The Criminal Justice Commission has suspended Hartford State's Attorney Gail Hardy in connection with the failure to investigate and report on several police shooting cases.
The commission gave Hardy four day suspension.
A statement was released by Hardy in response:
I extend my sincerest apologies to the family members of the deceased. There are no words that can ease the pain that they feel in missing their loved one. My failure to complete the reports in a timely fashion only compounded their pain and for that I am deeply sorry. To the police officers involved, I apologize as well. They deserve to have their cases resolved in as timely a fashion as possible. I have accepted the discipline imposed by the Commission as I work to rebuild the trust that they and the people of the State of Connecticut have placed in me. The Hartford community is very important to me. It is my community. To the extent that I have harmed them, I am deeply sorry. I understand and accept the decision made by the Commission today and I hope to be able to continue to serve them and build upon the trust that we continue to forge between our communities and law enforcement in the Hartford Judicial District.
Former Chief State's Atty Kevin Kane had delayed his retirement in order to investigate Hardy.
Chief State Attorney Kevin Kane in a report released In November, said Hartford State’s Attorney Gail Hardy is “honest and conscientious,” but says she should meet with the commission to explain what remedial steps are being taken and so the panel can consider whether a suspension or reprimand is warranted.
Officials said there were several investigations on police officers' use of deadly force dating as far back as 2008.
The state is implementing new guidelines on use of deadly force investigations. From now on, a state’s attorney will be on a 120 day clock to complete an investigation. If they need more time, they must report the reasons why to the Chief State’s Attorney.
The report details the investigations into the deaths of Ernesto Morales in Hartford on July 11, 2012; Edmanuel Reyes in Manchester on May 19, 2011; Taurean Wilson in East Hartford on Jan. 1, 2009; and Joseph Bak in Hartford on March 3, 2008.
In each case, the officers returned to duty after an internal review. Hardy indicated in her reports she would not pursue criminal charges against any of them.
The Hartford Courant reported in October that Hardy, Hartford's top prosecutor for over a decade, had not completed the required investigations. Connecticut's 13 state's attorneys since then have adopted an updated policy giving prosecutors 120 days to complete deadly use-of-force investigations after they receive case files from state police, the Courant reported.