Joette Katz Appointed Vice-Chair of Task Force to Develop Connecticut’s First Behavioral Health Court

Shipman & Goodwin is pleased to announce that litigation partner Joette Katz, former Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, has been appointed vice-chair of a newly formed task force charged with developing a pilot behavioral health court in New Haven. Announced today by Chief Justice Raheem L. Mullins, the task force will design an innovative court model dedicated to serving individuals with behavioral health issues in the criminal justice system, with the goal of expanding the program statewide.

Joette will serve as vice-chair alongside Superior Court Judge Dan Klau, with Chief Justice Mullins and Chief Court Administrator Joan K. Alexander serving as co-chairs. The task force includes more than two dozen members representing multiple perspectives and areas of expertise, including medical doctors, mental health professionals, city and school officials, law enforcement, prosecutors, public defenders, judges, and correction officials. The full press release from the Judicial Branch is available here.