Kevin Kane Reappointed Chief State’s Attorney; Patrick Griffin Appointed New Haven State's Attorney
The Honorable Richard N. Palmer, Chair of the Criminal Justice Commission, announced today that the Commission has reappointed Chief State’s Attorney Kevin T. Kane to a third term and appointed Patrick J. Griffin as the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of New Haven.
First appointed as Connecticut’s chief law enforcement officer in 2006, Attorney Kane has served as a state prosecutor for more than 44 years and is the longest-serving Chief State’s Attorney since the position was created in 1973.
"The Criminal Justice Commission is proud to announce its unanimous reappointment of Chief State’s Attorney Kane, and we thank him for his continued outstanding service to the Division of Criminal Justice and to the interests of justice," Justice Palmer said.
Chief State’s Attorney Kane’s appointment is for a five-year term beginning July 1, 2016. State’s Attorney Griffin will complete the eight-year term to which Michael Dearington was appointed as New Haven State’s Attorney in 2009. Mr. Dearington retired June 1 after more than 44 years as a prosecutor.
"The Commission congratulates Patrick Griffin on his appointment as State’s Attorney. We are confident he will serve in the great tradition of State’s Attorney Dearington. We also wish to congratulate State’s Attorney Dearington on his retirement and to extend our deepest appreciation for his long and distinguished career."
The appointments were approved by the Commission at its meeting Friday at the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney in Rocky Hill.
As Chief State's Attorney, Mr. Kane is the administrative head of the Division of Criminal Justice, the independent agency of the executive branch of state government that is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of all criminal matters in the State of Connecticut.
He began his career as a prosecutor as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for the former 9th Circuit in Middletown in August 1972 and was promoted to Prosecuting Attorney in the fall of 1973. He transferred to the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney in November 1978 where he served as the Unit Chief of the former Special Investigations Unit.
In 1986, he transferred to the Office of the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of New London. He was promoted to Senior Assistant State’s Attorney in 1988 and Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney in 1990. He was appointed State’s Attorney in New London effective in January 1995 and served there until he became Chief State’s Attorney in September 2006.
Chief State's Attorney Kane earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Connecticut School of Law.
Attorney Griffin has been Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney for the Cold Case/Shooting Task Force Bureau in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney since December 2013. A prosecutor since October 1995, he spent many years in the State’s Attorney’s Office in Waterbury.
He is the recipient of the 2015 Oliver Ellsworth Prosecutor of the Year Award from the Connecticut Criminal Justice Educational and Charitable Association and has been an adjunct professor at the University of New Haven since September 2004.
As New Haven State’s Attorney, he is the chief law enforcement officer in the Judicial District of New Haven, which includes the cities of New Haven and Meriden and the towns of Bethany, Branford, Cheshire, East Haven, Guilford, Hamden, Madison, North Branford, North Haven, Wallingford and Woodbridge.
The State’s Attorney oversees Division staff assigned to the State’s Attorney’s offices at the Superior Court for the Judicial District of New Haven, the Geographical Area (G.A.) courts in Meriden and New Haven and shares responsibility for oversight of the staff assigned to the Superior Court for Juvenile Matters in New Haven and the Superior Court for Housing Matters in New Haven.
The Criminal Justice Commission is responsible for the appointment of all state prosecutors in Connecticut. In addition to Justice Palmer, Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, its membership includes the Honorable Juliett L. Crawford, Judge of the Superior Court, attorneys Mary M. Galvin, Maura Hughes Horan, Moy N. Ogilvie and Ann G. Taylor and Chief State’s Attorney Kane.