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Corporation counsel seeks $1.435M to fund outside counsel for decades‑old wrongful‑conviction suits
Summary
Patricia King, corporation counsel, told the Finance Committee the city needs to increase outside counsel contract limits to defend seven federal wrongful‑conviction suits tied to 1990s arrests; two trials are scheduled in spring and the city lacked liability insurance for the period in question.
The New Haven Finance Committee voted to forward an amendment that would increase maximum expenditures on several outside legal services contracts after Corporation Counsel Patricia King described multiple pending wrongful‑conviction federal suits arising from arrests in the 1990s.
Patricia King said the city is seeking a transfer of $1,435,000 to the Office of Corporation Counsel's legal services account to pay multiple outside firms. "The plaintiffs routinely sue every investigator or detective who was involved in these cases," King said, noting that naming many former investigators often requires the city to provide separate counsel for potential conflicts. King told the committee seven cases are currently pending and at least two are scheduled for trial in March and April, which will require intensive trial preparation.
King said the city lacked liability insurance covering those historical events, so any judgment in those suits would come from the city's own funds. "Without insurance," she said, "the city would be obligated to pay whatever judgment is awarded." She told members the request reflects estimates the firms provided to cover the fiscal year and that the administration has been coordinating with the Office of Budget and Management to factor projected needs into next year's budget.
Committee members repeatedly said the request, while large, was prudent given the circumstances. Members amended the resolution's effective clause to list the specific increases to each firm's maximum allowed expenditure (an editorial and clarity change to the language) and passed the item by voice vote with a favorable recommendation to the full Board.
Next steps: the committee's favorable recommendation and amended resolution text will be submitted to the full Board; staff said budgets and firm estimates will be monitored and may require future adjustments.
