Connecticut Criminal Lawyer Blog

5 Things to Know About Connecticut Pretrial Diversionary Programs

Published on: March 18, 2020 | by The Law Offices of Allan F. Friedman

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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 trial has many disadvantages as trials are very costly, and the results are never guaranteed no matter how strong a case you have. The other option is to accept a plea bargain, which many clients don’t want to do, especially if they are not guilty.

Diversionary programs are a way to resolve your case without going to trial and obtain a dismissal of the charges against you. In some situations, using a diversionary program is the ideal way to resolve your criminal charges. Diversionary programs are commonly used in Connecticut. We have a multitude of diversionary programs available for various circumstances. If you have been arrested for any crime or serious motor vehicle offense, you should consult with an experienced Connecticut criminal defense lawyer to review all of your options.

Five Things to Know If You Have Been Arrested for Disorderly Conduct

Published on: March 17, 2020 | by The Law Offices of Allan F. Friedman

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A lot of clients think that a disorderly conduct arrest is not that serious. In this blog, I am going to share five important things you should know if you have been arrested for disorderly conduct in Connecticut.

In Connecticut, disorderly conduct C.G.S. § 53a-182 is one of the most common arrests. A lot of disorderly conduct arrests occur as a result of domestic violence cases because the police are required to make an arrest anytime someone calls 911 and they find probable cause that a crime has occurred. Disorderly conduct is a catch-all statute that covers a wide range of behavior and gives the police officer a lot of discretion on when to apply the statute to make an arrest. Any arrest for domestic violence should be taken very seriously. While disorderly conduct is a relatively minor Class C misdemeanor a conviction can have serious ramifications for your future.

1. Even Though The Police Did Not Take You Down to the Police Station it is Still an “Arrest”

What To Do if You Are Arrested For Domestic Violence in Connecticut?

Published on: March 15, 2020 | by The Law Offices of Allan F. Friedman

Domestic-Violence-new-Photo-300x200-300x200 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 crimes that require the police to make an arrest when they find probable cause that a domestic violence crime has occurred. There are a lot of very effective ways to defend domestic violence allegations. It is essential from the moment that you are arrested not to make the situation worse. Here are five things you can do to help improve your situation.

Be Prepared For Your Next Day Arraignment in Court

In every domestic violence case, there is a mandatory next day arrangement where orders of protection will issue against you. At this court date, you will have your first meeting with the office of family relations, and they will make a recommendation about the order of protection. The big question is what kind of order will be entered by the court. If you live in the same home with the victim or have minor children in common, these orders of protection can be of huge importance. It would be best if you never went into court without consulting with an attorney first. While sometimes it may be challenging to find an attorney on such short notice, you should at least have a consultation with an attorney and review your options for the arraignment. Too many domestic violence clients wind up getting arrested and then amble into court the next morning and hope for the best. This is not the best practice. It is advised that you seek legal counsel and prepare for your meeting with the office of family relations and arraignment.

Are Connecticut Criminal Courts Closed due to COVID-19?

Published on: March 14, 2020 | by The Law Offices of Allan F. Friedman

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As everyone knows, for better or worse, the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus) is going to be a part of our lives for the foreseeable future. To help prevent hospital overcrowding and slow down the spread of the pandemic, our state and national government have implemented mandatory social distancing policies. The goal is to limit large gatherings of people where the virus can infect more people. By creating social distancing, society can slow down the spread of the virus.

Connecticut Judicial Branch COVID-19 Policy for March

I am wiring to inform my existing criminal clients how the judicial branch order of March 12, 2020, is going to impact your pending criminal matters. I had previously written a blog about the danger that attending court posed for the spread of the virus. Hartford has taken swift action to protect the public.

Why Courts Should be Temporarily Closed to Prevent the Spread of the Coronavirus

Published on: March 11, 2020 | by The Law Offices of Allan F. Friedman

I am writing to urge that our state close all Courts for non-essential matters to encourage “social distancing.”

A member of our legal profession from New Rochelle has been in critical care with this illness for ten days now. He infected all of the members of his family and others in his community. It is a serious illness.

The coronavirus crisis is just starting in the United States, and I believe that we all need to do our part to pitch in and slow down the spread of this pandemic. Defendants who have routine criminal cases pending are required by law to attend court dates. Criminal courts are filled with up to 120 defendants and their family members, all of whom must interact with the court marshalls at security checkpoints. All of these areas are potential points of infection. People who are mildly sick may feel compelled to attend the court, or they may face a re-arrest order and thus expose others to the risk of infection. These individuals may not realize that they can contact the Clerk and request a continuance or even realize that they should self-quarantine when they are ill.

Over Reaction to the Dulos Case – Legislative Proposals In Hartford to Expand the Definition of “Domestic Violence”

Published on: March 8, 2020 | by The Law Offices of Allan F. Friedman

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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 husband Fotis Dulos was later charged with her murder and he committed suicide while awaiting trial on bond. I have written extensively on how the Dulos case has had a profound effect on pending domestic violence cases throughout Connecticut.

The Dulos family had no prior arrest history and apparently there was nothing to give the court any reliable indication that a violent murder would occur. As a result, other courts have become more cautious about resolving pending domestic violence cases.

We live in a reactionary society. Jennifer Dulus was the number one most searched term on google in the state of Connecticut in 2019. The circus is just getting started with the trial of the co-conspirators of Fotis Dulos still looming this case will be in the spotlight of the media for months to come. People are upset and outraged that the court system let Jennifer down and they are looking for someone to blame. It’s strange that they can’t just accept the fact that the family court divorce system is overloaded and that a homicidal maniac like Fotis Dulos just happened to snap under the financial pressure he was facing.

The Presumption of Innocence – Was Fotis Dulos Treated Fairly?

Published on: February 17, 2020 | by The Law Offices of Allan F. Friedman

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Everyone thinks that Fotis Dolus killed his estranged wife. After all, that is what the state alleges he did in the arrest warrant charging him with her murder. Why even bother with the trial? Let’s face it the crime he was accused of was so horrible and unthinkable no one wants to forgive him or even consider that he may somehow “get away with it” like OJ Simpson did. Should the presumption of innocence be reduced when the allegations are particularly egregious? Is everyone entitled to the same presumption of innocence? Shouldn’t we have to wait until the time of trial to have a determination of guilt or innocence?

Before I get any further in this blog, I know that there are strong passions involved in this case and I don’t condone anyone who commits a violent act against anyone, particularly the mother of their children. I am not writing to support Fotis Dulos or condone his actions. I am writing to question what has happened to the presumption of innocence and if the general public really understands what that concept means?

The Presumption of Innocence

Fotis Dulo’s Co-Conspirators Can Still be Prosecuted Despite Fotis Dulos’s Death

Published on: February 9, 2020 | by The Law Offices of Allan F. Friedman

Lady-Justice--e1581224208144-225x300 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 tool that the state uses to get convictions in situations where the state would otherwise never have enough evidence to get a conviction for the actual crime. Often the state can get a conviction for conspiracy to commit a crime where it lacks the evidence to prove who actually committed the crime. Conspiracy is a powerful weapon that the state can employ to crack cases and get convictions and get co-defendants to start to cooperate with the state. The threat of conspiracy charges is often used to get suspects to talk to investigators and provide useful information. Anyone who is a subject in a conspiracy investigation should retain the services of an experienced criminal defense attorney and refuse to answer any questions.

The Dulos Case

Everyone knows that Fotis Dolus was charged with the murder of his estranged wife Jennifer Dulos. Fotis Dulos committed suicide and we will never see him brought to trial. Many people have commented on social media that this may prevent the prosecution of the co-conspirators. This is not accurate. The State does not need to have Fotis Dulos in order to prosecute and convict the co-conspirators. In fact, if Fotis Dulos remained alive it would have been entirely possible for him to have been acquitted of the murder of Jennifer Dulos and the co-defendant’s to be convicted of conspiracy to commit her murder. In this blog, we are going to have a brief discussion of the law of conspiracy and why conspiracy is often a much easier case for the state to prove than the crime itself.

“They Never Read Me My Rights” – What Miranda Means for You!

Published on: January 18, 2020 | by The Law Offices of Allan F. Friedman

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“The Police didn’t read me my rights!”

This is one of the most common comments Connecticut criminal lawyers hear from our clients who have been arrested by Police. I hear this at least once a week. So, I decided to write a blog about the topic so I can share it with my clients when they have this question.

My clients are really concerned because often the police never read them their Miranda rights. People think if the police did not read them their rights that means we can get the case against them tossed out. The short answer is generally no but it depends on the specific circumstances of your case. It is always best to consult with an experienced Stamford criminal attorney regarding your case, especially before you answer any police questions.

The “Dulos Effect” on Defending Connecticut Domestic Violence Cases!

Published on: January 1, 2020 | by The Law Offices of Allan F. Friedman

Domestic-Violence-new-Photo-300x200-300x200 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, 2019 the lead story in newspapers across the State reported that the term “Jennifer Dulos” was the number one most searched term in Google for the entire State of Connecticut in 2019 by a huge factor. Simply put, the public is fascinated, outraged and shocked by the case and this kind of widespread attention is going to have a effect in the Judicial Branch on how domestic violence cases are handled. I want my clients who have domestic violence cases pending in the local Courts to be aware of the Dulos case and what I call the “Dulos effect.” I made a companion video on YouTube which you can watch here.

>> Brief Background of the Dulos Case

Jennifer Dulos suddenly disappeared in May of 2019 from her home in New Canaan. At the time she and her husband Fotis Dulos were embroiled in a highly contested and nasty divorce battle in Stamford Superior Court before Judge Heller. Fotis Dulos has since been charged with tampering with evidence along with his girlfriend for driving to Hartford on the night of Jennifer’s disappearance and dumping garbage bags containing clothes with Jennifer’s blood on them in the garbage. There are a lot of details about this case and I would encourage you to do a google search if you are interested in all the particulars. For the purposes of this blog article all we need to focus on are the following important highlights: