com/news/priest-abuse/hc-cardinal-edward-egan-bridgeport-diocese-abuse-s,0,7261944.storyhttp://www.stamfordadvocate.com/localnews/ci_13900709?source=rss. The Diocese has provided background and a statement on the suit and its status http://www.bridgeportdiocese.com/Statement10-5.shtml.
External links
- Connecticut Supreme Court
- Connecticut Supreme Court Biography
- Connecticut Supreme Court: Unseal Priest Abuse Documents, May 2009
- TheDartmouth.com: Judges' Panel Debates Gay Marriage
- Hartford Advocate: Halos and Horns
- Remarks by Justice Joette Katz at the James W. Cooper Fellows Portrait Exhibit Honoring the Women of the Bench
- Remarks by Justice Joette Katz at the presentation of the CBA Henry Naruk Award, June 2004
- UConn Traditions, Spring 2003: A Supreme Experience
- Gideon's Legacy In Connecticut, Oct. 2000
- New York Times, Sep. 19, 1992: Weicker Names Young Judge To Top Court