New License Plate Scanners in Orange, CT

Police in Orange now have access to the latest in high tech vehicle plate scanning technology. According to this new report from the New Haven Register, the system developed by Vigilant Video automatically scans vehicle license plates, and matches them with data from from DMV records, police databases, and amber alerts.
The targets for these scans are stolen vehicles, cars with expired auto insurance or registrations, and driver's with licenses under suspension, or outstanding criminal warrants.
Are there concerns about privacy, civil liberties, and big brother here? You bet!
But it is important for everyone to know that is is happening now, regardless of whether or not you are for it, or think it is a good idea for the government to have this kind of extensive citizen tracking information at it's fingertips.
The fact is, with this technology becoming more commonplace every day, it is dangerous and foolish to expect to get away with driving on a suspended license.

Plea Deal Reached in Connecticut Drunk Driving, Hit & Run Case

Way back in January of this year, 17 year old Jessica Lee was hit while crossing the street at Boston and Central Avenues in Bridgeport. She was thrown onto the windshield of the vehicle and landed “several feet away” according to the Connecticut Post.

Following the accident, 38 year old Darren McDermott of Milford turned off his headlights and continued driving into the night. He was caught and found to have a blood alcohol level of .189. McDermott was also said to have struggled with the police when they tried to take him in to custody.

Since the accident, which left Lee with two broken legs and a concussion, McDermott has been participating in a sobriety program, something that may have helped his chances in getting the plea agreement.

McDermott plead no contest to second degree assault with a motor vehicle, driving under suspension, evading responsibility, and two counts of DUI. The prosecution is recommending he serve a three year prison sentence when he goes back before the judge on December 8th.
Plea agreements are not unusual and typically seek to satisfy both parties involved. Because McDermott was driving on a license that had been suspended for a prior DUI at the time of the accident, the odds were stacked against him.

In some cases the plea agreement states that the defendant will plead guilty while others, as in this case, allow for the defendant to plead “no contest”. No contest simply means he will not argue that the charges against him are false but won’t admit outright to committing the offenses.
It is quite common for one incident to end with multiple charges. A string of law violations isn’t that unusual and in this case the first violation (driving while intoxicated) led to the others (assault, leaving the scene).

If you are facing criminal charges and aren’t sure where to turn, contact me to discuss your case. If the situation doesn’t look good, perhaps we can work something out with the prosecution. However, whatever you choose to do with your case, as your attorney, it is my job to back you up.