Jim O'Rourke (Connecticut politician)
Encyclopedia
Jim O'Rourke was a Democratic member of the Connecticut House of Representatives
. He represented the towns of Cromwell
, Portland
and parts of Middletown
from 1990 election to the 2010 election. He was Deputy Speaker of the Connecticut House. He also served on the Energy and Technology; Finance, Revenue and Bonding, and Environment Committees.
O'Rourke is employed as a development director at a Middletown nonprofit social services agency. He is also active in various environmental and mountaineering groups.
death of a 41 year old Rocky Hill
woman. O'Rourke said the woman got in his car at a local bar and he tried to drive her home, but she got out of the car and planned to walk the rest of the way home. The woman was found dead by a cross country skier. Local police did not immediately charge O'Rourke with any crime related to this incident.
On April 30, 2009, The Hartford Courant
reported local police were seeking to issue a warrant to charge O'Rourke with negligent homicide
for his role in the incident. The following day, House Speaker Christopher Donovan announced he had suspended O'Rourke from his post as Deputy Speaker.
The state's attorney ultimately declined to prosecute O'Rourke for his role in this incident. However, in February 2010 the decedent's estate filed a wrongful death lawsuit against O'Rourke and the bar in which the incident occurred.
Connecticut House of Representatives
The Connecticut House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with each constituency containing nearly 22,600 residents...
. He represented the towns of Cromwell
Cromwell, Connecticut
Cromwell is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States located in the middle of the state. The population was 12,871 at the 2000 census.The town was named after Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England.-Points of interest:...
, Portland
Portland, Connecticut
Portland is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,732 at the 2000 census. The town center is listed as a census-designated place . It is situated across the Connecticut River from Middletown....
and parts of Middletown
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
from 1990 election to the 2010 election. He was Deputy Speaker of the Connecticut House. He also served on the Energy and Technology; Finance, Revenue and Bonding, and Environment Committees.
O'Rourke is employed as a development director at a Middletown nonprofit social services agency. He is also active in various environmental and mountaineering groups.
2009 legal troubles
On the night of January 21, 2009, O'Rourke was allegedly involved in events related to the hypothermiaHypothermia
Hypothermia is a condition in which core temperature drops below the required temperature for normal metabolism and body functions which is defined as . Body temperature is usually maintained near a constant level of through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
death of a 41 year old Rocky Hill
Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Rocky Hill is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 17,966 at the 2000 census. Rocky Hill was part of Wethersfield, the neighboring town to the north, until it was independently incorporated in 1849....
woman. O'Rourke said the woman got in his car at a local bar and he tried to drive her home, but she got out of the car and planned to walk the rest of the way home. The woman was found dead by a cross country skier. Local police did not immediately charge O'Rourke with any crime related to this incident.
On April 30, 2009, The Hartford Courant
The Hartford Courant
The Hartford Courant is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is a morning newspaper for most of the state north of New Haven and east of Waterbury...
reported local police were seeking to issue a warrant to charge O'Rourke with negligent homicide
Negligent homicide
Negligent homicide is a criminal charge brought against people who, through criminal negligence, allow others to die.Negligent Homicide is a lesser included offense to first and second degree murder, in the sense that someone guilty of this offense can expect a more lenient sentence, often with...
for his role in the incident. The following day, House Speaker Christopher Donovan announced he had suspended O'Rourke from his post as Deputy Speaker.
The state's attorney ultimately declined to prosecute O'Rourke for his role in this incident. However, in February 2010 the decedent's estate filed a wrongful death lawsuit against O'Rourke and the bar in which the incident occurred.