Flemming L. Norcott Jr. facts for kids

Flemming L. Norcott Jr., born on October 11, 1943, is a retired judge who served on the highest court in Connecticut. He was a very important judge, known as an Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court.

Justice Norcott started his career as a judge in 1979, when he was appointed to the Connecticut Superior Court. This is a court where many different types of cases are heard. He worked there until 1987, when he was promoted to the Connecticut Appellate Court. This court reviews decisions made by lower courts. In 1992, he was appointed to the Connecticut Supreme Court, which is the highest court in the state.

Besides his work as a judge, Justice Norcott is also involved with Yale University. He is an Associate Fellow at Calhoun College and also teaches there. He studied at Columbia University, earning his first degree in 1965. He then went on to get his law degree from Columbia Law School in 1968. Justice Norcott was born in New Haven, Connecticut.

Important Court Cases

Justice Norcott was part of several very important decisions made by the Connecticut Supreme Court. These cases helped shape laws and rights for people in Connecticut.

Equal Education for All Kids

One major case was Sheff v. O'Neill in 1996. This case was about civil rights and the right to get a good education. The court decided that the state of Connecticut had a duty to make sure all children in its schools had a fair chance at a good education. This meant that schools should not be separated by race or background, and every child should have access to a public education that is not negatively affected by such differences.

This decision was very close, with four judges agreeing and three disagreeing. Chief Justice Ellen Ash Peters wrote the main opinion, and Justice Norcott was one of the judges who agreed with her.

Government and Private Land

In 2004, Justice Norcott wrote the main opinion in a case called Kelo v. New London. This case was about something called eminent domain. Eminent domain is when the government has the power to take private land for public use, even if the owner doesn't want to sell it. For example, the government might need land to build a new road or a school.

This case was quite debated. Justice Norcott and three other judges agreed on the decision. Later, the highest court in the country, the United States Supreme Court, looked at this case and agreed with the Connecticut Supreme Court's decision.

Marriage Equality in Connecticut

On October 10, 2008, the Connecticut Supreme Court made another very important decision in the case of Kerrigan v. Commissioner of Public Health. The court ruled that gay and lesbian couples could not be stopped from getting married. This was because of a part of the state's constitution that says everyone should be treated equally.

This decision made Connecticut one of the first states in the United States to allow same-sex marriage through a court ruling. Justice Richard N. Palmer wrote the main opinion for this case, and Justice Norcott was one of the judges who agreed with it.

Rules for Running for Office

Most recently, Justice Norcott wrote the court's opinion in a case called Bysiewicz v. DiNardo. This case was about whether Susan Bysiewicz, who was the Secretary of State, met the requirements to run for Attorney General. The court decided that she did not have enough years of experience as a lawyer to run for that specific job.