It’s the 12 Days of Ballotpedia! Your gift powers the trusted, unbiased information voters need heading into 2026. Donate now!
Joette Katz
| Joette Katz | |
|---|---|
| Connecticut Supreme Court Justice | |
| Assumed office 1992 | |
| Connecticut Superior Court Judge | |
| In office 1994-2000 |
Joette Katz was a justice on the Connecticut Supreme Court. She was appointed by Governor Lowell P. Weicker, Jr in 1992. Katz retired from the court in January 2011 in order to head the Connecticut Department of Children and Families.[1]
Education
Katz received her B.A. in 1974 from Brandeis University and her J.D. from the University of Connecticut Law School in 1977.[2]
Professional career
- 1994-2000 and present, Administrative Judge, state appellate system
- Judge, Superior Court, appointed by Governor William A. O'Neill
- 1983-1989 Chief of Legal Services, Office of the Chief Public Defender
- 1978-1983 Assistant Public Defender
- Associate, Winnick, Vine & Welch[2]
Awards and associations
- Honorary degree of Doctor of Laws, Quinnipiac University School of Law
- 2004 Henry J. Naruk Judiciary Award, Connecticut Bar Association
- 2001 Women of Distinction Award, National Council of Jewish Women
- 2000 Distinguished Graduate Award, University of Connecticut School of Law
- 1993 Maria Miller Stewart Award, Connecticut Women's Education and Legal Fund
- 1993 Harriet Tubman Award, National Organization for Women[2]
Publications
Katz co-authored the book, Connecticut Criminal Caselaw Handbook: A Practitioner’s Guide, published by the Connecticut Law Tribune in 1989.[2]
Notable opinions
Katz joined with the 4-3 majority in Kerrigan v. Commissioner of Public Health, the October 10, 2008 decision that legalized same-sex marriage in Connecticut.[3]
Political ideology
In October 2012, political science professors Adam Bonica and Michael Woodruff of Stanford University attempted to determine the partisan ideology of state supreme court justices. They created a scoring system in which a score above 0 indicated a more conservative-leaning ideology, while scores below 0 were more liberal.
Katz received a campaign finance score of -0.17, indicating a liberal ideological leaning. This was more liberal than the average score of 0.05 that justices received in Connecticut.
The study was based on data from campaign contributions by the judges themselves, the partisan leaning of those who contributed to the judges' campaigns, or, in the absence of elections, the ideology of the appointing body (governor or legislature). This study was not a definitive label of a justice, but an academic summary of various relevant factors.[4]
External links
- Connecticut Supreme Court
- law.com, "Conn. Justices: State Not Required to Bring in Substitute After Prosecutor Hospitalized," March 5, 2010
- The Dartmouth, "Judges’ panel debates gay marriage," May 1, 2009
- HG.org, "Payment For Failed Projects An Iffy Proposition -Supreme Court: Preconstruction Work Must Meet Physical Enhancement Test," December 31, 2006
- First Amendment Center, "Mall owners can limit speech, Connecticut high court says," July 20, 2004
Footnotes
- ↑ The Hartford Courant, "Gov.-Elect Dan Malloy Picks Supreme Court Justice Joette Katz to Lead DCF," November 30, 2010
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 State of Connecticut Judicial Branch, Justice Joette Katz
- ↑ New York Times, "Gay marriage is ruled legal in Connecticut," October 10, 2008
- ↑ Stanford University, "State Supreme Court Ideology and 'New Style' Judicial Campaigns," October 31, 2012
Federal courts:
Second Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Connecticut • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Connecticut
State courts:
Connecticut Supreme Court • Connecticut Appellate Court • Connecticut Superior Court • Connecticut Probate Courts
State resources:
Courts in Connecticut • Connecticut judicial elections • Judicial selection in Connecticut
