HARTFORD - Governor Ned Lamont and Supreme Court Justice Andrew J. McDonald held a press conference at the Capitol on May 14 to introduce the public to Appellate Court Judge Eliot D. Prescott, who was recently appointed by the Criminal Justice Commission to succeed retiring Inspector General Robert J. Devlin, Jr.
Governor Lamont and Justice McDonald, as well as Chief State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin and Judiciary Committee Co-chairs Senator Steve Stafstrom and Senator Gary Winfield, also used the press conference to commend Inspector General Devlin for his significant contributions to the Office of Inspector General, particularly the public engagement, commitment to fairness and transparency they said he brought to the office, which was established in 2021. Inspector General Devlin was appointed by the Criminal Justice Commission to a four-year term on September 27, 2021. He informed the Commission of his intention to retire at the end of his term in June.
On behalf of the Commission, Justice McDonald, chairperson of the Criminal Justice Commission, the autonomous state body responsible for appointing all state prosecutors, extended his congratulations to Inspector General Devlin on his upcoming retirement and his gratitude for not only the “outstanding work” he did as Inspector General, but also for his more than 30 years as a “dedicated public servant” for the state of Connecticut.
Justice McDonald said the Connecticut Police Accountability Act - House Bill 6004 - which created the Office of Inspector General, was a concerted effort by the legislature and the executive branch to hit a reset on how police-involved shooting investigations were conducted by the state. He said the Criminal Justice Commission “took that to heart,” in their selection of Judge Devlin for the role of Connecticut’s first Inspector General.
“He has established that office as an independent, autonomous operation that, in my view, has discharged its responsibilities with extraordinary care of diligence and thoughtfulness and sincerity, both to people who are being investigated, and to the victims or their family members,” Justice McDonald said.
Justice McDonald said a total of 29 applicants with a “stellar range of experience” recently applied for the Inspector General job and five “well-qualified” candidates were interviewed on April 29, 2025, making the selection process tough because of the high quality of the candidates.
“The Commission selected Judge Prescott because we thought he was the right person to carry on the legacy that Judge Devlin had started as the Inspector General,” Justice McDonald said. He said Judge Prescott “has an encyclopedic knowledge of evidence law in the state of Connecticut,” noting that he wrote “Tait’s Handbook of Connecticut Evidence,” considered the encyclopedia of evidence for the state of Connecticut.
“Any attorney going into a courtroom to try a case carries his book with them so that they know what they’re doing when they’re faced with difficult decisions,” Justice McDonald said.
Justice McDonald said Judge Prescott “demonstrated his intelligence, his knowledge of the laws and his thoroughness,” not only as a Superior Court judge, but also on the Appellate Court. Since taking senior judge status, Judge Prescott voluntarily signed up to take on some of the most challenging, violent crimes and trials around the state, he said.
“He's jumped all over the state trying very serious felony cases, and he's got an indomitable spirit and an unparalleled work ethic,” Justice McDonald said.
Senator Winfield lauded Inspector General Devlin for being “extremely communicative” with him through the years, participating in several public forums, sometimes “in places that weren’t easy to participate with” which helped the public understand the investigations and the office’s work. Those efforts, Senator Winfield said, helped the public believe in Inspector General Devlin.
“Having sat there with you, I know how difficult sometimes it is to be in a space where you don’t have the answers in the way that folks might want you to have them,” Senator Winfield said. “But you still sit there and go through it.”
Senator Winfield implored Judge Prescott to follow Inspector General Devlin’s lead by continuing to bring credibility to the office which he said is crucial for its success.
“It’s important for the public to believe in this office,” Senator Winfield said.
Following passage of the police accountability bill, Senator Stafstrom said then-Judge Devlin’s appointment to the job “provided an instant level of credibility” that was necessary for the office to be successful.
“When we wrote the police accountability bill, among the most important provisions of that bill was the creation of the Office of Inspector General and what that office could be and what is was designed to be in terms of providing credibility not just to the public but also to officers involved in the investigations,” Senator Stafstrom said. It was important, he said, to have someone at the helm who could ensure that the investigations would be thorough, transparent and free of external pressure.
Senator Stafstrom said Judge Prescott’s reputation for transparency and public access were key factors in his selection.
Chief State’s Attorney Griffin, the administrative head of the Division of Criminal Justice, said Inspector General Devlin created a new institution at the Division during his inaugural term as head of the Office of Inspector General. The Office is within the Division of Criminal Justice for administrative purposes only and sits as an independent entity rather than directly under the control of the chief state’s attorney or state’s attorneys.
“He really has set the benchmark for fairness,” Chief State’s Attorney Griffin said. “I just want to say on behalf of the Division of Criminal Justice how thankful the Division is for Judge Devlin’s work.”
Regarding Judge Prescott, Chief State’s Attorney Griffin described him as a “serious individual and a respected jurist” he expects will “call balls and strikes right down the middle.”
Since his appointment, Chief State’s Attorney Griffin said law enforcement officials from throughout the state have all expressed their willingness to cooperate with Judge Prescott’s investigations.
“Officer-involved use-of-force cases affect the community, and the community has to know that the investigations are done properly, and that the legal analysis is likewise done properly,” Chief State’s Attorney Griffin said. “I think that this office is now in good hands.”
During his remarks, Governor Lamont credited Senators Stafstrom and Winfield with their work on the Connecticut Police Accountability Act and the Criminal Justice Commission’s work in helping define the role of Inspector General.
“This is the template for how this is going to go,” Governor Lamont said about the work of Inspector General Devlin. “We can write the words on paper but the way he took on the role, not only calling the balls and strikes, but to be able to communicate to people the decision you made, why you made that decision, it really builds trust, I think between the community and the police department.”
Inspector General Devlin credited the teamwork in his office and the work of the Connecticut State Police Major Crimes Division with the success of his office.
“Connecticut is a leader in police accountability thanks to our legislators and Governor Lamont and that’s a good thing,” Inspector General Devlin said. “And our law enforcement is better for that. We shouldn’t be fearful of that. We should embrace that. I am very pleased to serve our state in this role for the last, almost four years and I have great confidence that it will go forward seamlessly with Judge Prescott.”
Saying appellate judges often work in “cloistered” environments, Judge Prescott thanked Governor Lamont for the opportunity at the press conference to introduce himself to the public.
“There is no greater flashpoint in society than the intersection of law enforcement and the public that law enforcement is designed to serve,” Judge Prescott said. “These cases can be very controversial but when they’re handled in a way in which the public believes is open, fair, and independent, we’ve seen that they can be decided and dealt with without as much controversy as we’ve seen around the country. So, in the days to come, I look forward to reaching out to all the various constituencies who care about this work.”