Proloy K. Das

Attorney Das handles special litigation matters including appeals in criminal, civil, contract and family law cases. He joined Rome McGuigan in June 2007 after serving as an Assistant State's Attorney in the Appellate Bureau of the Chief State's Attorney's Office from 2002-2007 and as an adjunct professor on appellate advocacy at the University of Connecticut School of Law from 2005-2007. Attorney Das has briefed and argued over forty appeals in the Connecticut Appellate and Supreme Courts and has published several articles on developing trends in the law.

Representative Cases

Significant Supreme Court Cases

• In re Judicial Inquiry No. 2005-02, 293 Conn. 247 (2009) (successfully represented panel of judges in appeal to supreme court regarding jurisdiction of appellate court over grand jury panel decision on sealing of records)
• Vermont Mutual v. Walukiewicz, 290 Conn. 582 (2009) (successfully obtained reversal on first impression issue of whether self-defense is an intentional act under personal liability insurance policies)
• State v. Jackson, 283 Conn. 111 (2007) (first impression adoption of new reasonable doubt instruction) (ranked number one in Connecticut Law Tribune's listing of twenty-five most important supreme court cases of 2007)
• State v. Singleton, 274 Conn. 426 (2005) (adoption of "doctrine of vacatur in the public interest") (awarded Connecticut Law Tribune's Development of the Law Award for advancing new doctrine in state supreme court)

Televised Oral Arguments

Other Cases Argued/Briefed

• Town of Marlborough vs. AFSME, Council 4, 130 Conn. App. 556 (2011) (town appeal from arbitration award regarding town assessor position)
• Rostad v. Hirsch, 128 Conn. App. 119 (2011) (paternity action involving chairman of large corporation)  
• Arias v. Geisinger, 126 Conn. App. 860 (2011) (motor vehicle exception to workers compensation exclusivity provision)
• St. Paul Travelers v. Kuehl, 299 Conn. App. 800 (2011) (exhaustion of administrative remedies for workers compensation statutes)
• Perricone v. Perricone, 292 Conn. 187 (2009) (constitutionality of non-defamation orders)
• Froom Development Corp. v. Developers Realty, Inc., 114 Conn. App. 618 (2009) (commercial contracts)
• State v. Preston, 286 Conn. 367 (2008) (jurisdictional of appellate court over probation revocation)
• State v. Kelly, 106 Conn. App. 414 (2008) (prosecutorial impropriety)
• Grant v. Commissioner of Correction, 103 Conn. App. 366 (2007) (ineffective assistance of counsel)
• State v. Jose G., 102 Conn. App. 748 (2007) (adequacy of record; prosecutorial impropriety)
• State v. Jones, 99 Conn. App. 196 (2007) (sufficiency of the evidence for drug possession)
• State v. D'Haity, 99 Conn. App. 375 (2007) (sufficiency of evidence for sexual assault convictions)
• State v. Smith, 280 Conn. 285 (2006) (source of semen exception to rape-shield law)
• State v. Jackson, 93 Conn. App. 671 (2006) (reasonable doubt instruction)
• State v. Moore, 97 Conn. App. 243 (2006) (accessory to criminal impersonation & failure to appear)
• State v. Gumbs, 94 Conn. App. 747 (2006) (sufficiency of evidence for probation revocation)
• State v. Sewell, 95 Conn. App. 815 (2006) (late disclosure of witness)
• Hollby v. Commissioner of Correction, 98 Conn. App. 751 (2006) (ineffective assistance of counsel)
• Cole v. Commissioner of Correction, 96 Conn. App. 852 (2006) (ineffective assistance of counsel)
• State v. Francis, 90 Conn. App. 676 (2005) (sufficiency of evidence)
• State v. Monk, 88 Conn. App. 543 (2005) (adequacy of canvass)
• State v. Marshall, 87 Conn. App. 592 (2005) (admissibility of evidence)
• Dontigney v. Commissioner of Correction, 87 Conn. App. 681 (2005) (doctrine of collateral estoppel)
• State v. Sanders, 86 Conn. App. 757 (2005) (admissibility of evidence)
• Daniel H. v. Commissioner of Correction, 89 Conn. App. 904 (2005) (ineffective assistance of counsel)
• Daniels v. Commissioner of Correction, 86 Conn. App. 62 (2004) (actual innocence)
• State v. Smith, 83 Conn. App. 411 (2004) (waiver of jury trial)
• State v. Jarrett, 82 Conn. App. 489 (2004) (prosecutorial misconduct)
• State v. Izzo, 82 Conn. App. 285 (2004) (admissibility of evidence)
• State v. Bookless, 82 Conn. App. 216 (2004) (waiver)
• State v. Vlahos, 81 Conn. App. 904 (2004) (reconciliation of General Statutes §§ 14-215 and 14-36)
• State v. Ramos, 271 Conn. 785 (2004) (self-defense)
• State v. Smith, 85 Conn. App. 96 (2004) (rape-shield law)
• State v. Long, 268 Conn. 508 (2004) (constitutionality of insanity acquittee statutes)
• State v. Singleton, 81 Conn. App. 409 (2004) (sufficiency of field tests for narcotics)
• State v. McKiernan, 78 Conn. App. 182 (2003) (first amendment gloss to disorderly conduct statute)
• State v. Bothwell, 78 Conn. App. 64 (2003) (scrivener's errors in DUI conviction)
• State v. Harvey, 77 Conn. App. 225 (2003) (admissibility of evidence)
• Bruno v. Commissioner of Correction, 74 Conn. App. 910 (2003) (ineffective assistance of counsel)
• Dash v. Commissioner of Correction, 74 Conn. App. 909 (2003) (ineffective assistance of counsel)
• State v. Santiago, 74 Conn. App. 736 (2003) (sufficiency of the evidence)

In the News

• "CAPABA Members Honored at National Convention (October 2011)"
• "State Police Union Cites Sheff in Court Battle Over Layoffs, Hartford Courant (September 2011)"
• "Connecticut Lawyers Sworn Into Supreme Court Bar in Special Ceremony," Connecticut Law Tribune (July 2010)
• "Serving Up Compassion For the Needy: Bad economy sends lawyers, staffers to work at state's soup kitchens," Connecticut Law Tribune (January 2010)
• "Grand Jury Application Off Limits to Defense," Connecticut Law Tribune (September 2009)
• "All Seven Justices to Hear Most Cases: Bar Praises Supreme Court's Move to En Banc Hearings," Connecticut Law Tribune (Sept. 2009)
• "Arguing about laws: Conn. lawyer finds passion in appellate advocacy work," IndUS Business Journal (September 2009)
• "Wife Signed Away Right to Discuss Divorce," Connecticut Law Tribune (June 2009)
• "Connecticut Attorney Das Has Plenty of Appeals," India New England (April 2009)
• "Insurers Lose Battle Over Self-Defense Claim: Court rules homeowners' policies can cover injuries from altercation" Connecticut Law Tribune (March 2009)
• "Judge's Jury Instruction Upheld," Connecticut Law Tribune (July 2007)
• "Reasonable Doubt Charge Dissected," Connecticut Law Tribune (April 2007)
• "Protective Orders Challenges Denied," Connecticut Law Tribune (July 2006)
• "Scalia Propounds Originalist Philosophy," Connecticut Law Tribune (April 2006)
• "Defense: Exculpatory DNA Kept From Jury," Connecticut Law Tribune (Feb. 2006)