Until recently, for those of us longtime Connecticut residents, and for many of the top Connecticut criminal lawyers and attorneys, it was hard to believe that the tribal police forces patrolling Connecticut’s luxury casinos—Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods—did not have legal authority to arrest non-American Indians on their casino grounds. That is, until late 2013, when Governor Malloy backed a law that gave power to these Tribal Police departments to arrest anyone at Mohegan Sun or Foxwoods for Breach of Peace, Possession of Narcotics, or any other crime in the Connecticut books. Now, two years later, the top Norwich and New London Connecticut criminal lawyers and attorneys are seeing a rise in Mohegan Sun arrests and Foxwoods Casino arrests flowing into State Superior Courthouses.
The new law raises some jurisdictional questions that your top Connecticut criminal lawyer should have a handle on while defending you. If you are arrested at Mohegan Sun Casino, are you subject to Tribal law? Or does federal or state law apply? Will you have to appear at all in Mohegan Sun Tribal Court? All fair questions that are fleshed out below…
Each Connecticut casino is situated on their own reservation. Mohegan Sun is operated by the Mohegan Sun Tribal Police Department, consisting of 25 sworn officers who can arrest anyone on the reservation who they have probable cause to believe has committed a crime. This Department enforces both the laws of their Tribe, as well as the criminal laws of the State of Connecticut. As the best Norwich Connecticut / Mohegan Sun criminal lawyers understand, the Mohegan Sun Tribal Police will process and arrest you at the Mohegan Sun Tribal Police Department. And as with any other Connecticut police department in that jurisdiction, you will be ordered to report to Norwich Superior Court for your first court date. If your case is particularly serious (such as an arrest at Mohegan Sun casino for Sexual Assault, Possession with Intent to Sell, or First Degree Assault), then Norwich prosecutors may transfer your case to the Part A Division which is in New London, Connecticut. If you have been arrested at Mohegan Sun Casino, follow this link to read more about the specifics of a Mohegan Sun Casino arrest.
Similarly, the top Foxwoods / New London Connecticut criminal lawyers know that the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Police force that patrols the Foxwoods casino and Indian reservation is comprised of approximately 20 sworn officers who have full authority to arrest you at Foxwoods Casino for Breach of Peace, Interfering with a Police Officer, Disorderly Conduct or any other Connecticut crime. Unlike Mohegan Sun arrests, if you are arrested at Foxwoods Casino, you will be ordered to New London Superior Court. And if your Foxwoods Casino arrest is a serious felony charge, then your Foxwoods Casino arrest could be transferred to New London Superior Court’s Part A Division. If you are arrested at Foxwoods Casino, click here for more details about fighting your Foxwoods New London Connecticut arrest.
The best Norwich and Mohegan Sun criminal lawyers and attorneys frequently see arrests for Disorderly Conduct, Breach of Peace and Interference with Police Officers at Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods casinos. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why. A recipe of booze, gambling, hotel suites, and nightclubs can often get people’s adrenaline boiling to a point where the party may just get a little bit out of hand. While moderation is always encouraged at the casinos, there are times when Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods patrons may find themselves getting into physical or verbal altercations with other patrons, security guards, or the Tribal police themselves, leading to an arrest at Mohegan Sun for Disorderly Conduct, Assault or Breach of Peace. Additionally, top New London and Norwich Connecticut lawyers have seen Tribal Police tack on gratuitous charges of Interference with Police / Resisting Arrest under CGS 53a-167a, where the police themselves conveniently get to be the state’s witness against you. Connecticut criminal lawyers are on to this unfair pressure tactic—for more information on fighting a Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun arrest for Interfering with Police under 53a-167a, follow this link.
As the best Norwich and Uncasville criminal lawyers and attorneys appreciate, one critical line of defense in fighting a Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun arrest is moving the court to preserve casino surveillance recordings. These casinos use some of the best digital surveillance technologies in the country, and if Tribal Police have trumped up bogus arrests of you for Disorderly Conduct, Assault, Interference with Police or something else, then your top Connecticut criminal lawyer can subpoena the casino’s surveillance recording to help fight your case. Follow this link for more information on fighting Mohegan Sun & Foxwoods arrests for Breach of Peace in the Second Degree. And for information on fighting an arrest for Disorderly Conduct at Mohegan Sun or Norwich Connecticut, click this link.
One other subset of Connecticut crimes that casinos will sometimes attract is prostitution and drug crimes. It’s no surprise that high-rolling gamblers are prime targets of escorts and prostitutes, who will sometimes tempt these gamblers with cocaine and other narcotics to try and take advantage of them. As a result, top Norwich Connecticut criminal lawyers frequently see arrests at Mohegan Sun, Norwich and New London Connecticut for Cocaine Possession, Possession with Intent to Sell, and Patronizing Prostitution. These arrests not only carry serious jail sentences, but they also carry a stigma to your professional and personal reputations if your Mohegan Sun / Foxwoods arrest for Patronizing Prostitution or Drug and Cocaine Possession is posted all over the internet. That’s why it’s critical to get your Mohegan Sun Connecticut prostitution arrest dismissed and removed off the Internet.
Getting arrested by Tribal Police at Mohegan Sun or Foxwoods can have a ripple affect on your life. Especially if you are from out of town and were just visiting for the night or weekend. So if you were arrested at Mohegan Sun or Foxwoods, contact an experienced Connecticut criminal lawyer at Mark Sherman Law today. Our only goal is results: getting the best possible disposition for your case, as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. Contact us today to discuss your Norwich or New London Connecticut arrest by Tribal Police at the Mohegan Sun or Foxwoods Casinos. We are available 24/7 to take your call at (203) 358-4700.