Connecticut Criminal/DUI Defense Blog

More on Connecticut's Public Criminal Records

2008-07-30T13:55:00.003-04:00

The competition to sell your personal information such as public records of your criminal history continues to heat up. As I noted before, Ct is one of the few states that currently has a free state sponsored criminal record search.

Now, there are even private companies widely advertising on google and gmail for their services, even though the state offers a free version.

Information is becoming a commodity. Even free information is being resold and repackaged at a profit. In the age of vast online recordkeeping, privacy is becoming a thing of the past.

And for public information, you really need to expect it to become widely available to anyone at anytime.

If a criminal record could hold you back in life, whether now or ten years from now, consider fighting your criminal case, and looking for every conceivable opportunity to keep you from getting a criminal record.

Because once it is out there, it will never disappear. Even if you hope to be able to get a Connecticut charge and conviction expunged in the future, that past information could easily still pop up.

Data never goes away, it's always copied somewhere. Expungement could become a myth.

Your best chance to keep a criminal record from ruining your life is before you are convicted.

Story on License Plate Scanners

2008-06-09T13:56:00.003-04:00

This story was on NECN (see video) about license plate scanning technology being used in New Haven police vehicles. The technology consists of a video scanner that can passively read thousands of license plates per hour, when a police vehicle is either moving or parked by the side of the road. The license plate scans are matched to a database from the Connecticut DMV, and if any passing car has been flagged by the DMV with any known issue, the police officer is instantly alerted, and will pull over your vehicle.

The news story is specifically about tax delinquency, but this technology is also used to catch anyone with an outstanding arrest warrant, suspended driver's license, expired inspection or insurance, and any other minor traffic matter in Connecticut. Other uses can include known stolen vehicles or amber alerts.

If you've been pulled over, charged, arrested, or given a citation for any such matter, please contact our Connecticut defense attorneys for a consultation and case evaluation on your best options to defend yourself in court.

Connecticut Sex Offender Laws

2008-05-31T01:01:00.000-04:00

Governor Rell just signed a law closing a loophole in Connecticut's Sex Offender Laws. The new law makes it more difficult for a registered sex offender in Connecticut to change his or her name. A person must now declare the reason and intent for the name change to the courts, and the commissioner of public safety can challenge those reasons and the name change itself.

Being branded as a registered sex offender in Connecticut can seriously ruin your life. While there is a clear need to protect the public from dangerous sex offenders, there are also many cases when simple and innocent criminal charges in Connecticut can result in sex offender registration.

Public urination, statutory rape charges resulting from consensual sex between kids only a couple of years apart (if one happens to be of legal age) and many other situations can get you in a dangerous area. And prosecutors are often not sympathetic in these cases, even when the punishment nowhere near fits the crime. A criminal record that includes a sex offense registry can have a horrific impact on the future opportunities of a young person. It can follow you for the rest of your life, especially here in CT where all criminal charges are easily accessible public records.

If you are facing a criminal charge in Connecticut where you might be at risk of a conviction resulting in a sex offender registry requirement, please contact our Connecticut criminal law offices for a legal consultation on what you can do to prevent this from happening.

Connecticut Hate Crime Law

2008-05-30T01:32:00.000-04:00

Governor Jodi Rell signed a new hate crimes law that makes it a criminal charge in Connecticut to display a noose as a means of harassing or threatening someone.

The new law will go into effect on October 1, 2008 and was supported unanimously by the state legislature as well as the Division of Criminal Justice and and Connecticut Police Chiefs Association. The legislation resulted from some a number of recent incidents of displays of nooses in West Hartford, Stamford, Bridgeport, and New London, CT.

MADD's cozy relationship with Connecticut Law Enforcement

2008-05-29T11:04:00.004-04:00

The picture from this article, which shows the Connecticut chapter of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) at a Crime Victims Awareness event says a lot about how influential this lobbying group has become. MADD is pictured with Connecticut's Attorney General, police officers and Connecticut state prosecutors.

As DUI defense attorneys, we need to constant remind the public of the rights of the accused (not convicted). Innocent until proven guilty is an idea that is sacred in the laws and history of this country, and is enshrined in our most sacred national document, the US Constitution. Yet, in DUI cases, innocent until proven guilty is a rapidly evaporating idea.

These lobbying groups like MADD are in a large part responsible for significant and continuing restrictions to our Constitutional rights.
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If you are facing a DUI / DWI / Drunk Driving charge in Connecticut, please contact us for a free legal defense consultation and evaluation of your case. We can help you decide how to fight your charges in court, and protect your freedom and right to drive.
We never forget how the role of the defense attorney is critical to our rights as citizens.

Connecticut Crime Bill Veto?

2008-05-08T00:04:00.001-04:00

Governor Rell may veto the crime bill, thought to be a signature achievement of the administration, for budgetary reasons.

The proposed would toughen criminal sentences for some violent crimes in the wake of some recent high profile home invasions and murders in Connecticut. But the sticking point is with the cost (up to $10 million) of the increased enforcement and criminal justice expenses, from additional prosecutors and parole officers, to more state police detectives to investigate and solve these horrific crimes.

Budgetary problems are impacting law enforcement efforts and new criminal legislation across the country. Also in the news, the Governor of Tennessee announced he is abandoning plans to toughen DUI laws due to budgetary constraints. That bill was also considered a high priority before the reality of state financial shortfalls halted progress on the new laws.

Criminal Background Check Watch

2008-05-07T13:19:00.002-04:00

A new private company in Connecticut is providing high tech background searches, fingerprinting and biometric information analysis to government agencies and private companies.

More private employers will continue to do extensive research into potential hires as these technologies become cheaper and more convenient. Connecticut is already one of the few states that has public internet listings of all criminal charges.

In the 21st century, there is no hiding from a criminal record, and no way to predict how a conviction might be universal public information, and held against you in the future.

Don't plead guilty to any criminal charge in Connecticut without considering all the future implications of big brother knowing you have a criminal history. Even when you think it is just a minor charge for a youthful indiscretion like drug possession, or a reckless driving charge - the first thing a potential employer will find out about you is that you have a criminal record.

You may never get the chance to "explain it away" - you will simply not be called back for that job.

Please contact us to find out how we can help prevent this 21st century scarlet letter from being attached to you.

Connecticut Working to Enhance Penalties for Violent Crimes

2008-04-25T15:02:00.004-04:00

The Connecticut State Senate has been working on enhancements and new laws to toughen penalties for violent crimes, as well as provide additional funding for law enforcement activities.

Under the propose legislation, multiple offense violent crime maximum penalties would automatically double for second offense convictions, and triple for third offense convictions.

A controversial proposed "three strikes" law was defeated, that would have mandated strict minimum penalties for anyone with three violent offenses. Most legislators felt a three strikes law is purely political, and takes away all discretion from judges. Governor Rell had been pushing for a new three strikes law.

Debate on the bill continues.

Please read our main site for more on Connecticut criminal offenses.

Breathalyzers for Private Use

2008-03-31T15:59:00.002-04:00

In the news recently are proposed Connecticut laws encouraging voluntary use of breathalysers in restaurants and bars, and new uses for breathalysers in schools.

The bars proposal would be voluntary for patrons to test themselves, under the condition that the evidence is not used against them. The incentive for establishments that serve alcohol would be reduced liability from $250k to $100k in the event of an alcohol related accident and DUI charge. The Connecticut Legislative Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on the matter.

In schools, breathalysers have been an increasingly common tool around prom season for admission to dances and other school events in Darien, Simsbury, Southington, and Clinton. In addition, some schools have these devices on hand for use anytime the school suspects a student of alcohol use.

Since all breath test devices have certain flaws and biases, it would be unfair to use these machines as an ultimate arbiter of alcohol consumption with no allowable defense. Known flaws in these machines that can show false positives include stomach and medical conditions, use of mouthwash or consuming certain foods, and other factors.

These machines must be reliably maintained, tested, and calibrated, and operated by a person trained to use them under the right conditions and circumstances to be certain that they are operating as designed.

It seems perfectly reasonable to encourage people to use these devices in bars to test themselves for informational purposes, with no legal risks. This usage may well reduced drunk driving among people who may not have suspected that they are impaired.

However a school situation where there is no appeal, and failure can result in serious consequences to the students is not an appropriate or fair use. No magical number that can't be contested or appealed should decide someone's future, whether in court or on school.

Please contact us for a legal case evaluation on any drunk driving or criminal charge in Connecticut.

Proposed Three Strikes Laws in CT

2008-03-18T11:13:00.002-04:00

There are three separate proposed laws in the Connecticut legislature that would enact a "so-called" three strikes law. The bills, working their way through the Connecticut lawmaking progress, would require a person convicted of 3 separate violent felonies to be sentenced to life in prison. It would make Connecticut's criminal laws among the toughest and most restrictive in the nation.

Critics among the Democratically controlled legislature suggest that such a law would tie the hands of judges to exercise discretion in complicated legal cases, and would do little to enhance public safely.

More Details on New Proposed Connecticut DUI Laws

2008-03-14T08:36:00.002-04:00

According to this editorial, new drunk driving law proposals include:

Mandatory 1 year license suspensions and substance abuse training programs for anyone 16 or 17 years old who is arrested (not even convicted?) of drunk driving.
Additional unspecified tightening of "loopholes" in per se administrative procedures regarding license suspension by the Connecticut DMV. This vague statement likely has to do with stricter immediate license suspensions after being arrested on a DUI charge, perhaps both in the case of breath test refusal or failure.
Required ignition interlock devices (aka a rolling breathalyzer in your car) for as a condition of license reinstatement for a 1st offense DUI conviction, but not until six months into the suspension. If you are convicted of a DUI charge, you can't drive for the first 6 months of a license suspension, then you must have an ignition interlock device in your vehicle for a year after that.

These proposes changes to CT laws and DMV procedures are still in the early stages, and could change substantially if they are enacted.

Proposed reforms to Connecticut Criminal Justice procedures

2008-03-13T13:57:00.003-04:00

Connecticut lawmakers, and Governor Jodi Rell have proposed changes to how criminal justice is administered in the state.

Among the reforms proposed are:

Improved Criminal Lineup and Identification Procedures. Witnesses should be provided with improved lineup arrays, where the officers administering the lineup do not know who is the real accused defendant. This technique has been used in other states, and eliminates biases where the officer may intentionally or unconsciously suggest who the suspect is.
Expanding Connecticut's DNA database. The addition of DNA samples of those arrested for criminal charges, but not convicted, would significantly increase the samples available for future matches.

Connecticut lawmakers move to toughen DWI laws

2008-02-20T09:54:00.004-05:00

There are new proposals in the Connecticut legislature to toughen DWI laws, including requiring interlock devices after a first offense drunk driving conviction, tougher open container laws, and making it easier for the DMV to suspend your driver's license. News here and here.

All Connecticut Criminal Convictions Online for Public Search!

2008-02-15T09:09:00.005-05:00

All criminal and traffic convictions in Connecticut are now posted online for free and easy access.

Criminal records have always been public records, but in the past it's been something of a bureaucratic challenge for most people to dig them up. But know we are entering an era where this kind of information is quickly and instantly available.

It is now easy to imagine a day in the very near future when a Google search will instantly show your criminal conviction for anyone doing a search on your name.

A criminal conviction in Connecticut will not just follow you around for the rest of your life, but can brand you for all to see.

Now more than ever, you need an experienced criminal defense lawyer to defend you in court. You will want an attorney who will do everything possible to try to avoid a "life sentence" to your online existence.

Now is the only time you can do anything about it. Once you plead guilty, it is too late.

Police License Plate Scanning Technology

2007-12-13T20:26:00.001-05:00

Police are increasingly using automatic license plate scanning technology to run checks on every car they see. In this article, New Haven has been using it to locate stolen cars and those who owe back taxes.

But this technology is readily adaptable for any kind of database search or background check. A police cruiser equipped with the ability to scan 500 license plates an hour can instantly identify people with suspended licenses, outstanding warrants for failure to appear, and any number of applications.

Holiday DUI Crackdown?

2007-12-06T17:55:00.000-05:00

Article suggests stronger DWI enforcement over the holidays, and greater cooperation on DUI arrests between Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

Alcohol Monitoring SCRAM bracelets coming to CT?

2007-07-25T22:40:00.000-04:00

There is a feature on SCRAM bracelets in today's Hartford Courant. Scram stands for Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor. These bracelets detect alcohol levels in a person's body. They are becoming popular in many states as a substitute for jail time, or a condition of probation for alcohol or drug abuse related charges. Thus far, they are not ordered by Connecticut courts.