Posted on March 17,2022 in Criminal Defense

The last thing you want to be thinking about when you are in the presence of someone overdosing from drugs is the consequences of calling 911. You may be afraid that if the paramedics arrive, the police will be following close behind, and explaining your role in the situation might be difficult. Whether or not you have something to hide, weighing the possible death of another human being versus the possibility of facing criminal charges is an unenviable position. Fortunately, if this happens in Connecticut, you may be covered under the state’s Good Samaritan Law.

What Is the Good Samaritan Law?

As of 2021, 47 states and the District of Columbia had enacted Good Samaritan laws that protect both people calling on behalf of others and people calling for help for their own behalf in drug overdose situations.

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 Posted on March 10,2022 in Criminal Defense

If you have been accused of assaulting someone, a conviction could have dire consequences on your life. You could be facing a jail or prison sentence, suspended sentence, probation, and heavy fines. If the charge against you is a sexual assault charge, a conviction could mean lifetime registration as a sex offender.

Whatever the circumstances of the charges against you, a Stamford, CT defense attorney can help defend you against these charges. Maybe you were in the wrong place at the wrong time or maybe you acted in self-defense. Whatever the situation, our legal team can help.

Assault and Battery Charges

Assault and battery charges can result from a range of different scenarios and levels of confrontation. A verbal argument, shoving match, slap, or more aggressive physical contact may qualify as an assault charge. Basically, any act that will make an individual believe they are at immediate risk of bodily harm can qualify as an assault charge, even if there is no physical contact that takes place.

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 Posted on March 03,2022 in Criminal Defense

When a person is arrested and charged with a crime, there are three possibilities that could happen. The charges will be dropped, the person will plead guilty in a plea bargain arrangement with the prosecutor, or the case will go to trial so a jury will decide if the person is guilty of the crime or crimes they are accused of.

The goal of the trial is that the jury will decide if the person is guilty or not guilty. There are, however, many trials where an issue arises that causes the judge to declare a mistrial. Although it may seem that a mistrial is good for the person who is accused, there are negative factors to consider.

Why Do Some Cases Result in a Mistrial?

There are two reasons why a mistrial may be called. The first reason is that the jury is unable to come to a unanimous decision on whether the accused is guilty or not guilty of the charges. In this situation, the judge may instruct the jury to keep on deliberating. Occasionally, a jury is able to finally come to a verdict, however, in many cases, they are still unable to reach a decision.

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 Posted on February 28,2022 in Criminal Defense

Over the past couple of years, national headlines have been full of cases involving violent interactions between citizens and law enforcement officials. While these cases capture the media’s attention, there are situations in which an accused person’s rights are violated that do not get news coverage. If you are stopped by the police or accused of any type of criminal activity, our Fairfield County criminal defense attorneys want you to be aware of your rights and the steps you need to take to protect yourself.

Color Of Law Violations

Local police and state law enforcement officials are granted the authority to ensure that laws are upheld. They have a tremendous amount of power in terms of detaining suspects, searching property, and making arrests. While the majority of law enforcement officers perform these tasks lawfully, there are situations in which abuses occur. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) refer to these abuses as color of law violations and report the following as the most common types of violations that occur:

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 Posted on February 23,2022 in Real Estate Law

Whether you are starting a new business or expanding an existing business, you may need to enter into a commercial lease if you do not own the property where your business is located. Unlike residential leases, commercial leases are often lengthy and detailed. They also tend to have provisions which are usually more beneficial to the landlord and not the commercial tenant. This is why it is important to have a Stamford real estate attorney look over any commercial lease you are considering renting before you sign anything.

Right to Certain Protective Terms

Many of the basic protections that Connecticut law provides to residential tenants do not carry over to commercial tenants. Where some terms are common to residential leases, commercial leases may not contain them at all. For instance, the lease should provide that the tenant has exclusive use of the property, free from any interference by the landlord. Likewise, if the commercial property becomes unfit for the purpose for which the tenant leased it, they may no longer be subject to the remainder of the lease terms.

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 Posted on February 15,2022 in Criminal Defense

When facing any type of criminal charges, your immediate concern is likely to be avoiding arrest or potential jail time and minimizing the amount in court costs and fines you may have to pay. While these are vital issues in any criminal defense, it is also important to consider the future impact your charges and conviction could have on other areas of your life. A criminal conviction could pose issues in seeking employment in certain areas of profession, qualifying for student loans, and even obtaining housing. This is one of the reasons why it is so important to have an experienced Connecticut criminal defense attorney advocating for you.

Potential Impacts of a Criminal Conviction

Some people believe that only serious criminal convictions (such as rape, murder, or other violent crimes) have a detrimental effect on a person’s future. The truth is, however, that even misdemeanor charges can impact your personal and your professional life. For example, if you are convicted of DUI and have your license suspended, you may not be able to get back and forth to work and that could have a very real impact on your employment.

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 Posted on February 07,2022 in White Collar Crimes

It is that time of year again, where people will begin the sometimes-arduous process of gathering up all of their financial records from 2021 in order to file their taxes by the dreaded April 15th deadline. While some taxpayers are lucky enough to file their taxes and get a refund, many others are not as fortunate and end up owing Uncle Sam money. While it may be tempting to try to skirt around the tax laws in order to minimize what you owe – or increase the size of your refund – doing so could leave you one day finding a notice in your mailbox from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

That notice could mean an audit or investigation has been opened in your case, or they may simply be requesting some further information. Whatever the reason for the notice, the prospect of tax fraud charges is a frightening one, with the potential for serious criminal penalties as well as fines and seizures or liens on property. If you have been notified of an investigation being conducted by the IRS, you should contact a Stamford, CT defense attorney immediately.  

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 Posted on January 28,2022 in Driving Under the Influence

In the state of Connecticut, a driver is considered legally drunk if they are operating their vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher. If the driver is operating under a commercial driver’s license at the time of the arrest, the BAC level is 0.04 percent. If the driver is under the age of 21, the BAC level is 0.02 percent.

Under the state’s driving under the influence laws, even a first-time offender will lose their driving privileges. Subsequent offenders face longer periods of revocation and may even be sentenced to jail.

However, it is important to understand that a DUI conviction has even further-reaching effects and can have a significant impact on the person’s personal and professional life. The following are just some of the ways a conviction can wreak havoc on your future.

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 Posted on January 21,2022 in Real Estate Law

It is no secret that the real estate market exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued that momentum. If there are any doubts about the condition of the market, all one has to do is take a look at the number of mortgages that have been taken out. According to national data, the year 2021 was a record year, with more than $1.6 trillion granted in mortgages, the majority of those mortgages to first-time home buyers. This number surpasses the last record set, in 2005 of $1.15 trillion, and surpasses the second-highest record set just in 2020, where lenders gave out $1.5 trillion in mortgages.

Housing Boom

Although the prices of homes increased by more than 19 percent during 2021, there are a number of reasons cited by economic analysts for the phenomenal increases in the housing market. The labor market is still going strong, including increases in pay – which grew more than 4.5 percent nationwide. The market is also being driven by low interest rates, leading many first-time home buyers to sign on all those dotted lines required during a property closing. It is estimated that almost 70 percent of people purchasing new homes in 2021 were buying their first homes.

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 Posted on January 14,2022 in Criminal Defense

In December of 2018, former President Trump signed into law The First Step Act. The Act had two goals to meet: improving the conditions for prisoners incarcerated in federal prisons and cutting unnecessarily long federal sentences. This week, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a new rule it is implementing that will begin the release process for thousands of federal prisoners currently sitting in prison.

The First Step Act

Under the First Step Act, federal inmates were granted the chance to earn up to 15 days of time credits for every 30 days of completed participation in prison programs that were developed to reduce recidivism rates. Qualified programs include those that address educational work, drug treatment, anger management, and social skills.

The new rule is more specific in how many credits are actually earned. Inmates can earn 10 days of time credit for every 30 days they participate in programs, however, if an inmate is able to stay in a “lower-risk category,” they will earn an additional time credit of five days for each of those 30 days.

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