Posted on February 12, 2018 in Traffic Violations

In Connecticut, the charge of hit-and-run is termed “evading responsibility.” The charge is a serious one and may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the property damage and any personal injuries caused by the accident. With penalties for a felony conviction including jail time or a five-figure fine, mounting the strongest possible legal defense is a necessity.

Defining Evading Responsibility in Connecticut

Connecticut state law defines evading responsibility as the leaving of the scene of a car accident that has caused a personal injury or property damage without providing proper identification to the injured person(s), property owner(s), or without calling law enforcement.

Misdemeanor evading responsibility may be properly charged when either no personal injury or only “non-serious injury” has resulted. A non-serious injury may include bruises and whiplash. When one or more serious personal injuries have been caused by the accident, felony evading responsibility may be properly charged. Serious injuries include broken bones, spine damage, paralysis, head and neck trauma, and loss of life.

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 Posted on February 05, 2018 in Drug Charges

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid pain reliever that is 50 to 100 more powerful than morphine, is now firmly on the radar of state and federal law enforcement. This drug has become a scourge, ushering in an addiction crisis like the country has never seen before, killing tens of thousands, and ensnaring many more in its grip.

Perversely, where there is a blight of addiction, there is also an economic orbit. Thus, as scores grapple with the ill effects of fentanyl addiction, there is much activity directed at illicitly importing, distributing, and selling the deadly drug in both Connecticut and of the nation at large. For those charged with the possession or distribution of fentanyl, serious criminal penalties may be imposed upon conviction. In confronting such charges, the experience of a Fairfield County criminal defense attorney is essential.

Fentanyl to Be a Schedule 1 Drug Under Federal Law

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 Posted on January 29, 2018 in Sex Crimes

Our nation is in the midst of a movement against sexual assault, misconduct, and rape. Allegations, admissions, and denials are taking place in the highest halls of politics, media, and entertainment, as well as in the most common corridors of daily life.

In some instances, an allegation may be made strictly in the court of public opinion (e.g. via social media), but still so powerful effect in the form of reputational damage. In other instances, allegations may be formally made in civil or criminal court. With regard to criminal charges for rape, sexual assault, or other sexual misconduct, the accusations must be confronted in court, as the law requires.

Punishments and reputational damage following a conviction may be severe and include a prison sentence. If you have been charged with a sex crime in the state of Connecticut, it is critical that you obtain competent and diligent legal representation.

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 Posted on January 22, 2018 in Juvenile Crimes

In the months of December and January, many young people in Connecticut experience significant extra free time while on winter break from school. During this time, holiday hijinks or unmonitored social time may sometimes result in a juvenile’s being saddled with criminal charges. Make no mistake, juvenile criminal charges in Connecticut are a serious matter and must be defended against accordingly.

There exists a misconception that everything that happens in life before the age of majority, including juvenile criminal charges, are just magically wiped away at the age of eighteen. This is not the case. While the state’s juvenile justice system is charged with protecting the constitutional and legal rights of minors, it is not reasonable to assume that a juvenile conviction will simply disappear when the juvenile reaches 18 or 21 years of age. As such, it is imperative that a juvenile facing criminal charges in Connecticut be represented by an experienced Fairfield County juvenile criminal defense attorney.

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 Posted on January 14, 2018 in Driving Under the Influence

On New Year’s Day, there is a contingent of individuals both in Connecticut and the nation at large who are dealing with a DUI charge instead of mulling over new year’s resolutions at brunch. It is a most unpleasant way to begin 2018, yet is a reality that must be addressed promptly and professionally. This is the case for any DUI charge, and especially for a second, third, or subsequent charge. Multiple DUI convictions are punished strictly in Connecticut, with thousands of dollars and fines and several years of prison time being all too real possibilities. If are beginning the new year with the headache of a New Year’s Eve DUI charge, rely on an experienced Fairfield County DUI attorney to protect your legal rights.

Connecticut Utilizes a Ten-Year Window with Regard to Repeat DUI Convictions

The measure for what constitutes a “repeat” DUI conviction in the state of Connecticut, is the ten years following your first DUI conviction. In other words, the ten-year clock begins running from the time of your first conviction. During this ten-year period, if you are convicted o DUI for a second, third, or subsequent time, you will face more serious consequences than if the new conviction occurred more than ten years after your first conviction. Specifically, for a second DUI conviction within ten years of the first, a fine between $1,000 and $4,000 will be imposed, as well as a jail sentence between 120 days and two years, a minimum of 100 hours of community service, and a three-year suspension of your driver’s license. In addition, you may be required to install an ignition interlock device at your own expense for a two-year period after your license is reinstated. Penalties for a third DUI conviction are still more severe, and include a fine between $2,000 and $8,000, a jail sentence between one and three years, 100 hours of community service, and the permanent revocation of your driver’s license.

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 Posted on January 08, 2018 in Violent Crimes

With school out of session on account of winter break and snow on the ground, actions that start out as mere mischief may get out of hand and rise to the level of torts and crimes. While it may seem inconsistent with the wintertime and holiday spirit, hitting someone with a snowball can bring serious consequences if injuries are sustained. The same is true for sledding-related horseplay that devolves into fist fighting. You may be charged with the crime of assault or battery, or sued in civil court for money damages. If you have been charged with assault or battery in Connecticut, you need an experienced Norwalk criminal defense attorney to protect your legal rights.

Defining Assault and Battery in Connecticut

In the general, common law sense, battery is a harmful or offensive contact. In Connecticut, more specifically, battery is the “willful application of force with the intent to cause bodily injury or offensive contact.” Assault, in the most basic sense, attempted battery. Specifically, under state law, assault is “attempted battery or the intent to cause another reasonable apprehension or contact.” In these two definitions, one can infer the importance of 1) intent and 2) whether or not contact actually occurs. Even if you have been unsuccessful in making contact, or merely intend to make another human being believe that you intend to make contact (but do not make contact), you may still be properly charged with assault in Connecticut.

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 Posted on December 27, 2017 in Theft and Property Crimes

A shoplifting charge in Connecticut is a serious matter, whether levied in the holiday season or any other time of year. Depending on the value of the goods in question, penalties may be far more severe than a run-in with mall security or expulsion from a shopping center. Jail time, fines, and reputational damage capable of limiting one’s educational and vocational future are at stake. With so much on the line, a legal defense mounted by an experienced Fairfield County criminal defense attorney is an absolute must.

Shoplifting Is Larceny

If you have been arrested for shoplifting, the criminal charge you are facing is larceny. Connecticut penal law defines larceny as the “intent to deprive another of property or to wrongfully take, obtain or without hold such property from an owner.” Here, the word “intent” should jump out. Even if you are apprehended while attempted to shoplift, your intent, if proven if in a Connecticut criminal court, is grounds for a larceny conviction. In addition, larceny covers more than shoplifting; if you knowingly receive stolen property, you may be properly convicted of the offense. The same is true with regard to auto theft, embezzlement, false pretenses, and theft by fraud.

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 Posted on December 18, 2017 in Driving Under the Influence

In the month of December, with holiday celebrations either already underway or imminently approaching, there is the risk of a Connecticut DUI charge. One such occasion in which this risk is encountered is the holiday office party. When alcoholic beverages are served as employees let off steam, vent about stress, and celebrate the close of the corporate year, consumption can lead to a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) elevated beyond the legal limit for drivers in the state.

If you commute to work via subway, bus, train, carpool, or by foot, this scenario will not result in a DUI charge. However, if you drive to work and are unable to utilize public transportation, Uber, or Lyft after consuming holiday office party alcoholic beverages, you run the risk of being stopped and arrested for DUI if your BAC is over the legal limit. If holiday office partying has resulted in a Connecticut DUI charge, you need a Fairfield County DUI defense attorney.

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 Posted on December 11, 2017 in Driving Under the Influence

Wine, beer, and other alcoholic beverages are present at many holiday gatherings. While some beverages are consumed moderately and merrily, others are consumed for a different reason: stress. Visiting with family and friends can be difficult, especially in the current fraught national political climate, with old grievances and grudges lurking at the corners of contentious conversations.

In the moment, whether in bidding a fond farewell or a good riddance goodbye after consuming multiple alcoholic beverages, one may make the mistake of getting behind the wheel to drive a vehicle. When this mistake turns into a Connecticut DUI or DWI arrest, the holiday is officially over. And when this mistake is, in fact, a second, third, or subsequent DUI or DWI arrest in Connecticut, interpersonal squabbles will quickly seem minuscule in comparison to the state-imposed penalties upon a criminal conviction.

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 Posted on December 05, 2017 in Drug Charges

Connecticut, along with the rest of the United States, is in the midst of an opioid crisis. Opioids, the group of drugs that includes heroin and prescription painkillers such as fentanyl, oxycontin, and oxycodone, have killed tens of thousands of Americans – more people, in fact, than died in the Vietnam War.

Since 2010, Connecticut has seen an increase in accidental death involving drugs, including opioids. Faced with such a scourge, state and federal law enforcement are tasked with fighting the possession, use, and distribution of these dangerous and all too often deadly drugs. If you have been charged with an opioid-related drug offense, you will face serious consequences if convicted. For your legal rights and your future, it is imperative that you task an experienced Fairfield County criminal defense attorney with your legal defense.

Opioid Possession is Punishable by Jail Time and Fines in Connecticut

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