Several years ago, a well-known NFL football player was arrested for child abuse because he used a tree branch as a switch to discipline his then four-year-old son. The man claimed he never intended to abuse or harm his son and was only disciplining him in the same manner his parents disciplined him when he was a child. But prosecutors said that by using a tree branch and hitting his son multiple times, the player’s actions went beyond mere discipline and were abusive. The case caused a national debate about what type of acts crosses the line between discipline and abuse.

Player Charged

According to prosecutors in the above case, the boy suffered bruises and cuts all over his body. The player was charged with felony child abuse. He eventually pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of misdemeanor assault and received two years’ probation, a fine of $4,000, and was ordered to perform 80 hours of community service. He was also suspended from the NFL for one year. Four years later, in an interview, the player admitted to sometimes using a belt to discipline the boy.

Connecticut Law on Child Discipline

In Connecticut, while there is a statute that addresses child abuse, there is no definitive law that addresses parents and corporal punishment. The current law can be subjective.  What one parent may believe to be “reasonable” discipline, another parent may find abhorrent. This means it can be up to a judge or jury to decide if a parent is facing child abuse charges using what the parent felt were reasonable methods.

When a person is convicted of a crime, there may be grounds to have that conviction overturned. This can happen if there were errors made during the original trial and they are granted an appeal. If you have been convicted, contact a criminal defense attorney to find out if your case may be eligible for the appeal process.

Filing an Appeal

There are several ways a convicted person can appeal a court’s verdict. The defendant can file a motion to request the trial judge overturn the jury’s guilty verdict and enter a new verdict of not guilty. This is referred to as judgement notwithstanding the verdict (JNOV).

The defendant can also file a motion for a new trial. This motion requests the court declare the original trail a mistrial and to schedule a new trial.

Reckless driving can be defined as the act of operating a vehicle in a manner that shows a wanton or willful disregard for the safety and well-being of any person or property. When a person is charged with reckless driving, it is because the police officer believes that not only did the driver choose to operate their vehicle in a dangerous manner, but they did also so despite the dangerous risks that behavior created.

In Connecticut, reckless driving is charged as a misdemeanor, not as a traffic violation. This means that the driver will be arrested and the case will be handled in the criminal court system. It also means that a conviction will become part of the driver’s criminal record.

What Are the Most Common Types of Reckless Driving Violations?

While there are a myriad of behaviors that fall into this category, some of the more common acts that can result in reckless driving charges:

When a person is charged with a crime, they will either be convicted of the crime, found not guilty, make a plea agreement with the prosecutor, or the charges will be dropped with no further action.

For those individuals who end up having that conviction on their record, there can be serious ramifications that could have a detrimental impact on their future. In certain situations, the person may be able to have the incident stricken from their criminal record. In Connecticut, this is referred to as an expungement or absolute pardon.

Automatic Expungement of a Criminal Record

A popular misconception is that a criminal record only comes into existence upon a conviction, when in reality, a person who has been arrested but not convicted, or arrested and charged but found not guilty, also has a criminal record.

It is not uncommon to turn on the news and hear a report about an incident of workplace violence or reports of toxic work environments that have led to lawsuits and more. No matter what position a person holds in a company, acting out at work can not only result in termination but could also leave you facing criminal charges. If you have been charged with assault or other workplace violence, contact a Stamford defense attorney right away.

Criminal Charges Due to Workplace Threats or Acts of Violence

According to national statistics, more than 20,000 workers in private business industry were victims of nonfatal workplace violence in 2020. Many of these victims required days away from work. More than 20 percent of these victims required a month or more off from work while they recovered from their injuries.

When you think of workplace violence, you may envision tragic and terrifying situations that grab national headlines, such as when a disgruntled worker opens fire on other employees. While these scenarios do occur with alarming regularity, there are other types of job-related violence that occur on a smaller, more frequently scale.