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In the rough: Lawyer charged again with stealing golf clubs, bags
Updated 2:53 pm, Wednesday, August 7, 2013
A local lawyer was arrested on a warrant Wednesday, charged once again with stealing golf clubs.
Garrett A. Denniston, 35, of Jackman Avenue, who is associated with the law firm of Bishop, Jackson and Kelly in Milford, was charged with third-degree burglary and third-degree larceny.
He broke into the pro shop at the H. Smith Richardson Golf Course the evening of May 29, police said, and stole two staff golf bags with clubs, one valued at $1,000 and the second at $2,500.
The golf bags and clubs were apparently found when police executed search warrants of his home following an arrest in June for stealing a golf bag from the Patterson Club, according tot the report.
http://www.fairfieldcitizenonline.com/news/article/In-the-rough-Lawyer-charged-again-with-stealing-4714957.php
For those who are unfamiliar: Bishop, Kelly and Jackson is comprised, in part, of Tim Bishop (Stratford Town Attorney) and Kevin Kelly (Stratford/Shelton State Senator).
Just sayin’…
Filed under: Stratford Political Theater | 8 Comments
Tags: Town Attorney
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Stratford Politics 
Ummm perhaps a peek at Mr. Dennistons billable hours charged to we taxpayers would reveal further larcenous behavior. Unfortunately the town attorney is ALSO the managing partner at their law firm so THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN!!! Another great choice by Mayor John Harkins. I guess that’s why BJK can afford to sponsor the fireworks AND THE MAYORS BLUES FESTIVAL.
Still no further response? Continuous apathy is the precise reason the rectal rape of we stratford taxpayers continues unabated!!!
Prof,
“would reveal further larcenous behavior.”
Precisely. While no employer can control the actions of every single employee (although most would love to invade their employees’ private lives) this arrest should be sending up warning flares to taxpayers.
If nothing else, it should lead taxpayers to question the role of the Town Attorney. As we have wearily stated so many times, the Town Attorney is appointed by a mayor, serves at the pleasure of a mayor and is in sole control of a (currently) $1.8 million budget. That Town Attorney budget is, by the way, 300% more than Milford’s, Shelton’s, Trumbull’s, Fairfield’s or of any Town in Connecticut even approaching the size of Stratford. Since the initiation of the “strong” mayor government, the Town Attorney’s position has significantly changed from the Town’s attorney to the mayor’s attorney. In effect, when the Council asks for a legal opinion (which is often mistaken for a legal judgement), it gets the mayor’s opinion as expressed by the Town Attorney.
Additionally, the Town Attorney cannot generate enough cases on his own to consume $1.8 million per year. For that he relies on the HR Director whom I hear has his own reserved parking space in Wethersfield at the Department of Labor.
Mayoral candidate Daponte misses the point entirely with “I am calling for a performance audit of Mr. Denniston’s work for the town and a financial audit of any monies he may have had access to as an attorney working for the town.” She, or any candidate, should be calling for an investigative audit (some might call it “forensic”) of the entire budget. It is quite clear the the Town Council will never do it.
Oh…and then there is the Town’s hopeless case against Paramedic John Jazinski to which Mr. Denniston had been assigned. This will cause yet another delay on the Town’s part delaying the inevitable. Yet another case that will cost the taxpayer a big bagful of money for the plaintiff and all of the attorneys.
Nope. Don’t expect outrage from the zoned-out residents of Stratford over this one. If you can’t get them out for things like redistricting Republican into long-term power then why would we expect them to care about the people the Mayor hires to litigate on our town’s behalf? Toss a “school closing” mention out there and the whole town wakes up and shows up to spare their babies having to attend a school in [*gasp!*] another district or head to middle school a year early to accommodate overcrowding (same response as suggesting to the gray brigade at Oronoke Village that tax increases help fund teachers’ benefits as well as their elder programs). But care about anything else in this town? NO WAY. They sleep, eat and attend their kids’ events and Bingo, but the lion’s share don’t give a flying crap about those issues that actually DO affect their sleepy little lives.
Appalled,
It’s not the lawyers who get caught stealing. It’s the ones that don’t get caught because no one knows how many of our tax dollars they’re taking. The continuous stream of revenue for Town Attorneys generate by the HR Department would take your breath away.
“issues that actually DO affect their sleepy little lives. ”
The truth is that most residents don’t want to think about municipal government and the minutiae that it involves. Everyone can think about war or dysfunctional government or healthcare. But no one wants to think about assistant principal’s salaries, public works equipment or union negotiations. On the other hand, nothing effects your mortgage or rent payment more than these issues.
The irony is that only 11 people make these decisions and sometimes their seats are won by mere dozens of votes, not millions. Most people cannot fathom that their single vote actually makes a difference in municipal elections.
“town attorneys in Shelton and Ansonia charge $150 an hour, it’s $190 in Trumbull and $200 in Stratford”.
Interesting quote, it seems we can afford to pay our town atty’s more per hour than towns with lower taxes, I WONDER IF THERE IS ANY COORELATION…and in Stratford they seem to have a lot more work (created) for themselves, hmmmmmm. But nobody seems to care the way they are fleecing we taxpayers. Can I get a KA-CHINGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!
It would be wonderful if one of our challenging mayoral candidates could shed some light on this topic. It would go a long way to show they are not in another attorney’s pocket…or is that a touchy subject with both Buturla and Bishop on the DTC. What’s a voter to do??? (hint to Joe Paul…this is yours to hit out of the park)
Prof,
“one of our challenging mayoral candidates could shed some light on this topic.”
As we had previously noted, the best disinfectant is sunshine. In surveying Milford, Shelton, Trumbull and Fairfield it happens that our Town Attorney budget is 300% more than the next highest amount. According to the published budget, our Town Attorney’s office consists of exactly one attorney and one legal secretary. Oh…and a budget amount of $1.8 million per year (not counting budget transfers from other departments). Where does the money go? Good question. No one knows.
According to the silly “strong mayor” Charter we have, the Town Attorney is appointed by the mayor, confirmed by the Council and serves solely at the pleasure of the mayor. In effect, the Town Attorney represents the mayor and no one else. Incredibly, Town Attorney opinions requested by the Council are treated as judgements. Maybe that is why we lose so many cases in arbitration and in court.
Has any candidate mentioned any of this? Harkins? Paul? Daponte?
Silence…..
(It should be noted that the Chairman of the Democratic Town Committee is Richard Buturla who was Town Attorney under Miron. One has to wonder who would be Town Attorney again if the DTC endorsed candidate, Beth Daponte, is somehow elected as mayor.)