Saturday, July 11, 2009

117 Probate Courts Reduced

A new law that will reform the probate court system could mean drastic changes for northeastern Connecticut towns.

Seven probate courts serve the towns of Brooklyn, Canterbury, Killingly, Plainfield, Pomfret, Putnam, Sterling, Thompson and Woodstock. Canterbury and Sterling are served by the Plainfield court.

Probate courts also are known as family courts. Cases vary from settling estates to deciding parental rights and guardianship.

Combined, the seven northeastern Connecticut courts heard more than 1,800 matters in 2008.

But with the reform law signed last month by Gov. M. Jodi Rell, the 117 probate courts across the state will be reduced to between 44 and 50.

Full Article and Source:
Single probate court may serve 9 northeastern Connecticut towns

More information:
A plan creating 50 probate court districts in Connecticut by consolidating the present 117 has been written by the Probate Court Assembly.

Probate judges met in Hartford to arrive at the first in a series of steps that will reform the state's 300-year-old probate court system.

They were responding to a bill signed by Gov. M. Jodi Rell June 12. The law is designed to make the courts more self-sustaining financially and more efficient.
Proposed probate court changes announced

See also:
Rell Signs Legislation

7 comments:

AntiShyster said...

It's about time! These abuses are not new. It's 25 years since Judge Kinsella got caught doing his thing!

All probate judges should be card-carrying lawyers. That way, when they screw up, they can be held more openly accountable, as lawyers!

Folks, if you think filing grievances is a waste of time, you're wrong! File, file, file and file again! A lawyer with a grievance record will never become a judge. And a judge with a grievance record, will never go higher.

Anonymous said...

This is great. Finally there's a chance the CT probate mess may be cleaned up!

Sue said...

Accountability and transparency are essential. This is long overdue but it sounds like a good beginning. We need "eyes" court watchers to keep these folks under bright lights.

Anonymous said...

At the very least, the remaining judges will be busier, and won't have so much time to persecute each victim.

Anonymous said...

I am hoping they're keeping the good judges (and courts) and getting rid of the bad ones!

Anonymous said...

I don't know that it's quite right to say the new law "will reform" the court system.

I think it's the beginning of reform, but not reform itself.

realreform said...

We the people of CT. need to stand up, It is never to late. The Hamden probate judge Salvatore Diglio has been sited by the state wide grievance committee and the state lets him be a probate judge. The Milford judge is also an attorney and does not know the probate laws. take a good look at the probate reform bill, All it does is close down courts and does not provide any protection for us, the end users. We need to be protected from Judges like Beverly Streit-kefals and others just like her that are to busy with their other business's that they don't have time to learn the probate laws. Shame on all of you who call this self serving bill reform. Maybe it's time that we put someone other then that political hack Judge Paul Knierim in charge of the probate courts and the reform. Lets repeal this and put the people in charge. It is sad when you hear jokes like this about our probate system. What do you call an attorney that has failed in private pratice?.....A connecticut probate judge
http://ct-probate.blogspot.com/