Dennis G. Eveleigh
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Dennis G. Eveleigh was an associate justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court. He was appointed to the court in the state's assisted appointment method of judicial selection by Governor Mary Jodi Rell in 2010. He retired in 2017 when he reached Connecticut's mandatory retirement age.[1] His term would have expired in 2018.[2]
Education
Eveleigh received his undergraduate degree from Wittenberg University in 1969. He received his J.D. cum laude from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1972.[2][3]
Military service
Eveleigh served in the U.S. Army from 1972 to 1980.[3]
Career
- 2010-2017: Justice, Connecticut Supreme Court
- 1998-2010: Judge, Waterbury District Superior Court
- 1985-1997: Attorney in private practice
- 1972-1985: Attorney, Goldstein & Peck[3]
Awards and associations
Awards
- American Jurisprudence Award, Torts
- American Jurisprudence Award, Contracts
- American Jurisprudence Award, Advanced Property[3]
Associations
- Chair, Public Service and Trust Commission, Complex Litigation Committee
- Chair, Connecticut Superior Court, Rules Committee
- Member, Connecticut Judicial Branch, Strategic Plan Implementation Committee
- Member, Connecticut Judicial Branch, Teleconferencing Committee
- Member, Connecticut Judicial Branch, External Affairs Advisory Board
- Member, Connecticut Judicial Branch, Judges’ Advisory Committee on E-Filing
- Member, Connecticut Judicial Branch, Civil Commission
- Member, Pi Sigma Alpha
- Member, University of Connecticut, Law Review[3]
Political ideology
In October 2012, political science professors Adam Bonica and Michael Woodruff of Stanford University attempted to determine the partisan ideology of state supreme court justices. They created a scoring system in which a score above 0 indicated a more conservative-leaning ideology, while scores below 0 were more liberal.
Eveleigh received a campaign finance score of 0.13, indicating a conservative ideological leaning. This was more conservative than the average score of 0.05 that justices received in Connecticut.
The study was based on data from campaign contributions by the judges themselves, the partisan leaning of those who contributed to the judges' campaigns, or, in the absence of elections, the ideology of the appointing body (governor or legislature). This study was not a definitive label of a justice, but an academic summary of various relevant factors.[4]
Noteworthy cases
Flying-log case gets new trial (2015)
William McDermott was a bystander near a Connecticut Department of Transportation worksite where a 55-foot tree was being removed when a log flew through the air, striking his head and causing him to fall backwards onto the sidewalk. The hits to his head were fatal. His estate sued the state and received an award of $1.3 million at a bench trial in 2011. The key issue at trial was whether the workers felling the tree should have foreseen bystanders could be injured generally, and if they could have foreseen McDermott specifically would be injured by walking past their safety cones to converse. The state argued that it should not be responsible as the safety cones were warnings, not demands to stop. Further, the workers were following industry standards in felling the tree, and those same industry standards should apply to bystanders.
The Connecticut Appellate Court overturned the verdict—and award of damages—in 2013 because they found McDermott's death an accident with no one to blame. The estate appealed to the Connecticut Supreme Court, and in April 2015 a new trial was ordered.
Justice Dennis G. Eveleigh wrote for the court, which found the incident to be reasonably foreseeable.
| “ | The trial court found that it was reasonably foreseeable that a bystander would be fatally injured by a tree being cut when the bystander was within the perimeter of a tree removal work zone. The issue is certainly debatable among reasonable people. Therefore, the issue must be determined by the trier of fact.[5] | ” |
| —Justice Dennis Eveleigh[6] | ||
Articles:
See also
External links
- State of Connecticut Judicial Branch
- State of Connecticut Judicial Branch, "Biographies, Justice Dennis G. Eveleigh"
Footnotes
- ↑ Hartford Courant, "Malloy Appoints Two To State Supreme Court," October 4, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Rell Press Release, "Governor Rell Nominates Eveleigh to Supreme Court, 10 to Superior Court," March 24, 2010
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 State of Connecticut Judicial Branch, "Biographies, Justice Dennis G. Eveleigh"
- ↑ Stanford University, "State Supreme Court Ideology and 'New Style' Judicial Campaigns," October 31, 2012
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Connecticut Law Tribune, "Court Orders New Trial in Flying Log Death Lawsuit," April 24, 2015
Federal courts:
Second Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Connecticut • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Connecticut
State courts:
Connecticut Supreme Court • Connecticut Appellate Court • Connecticut Superior Court • Connecticut Probate Courts
State resources:
Courts in Connecticut • Connecticut judicial elections • Judicial selection in Connecticut
