Criminal Defense Across All of Connecticut
From our office in Branford, our attorneys appear in courthouses across every judicial district and geographical area court in the state — as well as in federal courts.
How Criminal Cases Are Assigned in Connecticut
Connecticut's criminal courts are organized into Geographical Area (GA) courts and Judicial District courts. If you are arrested, your case begins at the GA court covering the town where the arrest occurred. Serious felonies are later transferred to the Judicial District court for trial.
Our attorneys are familiar with the procedures, judges, and prosecutors at courthouses throughout the state. That matters — because criminal defense is local, and knowing how a particular court operates can make a real difference in how your case is handled.
New Haven County
New Haven County is home. Our office is at 491 Main Street in Branford, and we appear in New Haven County courts regularly.
Attorney Duby has tried cases to verdict in New Haven Superior Court on charges including murder, sexual assault, robbery, and drug trafficking. In State v. Rashod Newton, he represented the defendant charged with murder in New Haven Superior Court, a case that concluded in 2023.
Courthouses
Fairfield County
Fairfield County — Bridgeport, Stamford, Danbury, Norwalk — is one of the busiest criminal court regions in the state. Cases here range from DUI arrests on I-95 to serious felonies in Bridgeport Superior Court.
Our attorneys regularly appear in GA 1 (Stamford), GA 2 (Bridgeport), GA 3 (Danbury), and GA 20 (Norwalk), as well as the Fairfield Judicial District for felony trials.
Courthouses
Hartford County
Hartford is home to some of the most complex criminal cases in the state. Our firm has handled murder cases tried in Hartford Superior Court, including State v. Carl Small — a murder case stemming from events on Prospect Avenue — where the firm handled the appeal before the Connecticut Appellate Court (180 Conn. App. 210).
More recently, the firm argued State v. Joseph Thorpe before the Connecticut Supreme Court, a murder case originating in Hartford, with the decision issued in December 2025.
Courthouses
Waterbury & Litchfield County
Waterbury Superior Court handles serious criminal matters for a wide swath of western Connecticut. The GA 4 court at 400 Grand Street is one of the busier criminal dockets in the state, drawing cases from Waterbury, Naugatuck, Prospect, Southbury, and surrounding towns.
Litchfield County cases are heard at GA 18 in Torrington, covering 24 towns across Connecticut's rural northwest — from New Milford to Salisbury.
Courthouses
New London, Windham & Tolland Counties
Eastern Connecticut is no stranger to serious criminal cases, and distance from New Haven does not diminish the quality of defense you deserve. In State v. Dickie Anderson (318 Conn. 680), Attorney Duby defended a murder case originating in Waterford — a cold case involving DNA evidence — and argued the appeal before the Connecticut Supreme Court.
That case, which involved forensic DNA analysis significant enough to be cited in Prof. John Butler's Advanced Topics in Forensic DNA Typing: Interpretation, exemplifies the kind of complex scientific defense work we bring to every region of the state.
Courthouses
Middlesex County
Middlesex County cases are heard at GA 9 in Middletown, which covers 15 towns along the Connecticut River and shoreline. DUI arrests on Route 9 and I-95, drug cases, and domestic violence charges are common in this jurisdiction.
Courthouse
Federal Courts
Federal criminal cases operate under entirely different rules than state courts. Attorney Duby is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.
In United States v. Francisco Betancourt (D. Conn., No. 3:16-cr-238), Attorney Duby defended a client in a multi-defendant federal kidnapping and extortion trial before Judge Stefan R. Underhill. The case went to a federal jury verdict in March 2018.
Federal Court Admissions
Appellate & Post-Conviction Courts
Attorney Duby has briefed and argued cases before the Connecticut Appellate Court, the Connecticut Supreme Court, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. The firm's appellate and habeas corpus work includes:
- State v. Anderson, 318 Conn. 680 (2015) — CT Supreme Court, murder appeal involving DNA evidence
- State v. Thorpe (2025) — CT Supreme Court, murder conviction appeal on self-incrimination grounds
- State v. Small, 180 Conn. App. 210 (2018) — CT Appellate Court, murder appeal
- State v. Jesse H., 146 Conn. App. 39 (2013) — CT Appellate Court, sexual assault appeal
- Brown v. Commissioner, 230 Conn. App. 93 (2025) — habeas corpus, Brady violation claim
- Abdus-Sabur v. Commissioner, 233 Conn. App. 263 — habeas corpus, murder conviction
- Roberto A. v. Commissioner, 229 Conn. App. 34 — habeas corpus, ineffective assistance claim
- Taylor v. Commissioner, 134 Conn. App. 405 (2012) — habeas corpus
University Students Facing Criminal Charges
We regularly represent students at Connecticut colleges and universities who are facing criminal charges. A criminal conviction — or even an arrest — can derail your academic career, scholarships, professional licensing, and future employment. We understand the stakes for students and work to protect both your legal rights and your future.
Yale University · Quinnipiac University · Southern Connecticut State University · University of New Haven · Fairfield University · University of Connecticut · Wesleyan University · Connecticut College · Trinity College
Arrested anywhere in Connecticut? Tell us what happened.