Len Suzio didn't spend too long in private life, licking his wounds over losing the 13th District State Senate Seat to Dante Bartolomeo last November.

Suzio (shown at left) announced Monday that he has been appointed to the Advisory Commitee for the state's Office of Victim Advocate. The Meriden Republican was appointed to the position by State Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Fairfield.

"If you look at the make up of the Committee, I figured my being on it would make it interesting," Suzio said in a phone interview Tuesday. The current members of the advisory committee include Cathy Malloy, the wife of Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy and Mike Lawlor, who is undersecretary for the state's Office of Policy and Management.

When Suzio was still a Senator, he and Lawlor clashed frequently over the state's "Early Release" program for prisoners, particularly after the June 27 killing of 70-year-old Ibrahim Ghazal, a Meriden convenience store owner who was shot to death during an armed robbery.

"Last year, I had the opportunity to meet and work with the State Victim Advocate, Michelle Cruz, as we sought to reform the Early Release law that allows violent criminals out of prison long before their sentences are completely served," Suzio said. "All too often violent criminals are out of jail before their innocent victims are out of the hospital. I want to make certain the rights of crime victims are not run over roughshod by criminal rights lawyers and their political sympathizers."

Of course, serving on the advisory committee will give Suzio a higher political profile than if he had totally devoted his attention to his business as a banking industry consultant. Suzio said he hasn't ruled out a possible run for political office, but said "two years is a lifetime in politics."