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NEWS JUNE 7, 2021 ■ 9

State Re-posts for Position

With Focus on Community

By Robert Storace

he state’s Criminal Justice Commission has—
once again—started soliciting applications for
Tthe position of deputy chief state’s attorney/
inspector general with a goal to make the search
broader than the first go-around.
Posting for the job, which pays $167,183 annu-
ally, began on Friday and will go through Aug. 31
with the hope of having someone on board Oct. 1,
according to Commission Chairman Andrew Mc-
Donald, also an associate justice on the Connecticut
Supreme Court.
The first time around, two prosecutors—C. Rob-
ert Satti and Brian Preleski—made the final cut and
deadlocked 3-3 when the commission voted on a
candidate. The commission said they’d send the tie
vote to the state Legislature, which was to break it.
Instead, legislators decided to have the Criminal
Justice Commission post the job again. This time
around, though, all attorneys are welcome to apply.
The new inspector general will be responsible for
investigating all police-involved shootings in the Associate Connecticut Supreme Court Justice and
state. Criminal Justice Commission Chairman Andrew
“Now, a lawyer, and not just a current state pros- McDonald. Courtesy photo
ecutor, can apply for the job,” said Steven Stafstrom work with the police on a day-to-day basis may be
Jr., chairman of the House of Representatives Ju- more objective to the process and in reviewing po-
diciary Committee and a member at Pullman & lice use-of-force cases.”
Comley. McDonald said the commission will conduct out-
The feeling among many legislators was that it was reach to bar affinity groups and others in an effort to
essential that the pool of applicants be broad to erase have diverse applicants apply for the job.
any fears that the new hire would not be objective “The Criminal Justice Commission only has a
when dealing with police officers, Stafstrom said budget of $409, so we are talking to members of
Wednesday. the media and reaching out to bar associations
“The pool of candidates that the Criminal Justice to encourage them to communicate the oppor-
Commission selected from the last time seemed too tunity to membership as well,” McDonald said.
shallow. We wanted the commission to select the “The commission is also encouraging attorneys
best qualified person for the job regardless of their who have significant criminal experience to con-
current employment status,” Stafstrom said. “It was sider applying, and that includes defense attorneys,
thought, by many in the Legislature, that having federal prosecutors and law professors who have
someone from the outside who currently doesn’t ■ Continued on PAGE 10

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