Zito is a solo practitioner in Meriden, Connecticut; she has practiced in Connecticut in both the federal and state courts for over 30 years. Her practice focuses on the representation of juveniles, adolescents and adults in all criminal matters and in the representation of Respondents in Title IX and University Misconduct cases. She has handled hundreds of DUI, fi****ms, drug, larceny, burglary a
nd s*x offense cases in Connecticut in addition to manslaughter and murder cases. Notably she and her former partner, Robert Axelrod, represented fugitive Connecticut lawyer Haiman Clein in a highly publicized capital murder for hire case involving Clein’s associate, Beth Ann Carpenter. Attorney Zito was part of a team that voluntarily surrendered and defended Heather Tallchief in Nevada who had been a fugitive from justice for over a decade in a case involving the largest unsolved casino heist in American history. She also represented one of the students in the infamous Wesleyan Molly overdose case resulting in an unprecedented federal prosecution. In addition to her criminal practice, Attorney Zito represents students and faculty members nationwide in Title IX and University misconduct cases ranging from s*xual assaults to hate speech, cheating to plagiarism, drug possession and sales to mischief. Students need representation due to the extreme consequences of being found responsible in these cases to protect their good standing, tuition, transcript, and often criminal exposure. Students are often subject to expulsion or suspension as a result of such charges which can change their futures. She has also handled a variety of civil and administrative matters. Notably, in McCoy v. Belmont, featured on CBS’ 60 Minutes, she succeeded in holding the State of Connecticut in contempt of a consent decree in federal court for its treatment of two severely handicapped brothers at Southbury Training School. Given her proclivity to take on corporations, banks, insurance companies, and the Government, she often refers to her practice as “David and Goliath law”. She has been continuously featured as one of Connecticut’s Super Lawyers and ranked a “Top Attorney” in Connecticut since 2009. In 2012, she was honored by the National Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Association in San Francisco, California its Champion of State Criminal Justice Reform Award for her extraordinary efforts in effectuating legislative change in Connecticut. Most recently in October, 2022 she was honored by her peers on the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association with the Thomas J. Ullmann Champion of Liberty Award for her "outstanding and exemplary contributions to the criminal justice system, her zealous advocacy for her clients and her unfailing support of the criminal defense bar", the organizations' highest award. In 2004, she was elected to the Executive Committee of the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (CCDLA) later serving as its President from 2010-2011; she currently serves on its Past President’s committee. During her tenure on the Executive Committee she was appointed by the Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court to the Judicial Branch’s Public Service and Trust Commission serving as CCDLA’s representative from 2007 to 2009. Currently she serves on the State of Connecticut Sentencing Commission advocating for legislative and policy changes to the criminal justice system. She has published articles and editorials in the Connecticut Law Journal and the Hartford Courant on topics relevant to the criminal bar. She regularly testifies as CCDLA’s representative before the Connecticut Legislature’s Judiciary Committee as well as before the Judicial Branch’s Rules Committee on laws and rules affecting the criminal justice system. Attorney Zito is admitted to the Connecticut Bar, the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. She is also a member of The Connecticut Bar Association and The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. For years Ms. Zito focused her attention on the repeal of Connecticut’s death penalty testifying before CT’s Judiciary Committee, organizing and speaking at press conferences, writing articles on the topic, meeting with key legislators, working phone drives, and organizing constituent communications to targeted legislators. Undaunted by strong public opinion favoring capital punishment as a result of the horrific triple murders of a prominent doctor’s family in Cheshire, CT in 2007, and the Governor’s veto of a 2009 repeal bill, Ms. Zito persisted in her fight against capital punishment until victory was won in abolition in Connecticut. In addition to her work in support of abolition, Ms. Zito testified and organized testimony in support of several legislative initiatives including the passage of laws involving eyewitness identification reform, habeas reform, electronic recording of interrogations, raise the age legislation incorporating 16 and 17 year old kids into CT’s juvenile justice system, and house arrest for DUI offenders. She also testified and organized testimony in opposition to, among others, investigative subpoena power by the State’s Attorneys, DNA testing for felony arrestees, sentences of life without the possibility of release for persistent dangerous felons, and draconian s*x offender registry requirements which bills were defeated in the Connecticut legislature. Most recently she worked to expand the sentence modification law to avoid the need for prosecutorial approval for sentences of 7 years to serve or less which is now retroactive or for any sentence imposed after trial, and to correct the statute providing for enhanced sentences in drug cases near school zones to increase the distance so as not to disproportionately punish those who live in cities and urban areas. By way of background, Jennifer L. Zito was born in Hartford, CT in 1962. She was graduated Cum Laude from The Gunnery preparatory school in Washington, CT in 1980 and from Smith College, Northampton, MA with a B.A. She earned her J.D. from The University of Connecticut School of Law in 1988 where she served as the Student Bar Association President from 1986-1988 and First Circuit Coordinator for the National Student Bar Association. From 1999 to 2002 she served as a Trustee on the University of Connecticut’s Law School Foundation. She served on the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association from 2004-2009 and as its President from 2010-2011. She served as a Deacon in her church from 2019-2022 and is currently a Commissioner of the CT Sentencing Commission as CCDLA's representative.
