With nearly 2500 students and a robust social scene that includes fraternity and sorority parties (18% of students participate in Greek life), it’s no surprise that Trinity College is cracking down on student drinking and marijuana use, as well as aggressively investigating rape and sexual misconduct allegations through Trinity College disciplinary and Title IX rules and regulations when required.
So if you or your child has been arrested at Trinity College, it’s critical that you consult with a top Trinity or Hartford Connecticut criminal lawyer attorney who has experience in fighting both the arrest in Hartford criminal court, as well as the Trinity College school disciplinary proceedings which will inevitably ensue as a result of the arrest.
Any of the best Hartford Connecticut criminal lawyers and attorneys know that a Trinity College campus or off-campus arrest will report the criminal division at Hartford Superior Court, located at 101 Lafayette Street in Hartford. This is real deal criminal court—not a university tribunal which will give you or your son / daughter a mere slap on the wrist. This means that if you or your child tries to go it alone to Hartford court and pleads guilty, it will be on their record forever, showing up on any and every employment background check during their adult lives.
So if you’ve been arrested at Trinity College for Assault, Marijuana Possession, Breach of Peace, Providing Alcohol to Minors, or Interference with Police, it’s critical that you get prepared for your first court date in Hartford Criminal Court, understand all of your available defense strategies, and not plead guilty at the first court date.
Many top Trinity College Hartford criminal law firms routinely hear from Trinity College student clients who received a Possession of Marijuana ticket, mailed it in guilty / nolo contendre because they didn’t want to tell their parents, and then later find out that their Connecticut driver’s license and privileges have been suspended. Additionally, they now have a marijuana possession conviction on their record for a minimum of 7 years.
Here’s a secret for any Connecticut college student who has mistakenly pled guilty by mail to a Connecticut marijuana possession ticket: under certain circumstances, you can actually reverse your marijuana guilty plea by mail and get your ticket ripped up. For more info on how to fight or reverse a Connecticut marijuana possession or paraphernalia ticket guilty plea, follow this link.
It’s important not to panic, and in many cases, it’s critical to get your parents involved if you’ve been arrested at Trinity College. While you may think you can handle a Trinity College arrest alone, it’s sometimes a wise idea to discuss your criminal case options with the people you trust most. You don’t want a divorce lawyer or personal injury lawyer who just dabbles in criminal law to be fighting for you to have a clean record. In fact, some of the most common Trinity arrests such as Possession of a Fake ID (also known as Forgery in the Second Degree at Trinity College), Assault Second Degree, and Providing Alcohol to Minors under CGS 30-86, are actually considered felony arrests in Hartford Superior Court. So make sure your top Trinity College criminal attorney lawyer carefully scrutinizes your police reports and witness statements, as well as immediately files motions to preserve digital or social media evidence that may help your case. All of these efforts can help get your Trinity College arrest dismissed quickly.
The final piece – and just as important as an arrest at Trinity College – is the Trinity College school discipline and expulsion hearing that can follow your misdemeanor or felony arrest. Before speaking with any Trinity dean or investigator, contact your parents or your top Connecticut criminal lawyer attorney, as anything you say to Trinity investigators can be used against you in your school discipline process, as well as your Hartford Superior Court criminal case.
The very first thing you need to do if you’ve been notified that Trinity school discipline proceedings have been filed against you is to carefully review the Trinity College Student Handbook. There, you will find all the rules, regulation, and rights that govern the process. The Trinity College handbook lays out the deadlines and procedures that you will need to strictly follow, and it offers resources to you to assist you, your family, advisors, or attorneys who hope to get you the best result possible for your disciplinary or expulsion matter. The more you are prepared for your hearing with evidence, witness statements and prior Trinity discipline decisions and precedent, the better chance you can have for a favorable result.
You can click here to learn more about fighting a Connecticut school discipline proceeding and how to cost-effectively fight these hearings that follow a Connecticut university or off-campus arrest.
The team of criminal lawyers at Mark Sherman Law routinely help families of students at Trinity College, Yale University, UConn and Quinnipiac simultaneously fight their criminal cases and school discipline hearings. We’ve helped students get their criminal cases dismissed, and have had school discipline decisions reversed and reduced, helping students return to their classrooms, clean up their transcripts, and save their professional futures. Read reviews from our former clients on Avvo.com, and give us a call today. We are available 24/7 to take your call at (203) 358-4700.
