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6 ¦ DECEMBER 7, 2020 NEWS

3 Cases to Watch Before the Connecticut
Supreme Court in December

By Robert Storace

The Connecticut Supreme Court
is set to hear oral arguments in
10 cases in its fourth term for
2020-21, which runs from Dec. 7-11.

Here is a look at some of the more
notable cases:

Debra Cohen v. Statewide Griev-

ance Committee
In this case dealing with alleged
attorney misconduct, the chief dis-
ciplinary counsel filed a grievance
complaint against attorney Debra
Cohen, who had served as trustee for
the sole beneficiary of an estate. Connecticut Supreme Court building in Hartford. Photo: Michael
Marciano/ALM

According to the Connecticut Supreme Court’s to the probate court chief clerk within the meaning
synopsis of the case, Cohen submitted a final ac- of several RPCs.
counting in May 2012 for the estate that included
a claim for fiduciary fees. Cohen was also hired as D ebra Normandy v. American Medical Systems
a staff attorney for the Office of the Probate Court Inc.
Administrator in 2005. In Normandy v. American Medical Systems, Debra
The reviewing committee of the office of the chief Normandy and husband Mark sued Bristol Hospital
disciplinary counsel found that Cohen’s request and American Medical Systems after Debra Nor-
for fiduciary fees in an amended June 24, 2013, fi- mandy suffered injuries involving the implantation
nal accounting for the estate constituted a violation of pelvic mesh products that AMS manufactured.
of several Rules of Professional Conduct, including The Normandys filed suit in 2015, six years after
knowingly making a “false statement … to a tribunal.” the medical procedure. The claims against the com-
The false statement to a tribunal count relates to pany were withdrawn, leaving only Bristol Hospital
Cohen informing the chief clerk for the probate as a defendant in the matter.
court that she wouldn’t be requesting any fiduciary According to the state Supreme Court’s synop-
fees. sis of the case, the plaintiff couple maintained the
A Hartford Superior Court judge and the Con- hospital “had engaged in the business of placing
necticut Appellate Court sided with the chief the pelvic mesh products into the stream of com-
disciplinary counsel in the matter. merce by purchasing them from AMS and further
Now, the state Supreme Court will decide, among marketing and selling them to patients and medical
other things, whether the Connecticut Appellate professionals.”
Court properly decided that Cohen, in the amended The hospital then filed a motion for summary
final accounting, knowingly made false statements judgment, saying it was a provider of medical ser-

CONNECTICUT
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