Posted on June 05, 2025 in Driving Under the Influence

Many states have diversion programs for those facing DUI or certain other charges, usually available only to first-time offenders. Most diversion programs allow the offender to complete a list of requirements while avoiding a conviction for DUI. A DUI conviction can have many detrimental effects on your life, including making it difficult to obtain employment.

If you are sentenced to jail time for your DUI, you would likely lose the job you have now, putting your financial stability in jeopardy. The court usually determines whether a defendant meets the criteria for a diversion program. If you are allowed in the program, you will waive your right to a speedy trial and agree that the statute of limitations will be tolled.

You must successfully complete all requirements under the Impaired Driver Intervention Program (IDIP). If you do not, you will be brought to trial on your original DUI charges. Once you complete the IDIP program, your DUI charges are dismissed, and all records related to those charges are erased. If you believe you might qualify for the IDIP program, discuss the issue with your Stamford, CT DUI attorney.  

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 Posted on May 30, 2025 in Real Estate Law

Perhaps you have a checklist of all the things you must consider before choosing your perfect home. These issues may include looking for problems with the home itself, such as termites, foundation cracks, or a leaky roof, or it could include location, proximity to a school, or other issues.  

You may know when purchasing residential real estate that you should request a property tax history for the property to get a better idea of what your property taxes will be. However, one thing that many people overlook is checking the cost of homeowners’ insurance.

One woman bought her dream house only to find that her home insurance would be extremely high because the home was in "Zone 10" for fire department coverage. Zone 10 is as bad as it gets – essentially "no man’s land." In this case, the closest fire department was a volunteer department with a dismal record for responding to fires, largely because all the volunteers had regular jobs, and the property was very rural.  

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 Posted on May 23, 2025 in Driving Under the Influence

A Clinton, CT man was recently arrested on DUI and drug charges following a traffic stop in Wallingford. The man’s SUV was observed crossing the double yellow center lines multiple times. According to police, the man exhibited signs of intoxication and/or drug use. Drug paraphernalia and a significant amount of illegal drugs were found in the car, and a field sobriety test indicated the man was impaired.

In addition to being charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, charges included possession of a controlled substance, distribution/sale of a controlled substance, operating a motor vehicle without a driver’s license, and failure to maintain a lane. While a person can be charged with having an open container of alcohol inside the vehicle at the time of a  DUI arrest, when a person is driving while under the influence of drugs, he or she may also face serious drug charges.

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 Posted on May 14, 2025 in Juvenile Crimes

A 47-year-old man tells the story of his first arrest in Connecticut at age 12 for selling drugs. He was arrested again at ages 13, 14, and 16, spending time at a juvenile detention center in Middletown. At age 18, he was sent to an adult prison.

A proposed bill that would raise the age under which a child can be arrested to age 12 by 2026 and age 14 by 2028, would also prohibit law enforcement from handcuffing a juvenile under the age of 14.  Connecticut lawmakers passed a bill in 2021 that raised the age at which a juvenile could be arrested from seven years old to 10 years old.   

If your child is being charged with a juvenile criminal offense, it is extremely important that you speak to a knowledgeable Stamford, CT juvenile crimes attorney. Juvenile crimes are very different from adult crimes, and your child needs an attorney who has a thorough understanding of the current juvenile justice system in Connecticut.

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 Posted on May 07, 2025 in Driving Under the Influence

About 30 percent of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve an impaired driver. DUI is a serious matter across the U.S. and in Connecticut. Unfortunately, as is the case with many issues, in an effort to stop drunk driving, the police and prosecutors have become overzealous in some instances. A driver may end up with a DUI because he or she has medical issues that prevented the successful completion of field sobriety tests or a breathalyzer test.

If you wonder whether motorcyclists can be charged with DUI, the answer is "absolutely." That said, a much lower percentage of motorcyclists are actually charged with DUI when compared to drivers. The reasons for this could be that riding a motorcycle requires specific skills, concentration, and awareness, which are all qualities that can be significantly compromised by alcohol or drugs. A severely impaired motorcyclist would be unable to ride without almost immediately tipping over, making motorcycles at least somewhat self-limiting for intoxicated riders.

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 Posted on April 30, 2025 in Juvenile Crimes

A recent street takeover turned violent when the crowd turned on an officer and his vehicle. There were between 50 and 100 people, many of them juveniles, in the street, along with dozens of cars driving erratically. The crowd threw objects, including a traffic cone, at the police officer while he was in his cruiser, breaking the front windshield. When more officers arrived, the crowd began to disperse.

While there were no serious injuries, police are investigating and beginning to make arrests. In prior street takeovers across the state, there were a significant number of juveniles arrested and charged with such offenses as interfering with a police officer, first-degree riot, and unlawful assembly.

Although these are generally misdemeanor charges (unless someone is injured), they can cause serious problems for a juvenile now and in the future. If your child has taken part in a street takeover and is now facing criminal charges, it is extremely important that you speak to an experienced Stamford, CT juvenile crimes lawyer as quickly as possible.  

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 Posted on April 25, 2025 in Real Estate Law

If you are considering purchasing a home, it is extremely important that you have a title search done on the property. Even when the person you are dealing with is someone you trust, there may have been title issues when that person bought the property that he or she is unaware of. Many real estate contracts require a title search, but even if yours does not, it is an important step in protecting your purchase.   

A title search examines public records related to a specific property, including the history of the property’s ownership. Title searches are usually performed by a real estate attorney who examines the records for any potential problems, including omissions or errors. If any title defects are found, both parties are given the opportunity to remedy these title defects or, in some cases, to void the transaction if no solution can be reached.

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 Posted on April 15, 2025 in Criminal Defense

If your driver’s license has been suspended as a result of a DUI or because you have accrued too many points on your driving record, you may think it is not a big deal to drive your car to necessary places like your job and to run errands. After all, you are always careful, so what could go wrong? Unfortunately, there are plenty of things that can go wrong.

You could inadvertently escalate your situation from an already difficult one to one that ends with you sitting in jail. Driving without a license in Connecticut is a serious offense, and many traffic violations are much more serious than you might think. If you are facing charges of driving without a license, contact an experienced Stamford, CT traffic violation attorney as quickly as possible to minimize the short and long-term consequences.

What Can Cause the Loss of a Driver’s License?

While a DUI or having too many points on one’s driver’s license may be the most common reasons a driver could have his or her license suspended or revoked, there are other reasons as well. A person who moves to the state of Connecticut from another state has only 30 days to obtain a Connecticut driver’s license; failure to do so could result in a violation for failure to have a valid driver’s license.   There are many more driving and even non-driving violations that can result in the suspension of a Connecticut driver’s license, including:

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 Posted on April 07, 2025 in Theft and Property Crimes

Police are searching for the so-called "Seafood Shoplifter" in Granby, CT. Allegedly, the man loaded up a shopping cart at Geissler’s Supermarket on a Sunday afternoon and left without paying. Even though the shopping cart reportedly contained a large amount of shrimp, the value of the shoplifted items would not likely exceed the $500 limit, making the offense a Class C misdemeanor.

While a Class C misdemeanor conviction for shoplifting may not be the worst thing in the world, if the judge imposes the potential three-month jail sentence, it could become a real problem. In some cases, shoplifting is entirely unintended; perhaps you had something small in your basket and did not see it when the items were scanned.

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 Posted on March 27, 2025 in White Collar Crimes

An Ellington, CT woman was recently charged with fraud and tax offenses stemming from an embezzlement scheme. The woman was employed as a bookkeeper and office manager at a law firm for twelve years. During that time, she allegedly generated hundreds of false checks to herself, forging the owner’s signature. The woman is accused of embezzling more than $580,000 in these false checks and more than $250,000 from stealing cash rental payments made to the owner of the law firm.  

Embezzlement is considered a "white-collar crime," which generally means that crimes under this umbrella are not violent and do not cause physical harm to others. Embezzlement is the most common form of white-collar crime, which involves taking another person’s personal property after it has been entrusted to you – typically in the form of money misappropriation.

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