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■ From MEET on PAGE 9 “Before the pandemic, I’d swear in about 100
live with,” the judge said. “The goal is to have them every one or two months,” he said. “I really miss
move on with their lives as opposed to being mired that and miss the one-on-one interactions with
in litigation.” the new citizens, many who will start crying and
Richardson said the biggest difference between tell you how long they were waiting to be a citizen
being a federal judge and a federal magistrate judge, of this country.”
like he is, “is that district judges can try felony crim- Richardson, who said he hopes those swearing-
inal cases and we can’t. Magistrate judges can try ins will resume soon, said many new citizens would
misdemeanor criminal cases, not felony ones. And bring their family members and ask the judge to be
we also do a lot of settlement conferences.” part of a photo of the happy occasion.
Richardson, who primarily handled employ- “They’d take photos with me and they’d be wav-
ment law when he was in private practice, said ing the American flag,” he said. “It was a wonderful
that he misses working with the many attorney experience.” ■
friends he made and misses the “adrenaline rush
of being on trial.” Robert Storace covers legal trends, lawsuits and
As a judge, the pandemic eliminated another fa- analysis for the Connecticut Law Tribune. Follow
vorite part about being on the bench: swearing in him on Twitter @RobertSCTLaw or reach him at
new citizens. 203-437-5950.

Connecticut Superior Court Judge Richard

Arnold Has Died

By Robert Storace

emembered as a good and called the young attorney into
friend, writer of prolific le- his chambers.
Rgal opinions and for having Marino at the time had known
a passion for golf and politics, the judge briefly prior to entering
Superior Court Judge Richard his courtroom.
Arnold has died. “I was new to the practice and
Arnold passed away on June 1. was terrified that I had done
He lived in Orange. He died of a something wrong,” he said. “He
heart attack, but was also battling told me to take a seat and said,
pancreatic cancer. He was 72. ‘How is it going?’ He took my
Attorney Vincent Marino, who stress level down immediately.
called Arnold a confidant, friend And from that moment on, he al-
and mentor, said he remembers ways ended our conversations by
the first time he entered the judge’s saying, ‘Friends first.’”
courtroom like it was yesterday. Superior Court Judge Richard Marino, who was close with
It was about 25 years ago and Arnold. Courtesy photo both Arnold and his wife Karen,
Marino, now a partner with Mari- said he was recently texting with
no, Zabel & Schellenberg in Orange, was in Arnold’s the judge to get together for coffee—something they
courtroom when the judge stopped the proceedings, didn’t get to do.

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