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Miguel Vega v. Commissioner of Correction — Brady Disclosure

The Connecticut Supreme Court in Miguel Vega v. Commissioner of Correction affirmed the Appellate Court's judgment on an alternative basis, holding that while a prosecutor's duty under Brady extends to exculpatory information known to other prosecutors in the same state's attorney's office, the failure to disclose a witness's prior false testimony was immaterial because there was no reasonable probability it would have changed the outcome of Vega's murder trial. The court reversed the Appellate Court's rationale that the prosecutor had no responsibility to search unrelated case files absent a specific defense request. Argued October 29, 2025—officially released April 21, 2026.

Coleman v. Commissioner of Correction - Habeas Corpus Affirmed

The Connecticut Appellate Court affirmed the habeas court's denial of Willie J. Coleman's petition to vacate his murder conviction. The court held that McCoy v. Louisiana, which recognized a criminal defendant's Sixth Amendment right to autonomy in deciding fundamental objectives of defense, was not implicated because Coleman's trial counsel had discussed the intent to concede guilt to criminally negligent homicide, the concession was consistent with the defense theory, and Coleman never objected. The court also rejected Coleman's ineffective assistance of counsel claim, finding counsel's concession was objectively reasonable.