February 06, 2026
The commission responsible for Connecticut's public defenders did not violate TaShun Bowden-Lewis' constitutional or legal rights when it removed her as chief of the office in 2024, a state Superior Court judge has ruled, finding no second hearing was necessary before the former top defense lawyer lost her job.
September 15, 2025
A Connecticut judge on Monday seemed skeptical of a former chief state public defender's challenge to her ouster, questioning whether the lawyer could support her claim that the Public Defender Services Commission should have called live witnesses to testify during an administrative hearing that led to her termination.
May 21, 2025
Connecticut's Public Defender Services Commission said in a state court brief that it was "significant misconduct," not racial bias, that caused it to fire the chief public defender, arguing the June 2024 firing came after a litany of complaints and a lengthy pattern of wrongdoing.
July 18, 2024
The former chief public defender in Connecticut is gearing up for battles in state and federal court challenging her June dismissal from her role, with an attorney who successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court at the helm.
July 10, 2024
The former chief public defender in Connecticut has filed a second action challenging her June 4 ouster for misconduct, lodging an administrative appeal in state court that claims racial bias.