Page 7 - CLT072020

NEWS JULY 20, 2020 ¦ 7

Not on Mute: Prosecutor Disciplined for
Calling Boss a Liar During Zoom Meeting

By Robert Storace

Chief State’s Attorney Richard and inclusion efforts for Colangelo’s
Colangelo Jr. has reprimand- offices in Rocky Hill.
ed a senior assistant state’s
attorney for reportedly calling his Hardy will remain as Hartford
state’s attorney until a replacement
supervisor, Hartford State’s Attor- is named.
ney Gail Hardy, a “liar” on Zoom Hardy had come under fire for her
during her reappointment hearing handling of several police-involved
last month. shootings. In fact, a week before
It’s not clear if Mark Brodsky the Criminal Justice Commission
knew his mute button wasn’t on Zoom hearing, the commission
when he made the remark. had suspended Hardy for four days
In the one-page letter outlining without pay for her timeliness in is-
the reprimand in which Brodsky Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney suing reports on the shootings.
will lose two paid vacation days, Richard Colangelo Jr./ Legal experts called the repri-

Colangelo wrote: “It is very impor- photo by Robert Storace

mand of Brodsky fair.
tant for you to keep in mind that as prosecutors, “It was unbecoming the conduct of a prosecutor.
we are judged not only on our behavior during the He was not behaving as one would hope a senior
workday, but also for how we conduct ourselves out- prosecutor would behave, so I understand where
side of the workplace. Your actions and the public they see it was important to reprimand him in some
comments during the hearing on June 26 not only way,” said Leslie Levin, a University of Connecticut
reflected poorly on you but on the division as well. School of Law professor.
As ministers of justice, we have an obligation to act But what about First Amendment rights?
professionally at all times.” “It’s complicated, but when someone says some-
Colangelo’s letter noted Brodksy waived his right thing they believe and it’s stated in a public hearing,
to a predisciplinary hearing. there are some protections. It raises for me some
“I appreciate the fact that you have accepted re- First Amendment questions,” Levin said. “But from
sponsibility for your actions,” Colangelo wrote. the letter from the chief state’s attorney, it looks like
While the letter doesn’t specify what remarks Mr. Brodsky agreed to the reprimand and did not
Brodsky made, media outlets report the prosecutor raise those issues. He must have recognized what
was heard to have called Hardy a “liar” during the he did was inappropriate, and went along with the
Zoom event. sanctions.”
Colangelo declined to comment for this report. Longtime Hartford attorney Jamie Sullivan called
Neither Brodsky nor Hardy responded to a request the reprimand “fair,” and said the episode raises
for comment Wednesday. questions about using Zoom.
At the time of the incident, the Criminal Justice ¦

Commission was meeting to vote on Hardy’s reap- Robert Storace covers legal trends, lawsuits and
pointment as Hartford state’s attorney. But as the analysis for the Connecticut Law Tribune. Follow
commission was in executive session, it was an- him on Twitter @RobertSCTLaw or reach him at
nounced Hardy had accepted a job to lead diversity 203-437-5950.

CONNECTICUT
Law Tribune