You asked about the number, race, and gender of candidates interviewed by the Criminal Justice Commission and those chosen by the commission as new hires to fill positions as deputy assistant state's attorneys during the years Justice Peter Zarella served on the commission.

SUMMARY

From the start of Justice Zarella's tenure on the commission until the end of 2005, the commission interviewed 185 candidates and hired 47 people for deputy assistant state's attorney positions. The chart below breaks down these candidates and hires by race and gender. We do not have information on hires that may have occurred between the end of 2005 and Justice Zarella's resignation in 2006.

*One candidate checked boxes for white and Hispanic. In this chart, she is counted as Hispanic.

We compiled this data based on copies of candidate application materials provided to us by the Chief State's Attorney's Office, on behalf of the commission, and some additional information from a chart produced by the Chief State's Attorney's Office for the commission.

JUSTICE ZARELLA

Justice Zarella was appointed to the Criminal Justice Commission effective August 13, 2000. Governor Rowland nominated him as a member and chairman on February 15, 2001 and the General Assembly took final action on his nomination on March 26, 2001. A Hartford Courant article indicates his resignation from the commission took effect February 2, 2006.

HIRING PROCESS

The Criminal Justice Commission appoints prosecutors. After reviewing resumes and conducting an initial round of interviews, a state's attorney usually refers a small number of candidates to the Criminal Justice Commission. The commission interviews these candidates and chooses one to fill a position.

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