Disciplinary Counsel

(a) There shall be a chief disciplinary counsel and such disciplinary counsel and staff as are necessary. The chief disciplinary counsel and the disciplinary counsel shall be appointed by the chief court administrator. In the event that a vacancy arises in any of these positions, the chief court administrator will fill the vacancy. The chief disciplinary counsel and disciplinary counsel shall be assigned to the Office of the Chief Court Administrator for administrative purposes and shall not engage in the private practice of law. The term ‘‘disciplinary counsel’’ as used in the rules for the Superior Court shall mean the chief disciplinary counsel or any disciplinary counsel. (b) In addition to any other powers and duties set forth in this chapter, disciplinary counsel shall: (1) Investigate each complaint which has been forwarded, after a determination that probable cause exists that the respondent is guilty of mis- conduct, by a grievance panel to the Statewide Grievance Committee for review pursuant to Sec- tion 2-32 (i) and pursue such matter before the Statewide Grievance Committee or reviewing committee. When, after a determination of no probable cause by a grievance panel, a complaint is forwarded to the Statewide Grievance Commit- tee because it contains an allegation that the respondent committed a crime, and the Statewide Grievance Committee or a reviewing committee determines that a hearing shall be held concern- ing the complaint pursuant to Section 2-35 (c), the disciplinary counsel shall present the matter to such committee. (2) Pursuant to Section 2-82, discuss and may negotiate a disposition of the complaint with the respondent or, if represented by an attorney, the respondent’s attorney, subject to the approval of the Statewide Grievance Committee or a reviewing committee or the court. (3) Remove irrelevant information from the complaint file and thereafter permit discovery of information in the file. (4) Pursuant to Section 2-35, add additional allegations of misconduct to the grievance panel’s determination that probable cause exists that the respondent is guilty of misconduct. 143 © Copyrighted by the Secretary of the State of the State of Connecticut