Mark S. Solak
Attorney at Law

Former State Prosecutor

(860) 246-8800 / cell: (203) 910-8554
Fax: (860) 246-8802
53 Oak Street, Hartford, CT 06106
or
One Exchange Place,
The Executive Center, 4th Floor
Waterbury, Connecticut 06702
E-mail: solaklaw@comcast.net

Mark S. Solak Professional Profile

Attorney Solak has practiced law since 1976. In addition to his "Juris Doctorate", he has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Connecticut in Microbiology and Chemistry. His science background enables him to understand and present complex scientific, forensic, and psychiatric evidence in the Courtrooms of this State.
Attorney Solak served from 1976 to 1978 as a "Legislative Legal Advisor" to the Connecticut General Assembly. During that service, he was lead attorney in charge of reorganizing the laws necessary to complete the Reorganization of the Executive Branch of Government of the State of Connecticut as requested by then Gov. Ella Grasso. This became known as Public Act 77-614. From 1978 through 1989, Attorney Solak served as a Deputy Assistant State's Attorney and Assistant State's Attorney. In those positions, he prosecuted thousands of Motor Vehicle and Criminal cases, including DWI cases, drug cases, larceny and embezzlement cases, manslaughter and negligent homicide cases, sexual assault and other felony cases.

From 1989 through 2001, Attorney Solak served as a State's Attorney for the State. The Thirteen State's Attorney's in Connecticut are the top prosecutors in their Judicial District, handling the most serious and complex criminal cases. As a State's Attorney he prosecuted death penalty cases, murder, manslaughter and racketeering cases, in addition to sexual assault and drug cases. During the 1990's Attorney Solak prosecuted what some have termed the highest profile cases in the State of Connecticut. After Connecticut State Trooper Russel Bagshaw was murdered, Attorney Solak prosecuted the killer and obtained the death penalty. He also prosecuted the accomplice and obtained a conviction for Capital Felony murder. In three highly publicized murder trials he placed 355 witnesses on the witness stand, including Dr. Henry Lee and other well known forensic, medical, psychiatric and accident reconstruction experts. He put into evidence more than 600 exhibits. Attorney Solak also prosecuted high profile public corruption and racketeering cases, including State v. Straub, a state probation officer charged with over 200 felony counts. In February 1994, Attorney Solak was profiled in the New York Times newspaper and interviewed on the subject of the death penalty, as the only State's Attorney to successfully prosecute a death penalty in 1993. Several of his cases and investigations have received national media attention.

In June 1995, the Connecticut State Police honored Attorney Solak for his dedication and professionalism in his three-year prosecution of Terry and Duane Johnson for the killing of State Trooper Russel Bagshaw. Attorney Solak successfully prosecuted on murder charges the first juvenile as an adult in the Windham Judicial District. Attorney Solak was one of the first prosecutors to use mitochondrial DNA in a murder investigation in the State of Connecticut. Attorney Solak has been the Criminal Process lecturer at the Connecticut State Police Academy for several years. The Connecticut State Police has selected him, as the Connecticut State Police Representative lecturer at New England Conferences on criminal investigations. He has lectured at the Massachusetts State Police Academy on the subject of Homicide investigations and at training programs for Municipal police departments. He has conducted seminars for the Connecticut State Police on the subject of insanity and other mental state defenses.