It seems like all eyes are on our nation’s police forces lately for accusations of police brutality. Tensions toward police departments in this country are at an all-time high, while nationwide protests and demonstrations, coupled with federal and state civil rights and police brutality prosecutions, are commonplace in many of America’s major cities. And as the best Greenwich and Stamford Connecticut criminal defense lawyers and attorneys are noticing, these tensions are evident here in Connecticut, sometimes resulting in baseless Connecticut arrests for Interference with Police / Resisting Arrest in Stamford, Greenwich, Norwalk and other Connecticut cities. The top Stamford Connecticut criminal lawyers and attorneys are frequently getting calls from many of you who are arrested in Stamford, Norwalk, Fairfield and Greenwich Connecticut for Interfering with Police Officer / Resisting Arrest under 53a-167a for the most harmless conduct—like politely asking officers for their names or badge numbers, asking them to not be so aggressive because of an injury or medical condition, sticking up for a friend or family member, or invoking for your constitutional right to call a top Connecticut criminal lawyer. Can this conduct really get you arrested in Connecticut Interfering with Police / Resisting Arrest? You bet.
The best Stamford and Danbury Greenwich Connecticut lawyers who fight 53a-167a Interfering with Police Officer arrests have seen it all. And just like their clients, they’ve had enough. So if you have been wrongfully arrested in Connecticut for Interfering with Police / Resisting Arrest under 53a-167a, keep reading to learn how to stop this runaway train of gratuitous arrests in Connecticut for Interference with Police.
Validation and the restoration of your reputation starts here…
As many of Connecticut’s best criminal lawyers and attorneys understand, police can sometimes get away with bogus Interference with Police Arrests in Connecticut easily because the Connecticut criminal statute is so broadly and vaguely written. The statute is codified in CGS 53a-167a and states that you can be arrested in Connecticut for Interference with Police if you “obstruct, resist, hinder, or endanger” any police officer or firefighter in the performance of their official duties. Clearly the words “obstruct” and “hinder” open the door for a laundry list of subjective scenarios where a Connecticut police officer can claim to reasonably feel that you are preventing them for doing their job. Ask any top Stamford, Danbury or New Canaan Connecticut criminal lawyer—they have seen even the most harmless conduct get their clients arrested in Connecticut for Interference with Police, including: asking officers for their names and badge numbers, asking officers if a phone call can be made to a spouse or parent, asking officers if they can loosen their handcuffs because their circulation is being cut off, or cursing during a heated argument. Thankfully, more and more Connecticut police cruisers are equipped with digital surveillance recording technology so a judge and jury can finally see and hear firsthand just how ridiculous some of these Interference arrests can be. Videotapes don’t lie. People do.
What makes matters worse, not only is a Connecticut arrest for Interference with a Police Officer usually a subjective determination made by the on-scene officer, but Connecticut lawmakers have also classified Connecticut arrests for Interference with an Officer / Resisting Arrest in the highest category of misdemeanor crimes in Connecticut. As a Class A misdemeanor, an arrest in Stamford, Greenwich, Darien or anywhere in Connecticut for Interfering with a Police Officer / Resisting Arrest under 53a-167a exposes you to 1 year in prison, a $2000 fine, and probation. So if you are arrested in Darien, Wilton, Fairfield or Greenwich Connecticut for Interfering with a Police Officer under 53a-167a, it is definitely a good idea to contact a top Connecticut criminal lawyer prior to your first court date. Feel free to follow this link for a much more in-depth discussion of Connecticut Resisting Arrest / Interfering with Police Arrests and how to get these Interference with Police arrests dismissed as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.
In many Interfering with Police Officer / Resisting Arrest arrests in Connecticut, a credibility issue between you and the arresting officer is immediately at play. Your top Stamford and Greenwich Connecticut criminal lawyer will know exactly how to go after this officer through availing themselves of numerous discovery devices and defense strategies. Top Connecticut criminal lawyers know how to file motions with the court to preserve all 911 recordings, dispatch recordings, video and audio surveillance evidence taken by police cruisers, and all webcam recordings of all buildings, bars and restaurants near the crime scene. They can also ask the judge to compel state prosecutors to turn over all evidence, photos, and disciplinary records and brutality complaints made against the arresting officer. Have they been disciplined in the past for aggressive tactics? Have they been admonished for dishonesty in the performance of their duties? Police brutality? Has a copy of their personnel file been turned over to your lawyer? Were photos taken of your wrists, or any marks and bruises inflicted upon you by the arresting officer? If not, why not?
If you don’t ask for it, you won’t get it, so make sure your top Westport and Fairfield Connecticut criminal lawyer and attorney goes after these records, even if it will cause a bit of friction with state prosecutors. Remember, this is an adversarial system, and criminal court judges will not hold it against you or your top Connecticut criminal lawyer for exercising your legal rights and remedies under federal and state due process and discovery laws.
Finally, the best New Canaan, Darien and Greenwich Connecticut criminal lawyers will sometimes see additional charges gratuitously tacked on to a Connecticut Interference with Police arrest. Connecticut arrests for Disorderly Conduct under CGS 53a-182, Breach of Peace in the Second Degree under CGS 53a-181, and felony arrests in Connecticut for Assault on a Police Officer under CGS 53a-167c are typically piled on to a Stamford or Greenwich Connecticut Interfering with Police arrest. Any kind of commotion or inadvertent contact with a police officer can get you arrested in Connecticut for any of these crimes. The one to watch out for in particular is a Connecticut arrest for Assault on a Police Officer under 53a-167c. You can be arrested in Stamford, Greenwich, Darien or New Canaan Connecticut for Assault on a Police Officer if you are accused of intentionally causing “physical injury” to a police officer while they are performing his or her duties. Here’s the kicker however: Connecticut law defines “physical injury” as mere physical “pain” to a police officer, another broad and 100% subjective determination made by the arresting police officer. As a result, your top New Canaan and Darien Connecticut criminal lawyer attorney needs to aggressively challenge the credibility of arresting police officers in Connecticut Interference with Police and Assault on Police Officer arrests. You simply cannot afford to let Connecticut police trample your reputation and livelihood with trumped up interference and assault charges.
So if you have been unfairly arrested in Stamford, Darien, New Canaan, Greenwich or anywhere in Connecticut for Interfering with an Officer / Resisting Arrest under 53a-167a, contact one of the experienced Connecticut criminal lawyers and attorneys at Mark Sherman Law today. Our sole goal is results—fighting your Connecticut Interfering with Police Officer arrest and getting it dismissed as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. Call us today at (203) 358-4700.
