2006 Connecticut JP Conference Articles Justices of the Peace of the U.S.

By LYNNE TUOHY; Courant Staff Writer Date: Nov 19, 2006

They were sated by sessions with town clerks, StateRegistrar of Vital Records Elizabeth Frugale and Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz. They received counseling on how to network and market their business from Harland Henry, manager of the Small and Minority Business Unit at the Office of the Secretary of the State. And they were schooled in marriage fraud -- a growing federal security concern -- by Hans Maurer, fraud prevention manager for the Connecticut Passport Agency of the U.S. Department of State.

Saul Haffner, president of jpUS, told the gathering his most unusual wedding featured the groom riding up on a motorcycle, followed by the bride on her motorcycle. "After I pronounced them man and wife, they rode off on her motorcycle," he said.

Wanda Chiles of Waterbury attended her son's wedding in Laguna Beach, Calif., in August 2004 and was appalled that the justice of the peace didn't attend the cliffside rehearsal and enlisted a young lady wearing a Harley-Davidson tank top and "very short shorts" to strew rose petals along the pathway and operate a boom box. Chiles stepped in and organized the wedding party and procession herself.

JP's role in determining validity of unions debated

By By: Francine Maglione

NEW BRITAIN - Around 100 justices of the peace sat intently in the Constitution Room of Central Connecticut State University's Memorial Hall Saturday learning more about their craft.

At the second annual Connecticut Justice of the Peace Conference, the Justice of the Peace Association provided guests with food, information, guest speakers and workshops to help the state's Justices of the Peace network, ask questions and find out new information.

One of the more interactive presentations at the conference was given by Hans Maurer, fraud prevention manager at the Connecticut Passport Agency. After speaking to the crowd about detecting marriage fraud and scams, some audience members no longer felt comfortable.

"We've ID'd at least two forms (of marriage fraud)," he said.

Statewide marriage fraud is a scam in which couples marry so one of the partners can get a green card. Incipient marriage fraud is where one of the partners is knowingly or unwittingly recruited to commit fraud. The partner either receives money for it or is a victim.

Maurer suggested that to avoid this, justices of the peace should study couples closely and get to know them personally to figure out if the marriage is real.

"Try to perceive a context for this couple," he said. "That's the key."

He added that justices of the peace should ensure the couple is a genuine couple and have a common ground, and they should be on the look out for couples with a language barrier.

"You may be a participant in a sham where someone is defrauding you," he said. "Are they really in it for the long haul?"

At this point in his presentation, a woman raised her hand and commented that she was now feeling uncomfortable and believed that justices of the peace were under no obligation to weed out couples.

She added that as long as a couple has the marriage license, it is not her right to refuse to marry them.

Maurer said that this is a belief that people tend to exploit.

"This is one of the loopholes," he said.

Also speaking at the conference were Susan Bysiewicz, secretary of the state of Connecticut, and Harland Henry, manager of the state's small and minority business services unit.


Henry discussed justices of the peace as businesses, and answered questions from the crowd such as how to advertise services and whether the cost of a ceremony should be posted on a Web site.

Elizabeth Frugale, registrar of vital records, gave guests an update on civil union rules and mentioned a few statistics about same-sex unions.

She said that there are approximately 62 civil unions performed each month in the state. Also, around 61 percent of those unions are female to female.

Frugale added that after the initial surge in civil unions, the numbers tapered off and gradually decreased. What began as 356 unions in October 2005 decreased to 183 in November 2005 and to 110 in December 2005.

"We started with a big bang," Frugale said.

Barbara Jay, vice president of the Justice of the Peace Association, attributed this statistic with the fact that many of the couples who had wanted the ceremony had it done as soon as they were allowed.

"The people who were waiting for it got unionized," said.

She added that the number of same-sex unions will most likely stabilize and remain consistent.

At the conference, a number of town clerks from Fairfield, Meriden, Manchester and Berlin also answered questions from the audience, while vendors sold books, robes and certificates afterwards.

Guests also broke off into groups for various seminars in the afternoon such as a civil union workshop, marketing classes, pricing workshops and a class for new justices of the peace.

The turnout at this year's conference was not as large as it was at the first one, however.

"It's half what we had last year," Joy said.

Jay added that because civil unions are not as hot of a topic as they were last year, the overall interest in the conference may have decreased because of that.

She was still pleased with the turnout, though, and with the open dialogue and debating that took place during the speakers' presentations.

"It's what we wanted," she said.

Justice of the peace conference grows

By By: Francine Maglione

NEW BRITAIN - One year after Connecticut legalized civil unions, justices of the peace are more popular than ever.

On Nov. 18, hundreds of justices of the peace will converge on Central Connecticut State University to attend the second annual Justice of the Peace Conference.

The conference will take place in the Constitution Room in the university's Memorial Hall, and is hosted by the Justice of the Peace Association, located in Westport.

"We're trying to build a community of justices of the peace," said Barbara Jay, president of the Justice of the Peace Association.

According to the association, there are almost 300 justices of the peace in New Britain alone.

Last year's conference took place at Middlesex Community College and over 200 justices of the peace from across the state showed up.

"It was such a great networking event we decided to make it an annual event," Jay said. "There are a lot of questions about protocol that justices of the peace have."

She added that many are also interested in learning more about marketing and pricing.

"A lot of people actually try to make a living out of being wedding officiates," she said. "It's interesting that it's becoming more business-oriented."

Jerilyn Nagel, of Newington, has been a Justice of the Peace for 18 years and is looking forward to attending the conference so she can learn new regulations and the proper way to perform her duties.

"I was at the one last year and it was very helpful," she said.

Nagel added that the job is not far off from social service, which she has worked in for many years.

"It's just kind of an extension of social services," she said.

Nagel also works as a producer for Repertory Theater in New Britain. After one of their recent shows, Nagel married a pair of domestic partners on stage.

"I'm not special," she said. "Everybody can do the same thing."

Deborah Norris, of Farmington, became a Justice of the Peace several years ago after watching her sister get married by one.

While reciting the vows, the Justice of the Peace mentioned having children - something Norris' sister was unable to do. As a result, Norris' sister was very upset, and Norris vowed not to let that happen to other couples.

"She kept hugging me and saying 'you could've done a better job'," Norris said.

She gets to know the couples she prepares vows for and meets with them at least three times before the wedding.

"I know them well," she said. "They know and I know what their vows are."

This is Norris' first time going to the conference.

"I'm truly looking forward to it," she said.