Posted on June 03,2015 in Traffic Violations

Nobody likes being on the wrong end of a traffic stop. The blue lights flashing in your rearview mirror will get your heart pumping, blood flowing, and hands shaking in an instant. In many cases, people do not know why police have stopped them. They may be unaware of a broken taillight, or they may not have noticed a stop sign. No matter what the reason for the traffic stop, it is always important to stay calm and to be respectful to the officer. If the officer tries to give you a ticket for a traffic offense or test you for DUI, rude behavior can only worsen the situation.

Stay Calm and Pull over Safely

If a police car moves behind you and turns on its lights, it is important to pull over as soon as it is safely possible, according to Business Insider. If you have to change lanes, this may require waiting a moment for other vehicles to move.

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 Posted on May 29,2015 in Marijuana Possession

Attitudes across the country are changing when it comes to marijuana and the punishment for marijuana possession, and Connecticut is no exception. According to Connecticut law, the state currently carries fines and criminal penalties for certain levels of possession. Possession of less than one-half ounce of marijuana carries a $150 fine for the first offense. Penalties become increasingly harsh with frequency of offense: a second offense can carry up to a $500 penalty. Third-time offenders will have to attend drug education classes, which will be paid for by their own means. The more substance, the higher the penalty as well: if a person has more than a half-ounce but less than 4 ounces of cannabis he or she can face up to a $1,000 fine and up to a year in prison, or both. These penalties were enacted in 2011, making possession of small amounts of marijuana a civil violation instead of a criminal offense, as it had been in previous years.

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 Posted on May 18,2015 in Criminal Defense

Sex crimes are pretty black and white when it comes down to it. Yet there are some cases in which the crime—and the punishment—can fall into a rather gray area, and statutory rape is among these. Somewhat surprisingly, most states do not refer specifically to statutory rape, but instead designate such a crime as sexual assault or sexual abuse. Assault and abuse are blanket terms used to designate or identify such prohibited activity. Regardless of semantics, statutory rape is a sexual crime against a person who is not of age, based on the premise that until a person reaches a certain age, sexual contact with that person is illegal, regardless of consent. In most states, including Connecticut, the age of legal consent is 16 years old.

The punishment in Connecticut for statutory rape is steep—from 10 to 25 years in prison with a mandatory minimum of five years if the victim is between the age of 10 and 16. A convicted individual will receive a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison if the victim is less than 10 years old.

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 Posted on May 11,2015 in Driving Under the Influence

Beginning on July 1, 2015, a stricter ignition interlock requirement will be implemented for drivers convicted of driving under the influence (DUI). Under the new law, the Department of Motor Vehicles is authorized to require ignition interlock devices to be installed in the vehicles of first-time DUI offenders.

An ignition interlock device is a small device that measures blood alcohol which is wired into the ignition of a vehicle. The driver must blow into the device before the vehicle may be started, and the vehicle will not start if the driver has a measurable blood alcohol level. Ignition interlock devices are shown to decrease the number of repeat DUI offenses by as much as 67 percent.

The new law impacts penalties imposed for a DUI conviction or for administrative violations of Connecticut’s drunk driving laws. In addition to requiring interlock ignition devices for DUI first offenders, the new law also:

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 Posted on May 04,2015 in Juvenile Crimes

Spring has finally arrived in Connecticut, and that means that the school year will be winding down soon. For high school students – especially seniors – the end of the school year brings with it exciting events. If you have teenagers, they have probably begun making plans for proms, class trips, award banquets, and other activities. It is not uncommon, however, for underage drinking to occur, and the consequences of such drinking can be serious for not only teens, but also for their parents.

In Connecticut, the legal drinking age was raised to 21-years-old in 1985– and has remained there ever since. According to Connecticut General Statute Sec. 30-89, minors are not allowed to possess alcohol, whether in a public road or street; or a private or public place. The fine for violating the law can be up to $500.

It is also illegal for a minor to purchase alcohol, even if the establishment does not request legal proof of age, such as a driver’s license. And if a minor is carded, and provides a false identification, they can be fined anywhere from $200 up to $500 and be sentenced to up to 30 days in jail.

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 Posted on April 27,2015 in Criminal Defense

If you are a teen driver or the parent of a teen driver, you have likely heard many warnings about the dangers of distracted driving, including texting and using a cell phone. A recent study shows that distracted driving is responsible for more teen car crashes than previously thought.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety recently studied videos taken from vehicle event recorders of almost 1,700 crashes involving teen drivers. These videos showed that distracted driving was a factor in 58 percent of accidents. This is almost four times higher than the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s previous estimate that 14 percent of accidents involving teen drivers were caused by distracted driving.

The following is a breakdown of the most frequent types of distractions and the percentage of accidents to which they were linked in the study:

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 Posted on April 20,2015 in Juvenile Crimes

Sending sexually explicit content through text, pictures, or video—known as “sexting”—has become a major concern among U.S. parents. This is especially true in cases involving pictures or video. To govern these crimes, various states began adopting teen sexting laws starting in 2009. Today, roughly half of the states in this country have some type of legislation that relates to sending sexual content over the Internet and on cellphones. Understanding these laws is critical for every parent.

How Sexting Can Get Teens in Trouble

Sexting made national headlines when a teenager faced charges of distributing child pornography. According to CNN, the defendant distributed nude pictures of his 16-year-old girlfriend as a means of getting back at her for an argument. As a result of this case, the court labeled the defendant a sex offender.

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 Posted on April 13,2015 in Criminal Defense

Burglary and home invasion crimes are reported with seemingly increasing frequency. These are serious crimes, and someone who is charged with burglary may also be charged with the related crimes of robbery and larceny. If the person charged with burglary is a juvenile, it could signal the beginning of more serious criminal involvement.

Home invasion is the most serious of the burglary-type offenses, and is a Class A felony. It occurs when a person enters an occupied dwelling with the intent to commit a crime and either:

• He or another person commits a felony against the occupant; or
• He is armed with explosives or a deadly weapon or dangerous item.

Burglaries are divided into three types based on the circumstances of the crime. The crime of third degree burglary occurs when a person breaks into a building and enters it with the intent to commit a crime. It is second degree burglary if the building is a dwelling, and the occupant is present in the dwelling at the time. For first degree burglary, a person enters a building with the intent to commit a crime and:

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 Posted on April 06,2015 in Traffic Violations

Although every driver is responsible for following traffic laws, it is easy to make a careless mistake and wind up with a ticket. Being inattentive for even a second can cause a person to speed or miss a stop sign.

In most cases, facing a traffic violation is not the end of the world. However, they can come with steep fines, and in some cases, a driver may even lose his or her license. In the most serious cases, offenders may also face jail time. This is why it is so important for drivers to take proactive steps to avoid the most common traffic violations.

Here is a breakdown of the three of most common traffic violations in Connecticut:

1. Speeding

With work, school, errands, and raising children, many Americans live busy lives. As a result, they are often running late for obligations. Other drivers simply drive too fast. These are just a couple reasons why speeding is the most common traffic offense in the United States.

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 Posted on March 23,2015 in Traffic Violations

Traffic violations can be stressful, time-consuming, and expensive. Additionally, they are more common than most people may realize. In fact, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, traffic stops represent the most common type of interaction between civilians and law enforcement.

Conviction of or pleading guilty to a traffic violation, may result in a financial penalty, license suspension, or even jail time depending on the nature of the offense. Fortunately, a criminal attorney with experience litigating traffic violation cases may be able to get the charges significantly reduced or altogether dropped.

What to Do When Police Pull You Over

It happens to thousands of people every day, yet being pulled over by a police officer still causes many drivers to panic. Whether it is for a speeding offense or any other violation, taking a deep breath and following the officer's instructions politely is the best approach to a traffic stop. Receiving a traffic ticket is not the end of the world, nor is it the time or place to argue about the validity of the violation.

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