Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Receives Probate Courts’ Public Service Award

 

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Howard S. Stein, senior assistant state's attorney in Bridgeport (center), accepts the Probate Courts' 2015 Public Service Award from Probate Court Administrator Paul J. Knierim (left) and Fairfield Probate Judge Daniel F. Caruso.
 
Howard S. Stein, senior assistant state's attorney assigned to the Judicial District of Fairfield in Bridgeport, has received the Probate Courts' 2015 Public Service Award for his prosecution of serious financial crimes that affect some of the state's most vulnerable citizens.
 
"Attorney Stein exemplifies the Probate Courts' collaboration with the other protective services, from the prosecutor's office to the public safety departments, as we work to prevent the exploitation of all those who come before us," said Judge Daniel F. Caruso of the Fairfield Probate Court. "This award highlights Attorney Stein's role in so many cases, a role that is representative of the many in our community who work to serve justice."
 
Noting the prosecutor's expertise in financial matters, Probate Court Administrator Paul J. Knierim said, "Attorney Stein helps us fulfill our mission by prosecuting those who prey on vulnerable individuals. The Probate Courts have a vital role in preventing financial exploitation, but sometimes the damage has often already been done by the time the problem is identified. And that's where Attorney Stein comes in, making sure that those who commit these crimes are appropriately punished."
 
Stein first joined the State's Attorney's Office in 1988 and was assigned to the Stamford-Norwalk district. He left in 1991 to work for a Greenwich law firm as a commercial litigation associate and subsequently became general legal counsel for a Stamford-based corporation before returning to the State's Attorney's Office in 1999. For the last 15 years he has been assigned to the Fairfield Judicial District at Bridgeport. In 2012, Stein assumed full-time management of the financial caseload for the Fairfield district, pursuing justice for victims of financial crime.
 
The Public Service Award, given by the Office of the Probate Court Administrator and the Probate Assembly, recognizes supporters of the Probate Courts. Past recipients have included attorney Matthew LaRock in his former role as the Department of Children and Family's liaison with the Probate Courts (2014) and state Rep. Toni Walker and former state Sen. Toni Harp (2013).