(HARTFORD, CT) – The 23 members of the Connecticut Probate Court Rules of Procedure Advisory Committee, which plays a crucial role in maintaining consistent practices across all Connecticut Probate Courts, have received the 2026 Daniel F. Caruso Public Service Award. 

Probate Court Administrator Beverly K. Streit presented the group with the award at the Connecticut Probate Assembly’s annual meeting on April 22 at the Connecticut Supreme Court in Hartford. 

The 23 committee members who received the 2026 Daniel F. Caruso Public Service Award are: Ned Bixler; Quinnipiac University School of Law Professor Jeffrey A. Cooper; Stephen A. Pedneault, CPA, CFE, CFF; Attorneys Mary M. Ackerly; Douglas R. Brown; Evan C. Brunetti; Rebekah Burgio; Heather L. Dostaler; James Dougherty; Alice Fitzpatrick; Zachary T. King; Andrew S. Knott; Janie L. McDermott; Melissa Nixon; Carmine P. Perri; Eric H. Rothauser; Greta E. Solomon; and current and retired Probate Judges Peter C. Barrett; Kathleen N. Maxham; Robert Randich; Sophia H. Shaikh; David C. Shepard; and Steven M. Zelman.

The Probate Court Rules Advisory Committee is a volunteer body charged with assisting the Probate Court Administrator in developing and updating uniform rules of procedure, which are revised biennially to align with new statutes and case law. The committee ensures professionalism, uniformity, and accessible procedures for self-represented parties, with recommendations submitted to the Connecticut Supreme Court. The Probate Court Rules of Procedure first became effective on July 1, 2013.

The committee is comprised of sitting and retired Probate Judges, court staff, attorneys, and individuals with professional backgrounds in accounting and social services.

The Connecticut Probate Assembly and Office of the Probate Court Administrator Public Service Award was initiated in 2013 to recognize significant supporters of the Probate Courts and its mission of public service. This award was renamed the Daniel F. Caruso Public Service Award in 2018 in honor and memory of Probate Judge Daniel F. Caruso, a former state representative who also served as the Fairfield Probate Court Judge for more than 20 years before his sudden death in 2018.

Connecticut’s 54 Probate Courts and six Regional Children’s Probate Courts assist thousands of low-income seniors to age in place in their own homes; supervise the care and finances of individuals who cannot care for themselves; support individuals with mental health conditions to live in the community instead of more restrictive environments; and help thousands of children stay in familiar surroundings with family and friend guardians rather than being placed in foster care. Probate Courts save taxpayers more than $2 billion each year by avoiding more costly state services. 

For more information about Connecticut’s Probate Courts, visit ctprobate.gov.