Post-release
Judge Downey was married (in 1975, to a Chinese-born wife) and they have an adult son. (Richard Fecteau returned to his alma mater as assistant athletic director at Boston University, retiring in 1989.)
Judge Downey's latter judicial career was honored when the New Haven, Connecticut Juvenile Matters Courthouse and Detention Center was named for him following his retirement after reaching the position of Chief Administrative Judge for Juvenile Matters. The courthouse ceremony occurred on September 25, 2002.
On June 18, 2007, the Connecticut Bar Association honored Judge Downey with its highest honor for a judge, the Henry J. Naruk Judiciary Award, for his outstanding contributions to the judicial field in Connecticut. https://www.ctbar.org/article/articleview/812/1/64
Read more about this topic: John T. Downey