Published:
The Connecticut Supreme Court will travel to Central Connecticut State University on Thursday, Oct. 19, to hear two cases as part of its “On Circuit” program. The visit is the first time that the justices will hear arguments at Central since the program began in 1986.
The program provides students, educators, and the public with a greater understanding of the appellate process. Over the years, the Supreme Court has heard arguments at several universities and colleges throughout the state.
“It is our pleasure to help showcase these State Supreme Court proceedings. Our students will have a front-row seat to the judicial process in action,” said Central President Zulma R. Toro.
“Central prides itself on being an institution that offers an excellent education along with important and relevant experiential learning opportunities, and this is one of those unique opportunities for our students. We thank the justices for allowing a glimpse into the legal process.”
The cases will be heard in Central’s Torp Theatre at Lawrence J. Davidson Hall in New Britain. The first argument will start at 10 a.m.; the second case is scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m. A 20-minute question-and-answer period with counsel from the case, students, and faculty will follow each argument. Please allow enough time to clear security upon arrival; also, no backpacks or water bottles will be allowed inside the theatre.
View more information at https://www.ccsu.edu/connecticut-supreme-court-hearings-central/.
Cases to be heard
The 10 a.m. case is State of Connecticut v. Lawrence Lee Henderson from the Middlesex Judicial District. At issue is whether State v. Arroyo should be modified to prohibit legally inconsistent verdicts, where a defendant is convicted of a lesser included offense involving the same facts, and whether a mistrial should have been granted because of a 25-day delay during deliberations.
The 11:30 a.m. case is Vincent G. Benvenuto v. Kevin Brookman from the Hartford Judicial District. At issue is whether bloggers constitute “news media” under Connecticut’s press shield law; whether the trial court applied the correct legal standard in striking the defendant’s constitution-based special defense; whether a discovery order violated constitutional free speech principles; and whether the trial court erred in determining certain anonymous comments on the blog that were in question were defamatory per se.
“My fellow justices and I are very much looking forward to our first visit to Central as part of the ‘On Circuit’ program,” said Chief Justice Richard A. Robinson. “There are many logistics to tend to, and Central is committed to ensuring that the event achieves the Court’s goal of educating students about how the appellate process works. We could not be happier with Central as our next venue and appreciate everyone’s hard work beforehand and the university’s dedication to providing students with the opportunity to see, in person, real cases argued before the Supreme Court.”