“When I left their law offices I suspected that they had probably already written the document, were not terribly interested in what I had to say and were meeting with me as a pro forma exercise.”
— another victim of the same Connecticut cabal
From Cassandra Day, The Middletown Press, September 3, 2019:
“Among ‘Best Lawyers in America,’ retired Middletown judge man of integrity, ‘emotional intelligence’
MIDDLETOWN — Sharing a birthday with the 16th president of the United States was the spark that led retired Superior Court judge Robert L. Holzberg into the practice of law decades ago.
The 67-year-old leads the alternative dispute resolution practice at Hartford-based firm Pullman & Comley, which he joined six years ago. Holzberg, who was born Feb. 12, as was the country’s 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, knew since the start of high school that he wanted to make a career in the field.
“Every job I’ve had is the best job I’ve ever had. I’ve been blessed and fortunate. I’ve had a love affair with every job I’ve had the honor to serve in. What has given me the greatest satisfaction is helping people,” said Holzberg, just named to the 2020 list of the Best Lawyers in America.
Holzberg, who left the bench seven years ago Sept. 1, earned the distinction for the fifth year in a row. The Middletown native’s long and distinguished career has focused on arbitration and mediation …
… “He has extraordinary emotional intelligence. He understands people. And while very intellectually bright, he also has compassion and common sense,” said retired Judge Lynda B. Munro, who worked with Holzberg while both presided over Superior Court at Middletown.
… Holzberg was appointed to the Superior Court in 1990 by Gov. William O’Neill, and served as the presiding judge for civil matters in the Middlesex, New Britain and Waterbury judicial districts. (Sidney Horowitz’s office: Waterbury)
… “The legal system is an invaluable asset in a democratic society because it allows us to resolve our disputes peacefully and peaceably,” Holzberg added.
… “He stands out as remarkable,” according to Munro, who worked with Holzberg during his time on the bench in Middletown and now is a member of the Pullman & Comley firm. Holzberg, she said, epitomizes the Yiddish word “mensch” — “a person of great quality.” When it came time for Munro to retire, knowing Holzberg would be there at the firm to guide her if necessary convinced her to accept the job. “He works hard every day to try to connect well with people, understanding he has a very important duty to make them understand what the law provides for or does not,” Munro said …”
Lynda Munro, Sidney Horowitz and Maureen Murphy celebrated birthday parties and family gatherings together. How many personal connections did Robert Holzberg, Lynda Munro, Sidney Horowitz and Maureen Murphy fully disclose in family court hearings?
Eli Newberger, M.D. is “a leading figure in the movement to improve the protection and care of children, is renowned for his ability to bring together good sense and science on the main issues of family life. A pediatrician and author of many influential works on child abuse, he teaches at Harvard Medical School and founded the Child Protection Team and the Family Development Program at Children’s Hospital in Boston.”
See Dr. Newberger’s testimony about Maureen Murphy offered to the The Connecticut General Assembly Judiciary Committee February 22, 2012:
https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/CommDocTmy.asp?comm_code=JUD&date=02/22/2012From Aine Nistiophain, The Washington Times blog, March 1, 2013:
“GALS’ LEGAL IMMUNITY PERMANENTLY DESTROYS FAMILIES”
“… Dr. Horowitz and Dr. Kenneth Robson often conduct the court’s free GAL certification trainings together with Judge Munro. Court records show that when Dr. Kenneth Robson and Dr. Horowitz are involved in taxpayer-funded child custody cases, the parents are often ordered to not communicate with their children about any and all incidents involving any kind of trauma. The court-appointed GALs communicate directly with Dr. Horowitz about the childrens' care. The GAL is the only one allowed to speak with the children about the litigation….“
Robert Holzberg’s opinion about The Catholic Church is a lot like Cos Cob Elementary School’s Assistant Principal Jeremy Boland’s opinion of Catholics in Connecticut.
Mr. Holzberg’s report about Catholic priests sexually assaulting children reads a lot like the many bogus family court opinions he and his friends wrote for the past several years. In Mr. Holzberg’s opinion, the Mother church is to blame for the Fathers’ sexual abuse of the children.
From The Connecticut Diocese of Bridgeport Press Release, October 3, 2018:
“Bishop Frank J. Caggiano today (October 3) announced that retired Connecticut Superior Court Judge Robert L. Holzberg, who is a partner in the law firm of Pullman & Comley LLC of Hartford and Bridgeport, will serve as counsel and lead investigator for the Clerical Sexual Abuse Accountability Investigation being conducted for the Diocese of Bridgeport …”
Note: Given the behavior of the cabal in control of family courts, the following statement should concern every Catholic:
“… As part of his investigation, Holzberg, a Middletown resident, will have complete and unrestricted access to all Diocesan files, records and archives dating from 1953, when the Diocese was founded, to the present, and the opportunity to interview Diocesan clergy and administrators with information relevant to his inquiry.”
What has Mr. Holzberg, his friends and acquaintances done so far with that information — and what could they do?
Footnote on page 47 of Mr. Holzberg’s report:
“… In many cases the so-called “psychiatric examination” was nothing more than a perfunctory interview with a non- credentialed “therapist.” In the case of Father Charles Carr, Monsignor Cusack referred Father Carr to a William Larkin, who held a degree in theology. Purportedly relying on Larkin’s recommendation, of which there is no written record, Msgr. Cusack transferred Father Carr to a new assignment. And in those cases in which a more thorough and comprehensive evaluation recommended caution, that recommendation was often ignored. After yet another complaint against Father Carr and referral to the Institute of Living, the evaluating psychiatrist recommended that the diocese undertake “administrative action to protect both Fr. Carr and the public.” That suggestion was ignored. April 9, 1990 letter from Howard G. Iger, M.D., Director, The Retreat at The Institute of Living, to The Reverend Laurence R. Bronkiewicz, S.T.D. …”
Here’s Monsignor Bronkiewicz's righteous response to what Mr. Holzberg did:
“Bishop Caggiano and Mrs. McCrory:
On October 1, at a Bridgeport press conference, you announced the release of a Report prepared by a local law firm but which was bought, paid for and approved by you, with the assistance of Mrs. Ann McCrory, your legal counsel. In the interest of truth and the transparency you've always claimed for yourself, please stop calling it the Holzberg Report. It is the Caggiano Report.
Now, normally people have to wait until after death to be canonized, but you and the current Archbishop of Baltimore found a way to attain saintly status right here and now, and I'm far from being alone among God’s People to have noticed that.
Unfortunately the Caggiano Report and your press conference accomplished their objective by “throwing me under the bus” as the saying goes, and “me” includes my good name and reputation which has taken me a lifetime to build with God's help.
All of your Report's other victims (who are not among the credibly accused) are your dead episcopal predecessors and my own deceased predecessor as Vicar for Clergy. Perhaps you didn't notice, but they were already dead – you did not have to drive the bus over them and their reputations, and what you did to them has not registered on the applause meter! As for this living Caggiano abuse victim (and you'll notice I'm copying Ms. Erin Neil, your victim outreach coordinator), I decided not to walk quietly into the night after October 1, and with the Holy Spirit's guidance I found the strength to compose this email.
Allow me now to offer some additional comments –
Until the afternoon of September 30, neither you nor Mrs. McCrory ever told me that my name would appear in the Caggiano Report. When she did call in the late afternoon, she rather nervously indicated that I appear in 3 or 4 places, but as I soon discovered, it's actually 11 places (pp. 4, 40, 57, 58, 61, 63, 64, 66, 67, 68, and 70).
Given the Diocesan posts I've held, including Episcopal Vicar for Clergy, Chancellor and Diocesan Administrator, is it unreasonable of me to have expected to to be informed that I am in the Report, how many times, and to have been given the opportunity to read it and react to it before its release? People I've spoken with think it would have been quite reasonable.
– to the best of my recollection, during my 3.5 hour interview with the Holzberg Team, at no point did Holzberg or the other lawyer ask me about the material referring to me in the Report. Frankly I find that highly unprofessional especially in light of the Report's cost. If I'm mistaken and they did, I would insist on seeing their notes. Furthermore never did I receive any documents or questions prior to the interview to help me prepare for it. Bear in mind that my Diocesan work with these cases, from 1986-2002, was not exactly recent. I am also particularly concerned about 2 of your Report’s references to me:
– p. 67 – Had I been asked about Castaldo, I would have answered that my very serious concern about him never disappeared, but why was the person who mistakenly claimed that I wasn't concerned never identified ?
– p. 68 – Had I been asked about that Federici case, I would have clearly denied making that statement to the mother of the young boy, nor did I ever say to her or any other alleged victim or relative that I would refuse a letter or that a complaint would not be kept but destroyed
– my disappointment in the unprofessional process used by the Holzberg Team with respect to me goes deep, and when
I left their law offices I suspected that they had probably already written the document, were not terribly interested in what I had to say and were meeting with me as a pro forma exercise.
While you can never undo the impact that the Caggiano Report and the surrounding media coverage have had on my life and will continue to have, I think you, Mrs. McCrory and the Holzberg Team can try. Here are my two reasonable requests:
1. a letter of apology from you to me which would would appear in the Fairfield County Catholic and on our Diocesan Website and would be distributed to every Parish and Diocesan institution; as you can undoubtedly imagine I am particularly concerned about my former Parish in Ridgefield as well as Saint Thomas More, Darien, where I've been helping out
2. a letter of apology from the Holzberg Team, who were/are employed by you, for their unprofessional interview of me which, as I said, did not touch upon any of the 11 references to me in your Report.
Since, unlike yourself, I do not have the benefit of calling a press conference to help restore my good name to the extent possible, I will be forwarding this letter to many friends and others and hope that you will feel free to distribute it to your Secret Clergy Abuse Advisory Board (another example of your transparency?) as well as your so-called Healing Committee, and any other person or persons.
In closing my I express the very serious hope that you will never do to another priest, deacon or layperson in this or any other Diocese what you have done to me.
— Msgr. Larry Bronkiewicz, Ordained July 2, 1973 and still serving God's People”
Attorney Nickola Cunha was right.
In this joyful season, may Christians celebrate the birth of Our Lord and His flipping of the tables.
Nickola Cunha
Judge Gerard Adelman
Joe Biden with David Duong before he made the switch to Donald Trump.
Karen Riordan and Chris Ambrose
Judge Thomas Moukawsher made blunder after blunder
