On behalf of Paoletti & Gusmano, Attorneys At Law posted in Drunk Driving on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Police say they expect to file additional charges against a 44-year-old Cromwell man in connection with a hit-and-run accident last Friday in Middletown. The man is already accused of drunk driving (DUI) as a result of the incident. At last word, he was being held on $25,000 bond and was scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 24.
DUI charges, also sometimes referred to as DWI, are serious. The penalties for a first-time conviction can be heavy. Fines and jail time are possible, along with the loss of driving privileges. When allegations are compounded because someone suffered injuries, the situation obviously becomes more serious. It must be remembered that anyone who finds themselves accused of such crimes needs to have an attorney to be sure the fullness of their rights are protected.
On behalf of Paoletti & Gusmano, Attorneys At Law posted in Domestic Violence on Thursday, February 9, 2012
Protective orders and restraining orders sound very much the same. They are quite different. But violations of them are serious and often treated severely by authorities in Connecticut. They can sometimes result in felony charges. Anyone restricted under such an order needs to be working with an attorney.
Not only can an attorney make sure a person under such a domestic violence order fully understands the scope of restrictions they face, but if accusations are raised that the order has been violated, an attorney can help protect the rights of the person under the order and work toward an effective resolution.
On behalf of Paoletti & Gusmano, Attorneys At Law posted in Criminal Defense on Thursday, February 2, 2012
The city of Bridgeport is abuzz as a disturbing case of apparent murder and alleged cannibalism unfolds. Amid all the gossip that is likely under way, one can only hope that there is a cadre of voices speaking out to remind the community of the essential need to allow the court to do its job and the importance of remembering that anyone facing criminal charges is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The matter generating the interest is the case of Tyree Lincoln Smith, 35. He is alleged to have murdered a homeless man last December and cannibalized the man's body. He made his first court appearance in Bridgeport this week and the judge ordered him held in lieu of $1 million bond. He is currently reported to be on suicide watch at the Bridgeport Correctional Center and is due to undergo psychiatric evaluation. The next possible date for court action is Feb. 14.
On behalf of Paoletti & Gusmano, Attorneys At Law posted in DUI/DWI on Tuesday, January 24, 2012
The cost of a conviction for driving under the influence used to be steep in Connecticut. Now it's even steeper. Not only do the possibility of jail time and fines remain as penalties in some cases, but under a new state law that took effect with the new year, those with a DUI conviction have to install a device in their car that prevents it from starting unless they pass what amounts to a breathalyzer test.
This is no small matter. The cost of installing these ignition interlock devices is put directly on the person convicted of driving under the influence, even if it's their first conviction. According to Sens-O-Lock of America, one maker of the devices, the bill can add up fast.
On behalf of Paoletti & Gusmano, Attorneys At Law posted in Drug Charges on Thursday, January 19, 2012
We often hear about how slow the wheels of justice turn. That may be true at times, like when a case actually gets to court. But things can move very fast in the early stages of a criminal matter, as a Danbury man may be finding out. What started with a traffic stop has escalated swiftly into criminal drug charges.
The 23-year-old man was picked up early yesterday in Westchester County. Officials say he was pulled over for an undisclosed violation. They claim they subsequently discovered that the man was driving without a license and that there were summonses for failure to pay fines outstanding against him. So, they arrested him.
On behalf of Paoletti & Gusmano, Attorneys At Law posted in Violent Crimes on Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Debates rage over the death penalty. Some states have it. Others don't. Connecticut is one that has it. Arguments over the morality of capital punishment are a given. But there are those who note it the discriminatory aspect in that it is used far more against black defendants than whites. There are studies from the past 30 years that go so far as to show that the death penalty is more likely to be imposed against blacks if the victims are white.
The response from death penalty defenders is that those sentenced to die are guilty of the most horrendous violent crimes. But now, a study of all Connecticut death penalty cases over a 34-year stretch ending in 2007 shows that even that standard isn't well applied much. Rather the study, by Stanford law professor John Donohue, found no explainable difference between the cases of defendants on Connecticut's death row and those of violent offenders who avoided the death penalty.
On behalf of Paoletti & Gusmano, Attorneys At Law posted in Criminal Defense on Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Alleged crimes may be defined into specific categories, but no two are ever really alike. Connecticut criminal defense attorneys know that circumstances beyond the mere statements in a police report often need to be examined to uncover the real truth of what may have actually taken place, even if police may not be inclined to look for all possible explanations.
This can be all the more important when an undercurrent of possible drug crimes is present. Too often a presumption of guilt holds sway over the presumption of innocence when alleged actions are tied to suspected illegal drugs. It's important to get the whole story.
On behalf of Paoletti & Gusmano, Attorneys At Law posted in Criminal Defense on Thursday, December 29, 2011
All criminal charges are serious, whether they come from the federal level or state courts here in Connecticut. The reality is that if a person is arrested on charges that are drug related or involve the brandishing of a weapon, conviction can result in severe penalties, including the possibility of jail or prison. Such charges shouldn't be fought without the aid of an experienced criminal defense attorney.
The key in countering any criminal allegation is to challenge the prosecution's evidence. Any item that can raise a question of reasonable doubt deserves to be fully examined and brought to light in order to protect an individual's rights.
On behalf of Paoletti & Gusmano, Attorneys At Law posted in Domestic Violence on Monday, December 19, 2011
Connecticut enacted its home invasion law in 2008. This followed the well publicized 2007 robbery and murder case in which the wife and two daughters of Dr. William Petit were killed. Last week, for just the third time since its passage, a defendant has been convicted under that law. Apparently, a contributing factor in the most recent case was the fact that a protective order was in force. There are questions about whether officials overcharged in the case.
The home invasion statutes says that someone found guilty of a felony charge while unlawfully in an occupied home will face a minimum 10 years in jail. The court can expand that to 25 years if it deems it to be warranted.
On behalf of Paoletti & Gusmano, Attorneys At Law posted in Criminal Defense on Tuesday, December 13, 2011
The federal government is setting the stage for the next step up in restrictions on the use of cellphones while driving. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) came out today with a recommendation that all states should make driving and using cellphones a traffic violation; either for texting, or talking. The agency says the ban should apply to all devices, including those that are hands free.
Factory installed devices would be exempt, but the only other exception would be if a driver needed to make an emergency call.
