Page 19 - CLT061520

NEWS JUNE 15, 2020 ¦ 19

Imprisoned CT Lawyer Released
Due to COVID-19 Concerns

By Robert Storace

Five weeks after convicted former
attorney Jodi Zils Gagne made a com-
passionate-plea motion for release
from federal prison because of COVID-19
dangers, the Bureau of Prisons announced
Friday it had granted that request.
According to court documents, Zils
Gagne was released Thursday from the
Danbury Federal Correction Institute to
her Bristol home under home confine-
ment. Shutterstock

Jonathan Einhorn, the New Haven solo practitio- In court pleadings, Einhorn maintained that
ner representing Zils Gagne, said Friday his client’s having MS meant Zils Gagne had a higher risk of
release was due in great part to a class action that contracting the coronavirus.
other attorneys filed on behalf of at-risk inmates at The government, though, countered that it didn’t
the Danbury facility. believe an early release was warranted.
“Danbury was stalling and stalling and stalling Prosecutors argued that no compelling evidence
and then, finally, they entered an order that the showed she was at a greater risk of contracting the
people on the at-risk list, including my client, had virus because she had MS. In addition, the govern-
to be released by June 4 and she was,” Einhorn ment said there was strong opposition to her release
said. from her victims.
The class action was assigned to U.S. District Judge In his May 11 reply to the government’s motion,
Michael Shea, who issued a 76-page ruling. Einhorn cited a letter from a neurologist indicating
Zils Gagne was sentenced to 46 months in prison his client was more susceptible to contracting CO-
in April 2019 for stealing more than $169,000 from VID-19 because MS is an autoimmune disease.
clients. She still has about 34 months left on her sen- A former probate court-appointed conserva-
tence. She was also disbarred from practicing law for tor, Zils Gagne defrauded several people under the
12 years. court’s protection, prosecutors said. The victims
Einhorn said it’s not clear if Zils Gagne will have included an elderly client more than 90 years old,
to go back to prison once the pandemic subsides, according to court filings.
but he is confident she will be allowed to remain at Representing the government was David Huang,
home. assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Connecti-
“I’m optimistic she will spend the rest of her cut. Tom Carson, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s
term at home because of her MS and because it Office, declined to comment Friday.
makes her at-risk in a prison environment,” Ein- ¦

horn said. “This is someone who has a serious Robert Storace covers legal trends, lawsuits and
life-threatening disease and was justifiably wor- analysis for the Connecticut Law Tribune. Follow
ried that she would die in jail. She is ecstatic to be him on Twitter @RobertSCTLaw or reach him at
home again.” 203-437-5950.

CONNECTICUT
Law Tribune