Protective orders are one of the most important tools in Connecticut’s legal system to address domestic violence and family disputes. They are designed to protect alleged victims from harm, but they also carry serious implications for those subject to them. Violating a protective order can lead to severe criminal penalties,…
Articles Posted in Domestic Violence
What Makes a Crime a Domestic Violence Case in Connecticut, and How Are They Handled Differently?
Domestic violence cases in Connecticut are unique in how they are defined, prosecuted, and resolved compared to other criminal matters. While an assault in a bar and an assault between spouses may involve the same physical conduct, the law treats them very differently because of the relationship between the parties…
What Is the Role of the Family Relations Officer in a Domestic Violence Case in Connecticut?
When you are arrested on a domestic violence charge in Connecticut, your first court appearance — often called the arraignment — will happen quickly, typically the next business day. One of the first people you will meet at court is not the judge or the prosecutor, but the Family Relations…
Defending Domestic Violence Disorderly Conduct Charges
The Law with respect to family related, domestic violence issues. Book of law with a gavel and a Restraining Order. If you are facing a domestic violence disorderly conduct charge, it can be a very stressful and confusing time. Disorderly conduct is one of Connecticut’s most common domestic violence crimes,…
5 Things to Know About Connecticut Pretrial Diversionary Programs
In this blog, we are going to review five things that people should know about pretrial diversionary programs in Connecticut. If you have been arrested for a serious motor vehicle offense or crime in Connecticut, one option is to plead not guilty and take your case to trial. Going to…
Defending Disorderly Conduct as a Domestic Violence Charge in Connecticut
What Is Disorderly Conduct in Connecticut? Disorderly conduct is one of the most commonly charged offenses in Connecticut, and when it involves family members, spouses, or people living together, it is treated as a domestic violence offense. While it is only a Class C misdemeanor, the consequences can be life-changing.…
What To Do if You Are Arrested For Domestic Violence in Connecticut?
In this blog, I am going to give you five things to do if you have been arrested for a domestic violence crime in Connecticut. Domestic violence arrests are more common than any other kind of arrest. This is because there is a mandatory arrest statute for all domestic violence…
Over Reaction to the Dulos Case – Legislative Proposals In Hartford to Expand the Definition of “Domestic Violence”
Everyone in Connecticut including the author is outraged about the death of Jennifer Dulos. For those who may have been living under a rock for the last year, Jennifer was in the midst of a “high conflict” divorce case in Stamford Superior Court last May when she disappeared. Her estranged…
Fotis Dulo’s Co-Conspirators Can Still be Prosecuted Despite Fotis Dulos’s Death
I am writing this blog article for two reasons. First, there is tremendous interest in the Jennifer Dulos case and I wanted to provide some useful information about the case. Secondly, I wanted to use this case as a teaching example about how the crime of conspiracy is a powerful…
The “Dulos Effect” on Defending Connecticut Domestic Violence Cases!
As we start the new year 2020 the top story of 2019 in domestic violence law has been the case of Jennifer Dulos. I predict that the Dulos case is going to have profound and lasting effects on domestic violence cases in Connecticut for years to come. On December 31,…