Greenwich Criminal Lawyer
One of the most high profile and nationally known towns in the State is Greenwich Connecticut—home to some of the most wealthiest and successful businessmen and women, sprawling backcountry and waterfront estates, and high end shopping and restaurants. The Town’s 35-mile proximity to New York City has established it as a safe suburban haven for Manhattan commuters. The town has a population of about 62,000 residents, is located in the southeastern corner of Fairfield County, Connecticut, and borders Westchester County, New York.
Greenwich is considered the third wealthiest town in Connecticut and the 56th most expensive place to live in the United States for similarly populated towns. It also takes the title of the highest wealth value in Connecticut per person – a title based on the value of the town’s expensive real estate. Having no shortage of its own businesses, Greenwich accommodates many hedge funds and financial service companies. An abundance of upscale shopping and dining establishments line the nationally-known Greenwich Avenue to serve both the Town’s residents and its many visitors. As the best Greenwich criminal lawyers will tell you, however, the flipside to all this wealth is that it can sometimes make the area a prime and frequent target for crime and criminals.
The Many Neighborhoods of Greenwich
As much as Greenwich calls itself a “town,” residents will attest to the fact that Greenwich has many unique and distinct neighborhoods within it that gives this little “town” the feel of a dynamic and diverse city. The Town of Greenwich is divided into the 7 main neighborhoods: Byram, Cos Cob, Glenville, Old Greenwich, Pemberwick, Riverside and Greenwich Proper. Of these neighborhoods, Greenwich Proper boasts nearly 13,000 residents, Riverside: 8,416, and Glenville: 2,327 residents. In addition to these officially recognized neighborhoods, Greenwich is subdivided into a number of unofficial neighborhoods, including Backcountry Greenwich, Belle Haven, Bruce Park, Chickahominy, Fourth Ward, Greenwich Cove, Holly Hill, Mianus, Mid-Country, Milbank, Milbrook, North Street, Palmer Hill, Pine Hill, Riverbank, Riversville, Rock Ridge, Round Hill, and Stanwich. The best Greenwich criminal attorneys regularly handle arrests in Old Greenwich, Cos Cob and Riverside and these other neighborhoods, which are processed through the Greenwich Police Department and summoned to Stamford Superior Court.
The Greenwich Police Department
The Greenwich Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency which protects the town. It is made up of approximately 170 uniformed members. Within the Department are a number of specialized divisions such as the Special Victims Unit, the Domestic Violence Unit, the Property Crimes Division, the Computer Crimes Division and the general Detective Bureau. The largest division is the Uniformed Patrol Division, which consists of approximately 93 officers. The Detective Division, along with the assistance of the Uniformed Patrol Division, investigate all infractions, violations, misdemeanors and felonies that are committed in Greenwich, Connecticut. The Special Victims Unit (“SVU”) investigates crimes against juveniles, the elderly and mentally ill, and also work on a majority of the sexual assault and rape cases in Greenwich. The Greenwich Domestic Violence Arrest Unit will usually oversee and assist the hundreds of Greenwich domestic violence arrests made each year, with the primary goal of trying to reunify and rehabilitate families, rather than keep them mired in the criminal court system. Greenwich Property Crimes detectives handle Greenwich arrests for larceny, embezzlement, extortion, credit card theft, and vandalism. Finally, Computer Crimes detectives are finding themselves extremely busy investigating arrests for computer crime, cyber-bullying, swatting, spoofing, and internet harassment.
Unique to Greenwich is how vested and embedded GPD officers are in the community. In fact, many visitors have observed that in lieu of traffic lights, some of the more junior GPD officers are usually directing traffic at the main intersections of Greenwich Avenue, the town’s signature town hub, lined with exclusive high-end shops and restaurants. It is not only a signature service of the GPD, but it is also a token gesture of good will and town pride.
Anyone arrested in Greenwich, Cos Cob, Old Greenwich or Byram by the Greenwich Police Department will be booked and processed at GPD Headquarters in downtown Greenwich, and then issued a summons to appear in Stamford Superior Court, 123 Hoyt Street, Stamford, Connecticut. As with any Connecticut arrest, if you are arrested in Greenwich Connecticut for a domestic violence crime, DWI / DUI, Disorderly Conduct or any other crime, it would be a good idea to call a top Greenwich Connecticut criminal attorney right away for a consultation.
Greenwich – A “Top 100 Safe City in America”
In 2014, “Neighborhood Scout” ranked Greenwich, Connecticut #4 on its list of America’s 100 Top Safest Cities. The low crime rate can be attributed to the Greenwich Police Department’s many initiatives and programs such as the community policing initiative and the Lethality Assessment program, both designed to prevent and deter crime. Thus, If you find yourself arrested in Greenwich Connecticut, whether it is for a misdemeanor or a felony, you will be up against a Greenwich police force that routinely works alongside Stamford Superior Court prosecutors to protect Town of Greenwich residents and visitors. This is why it is important to hire a top Greenwich Criminal attorney to assist you through the entire criminal court process.
The Greenwich Beaches
Greenwich is home to the following four beaches that attract visitors from neighboring cities and towns: Greenwich Point (also known as Tod’s Point), Byram Beach, Island Beach and Great Captain Island, which showcases a frequently visited 19th century lighthouse. The Town of Greenwich also offers ferry service to some of these beaches, which are regularly available between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Residents with beach passes can enjoy the beaches and ferry service free of charge. Non-residents must pay for day visiting and parking passes. If you are arrested at any of the four Greenwich Connecticut breaches, then you should contact a top Greenwich Connecticut criminal lawyer who can accompany you to Stamford Superior Court.
Larceny, Theft & Property Crimes in Greenwich Connecticut
With all the personal wealth and multimillion dollar mansions in Greenwich, the town’s vulnerability to property crimes, larceny, theft, embezzlement and high profile jewelry heists has been tested in recent years. Plus, the easy access from downtown Greenwich to Interstate 95 (I-95) has made downtown Greenwich an attractive target for thieves planning quick getaways across state lines. The investigation of property crimes rely heavily on video surveillance evidence and appraisals of property, all of which can be challenged by any of the best Greenwich criminal attorneys.
Greenwich Connecticut Juvenile Arrests – Public & Private High Schools
While Greenwich High School is the only public high school in the Town of Greenwich, there are a number of private middle and high schools in Greenwich, including the Brunswick School, Greenwich Academy, Greenwich Country Day School, and Convent of the Sacred Heart. While the private schools employ their own in-house security officers, Greenwich High is assisted by the Greenwich Police Department. A member of the Greenwich Police Department, called an “SRO” or the School Resource Officer, supervises Greenwich High School and its Community Learning Program. Initiated in 2007, the Greenwich SRO program’s primary objective is to ensure safety in Greenwich’s public high school system. The SRO’s role has since evolved to include responsibilities that incorporate those qualities of a counselor, mentor, social worker and teacher. The SRO builds positive relationships with the students in an effort to prevent issues that would otherwise come under the purview of the courts.
If a high school or middle school student is arrested in Greenwich, then the police will either detain them, or issue them and their parents a summons for juvenile or adult court. If a Greenwich High School student is arrested, then the student will be referred to Stamford Juvenile Court if they are 17 years old or younger, or will be summoned to Stamford Superior Court – adult division – if they are 18 or older. Under Connecticut law, additional consequences for a student’s arrest may include suspension and expulsion from a Greenwich public or private school. The same applies to arrests occurring off school grounds as well. So if you arrested at any Greenwich private or public high school, you should contact a top Greenwich juvenile criminal lawyer to make sure you fully understand your juvenile law rights and can properly fight your criminal arrest charges, as well as any resulting Greenwich suspension or expulsion proceedings. A top Greenwich school discipline attorney can make the difference between having a permanent school disciplinary record and a clean one.
Greenwich Arrests Referred to Stamford Superior Court
The Stamford Superior Court is located at 123 Hoyt Street in Stamford. It is situated directly adjacent to the Stamford Police Station. The Stamford courthouse seats the civil court, family and divorce courts, criminal courts, juvenile arrest court, motor vehicle and traffic court, small claims court, complex litigation court and child support enforcement court. Housing and landlord-tenant court for Greenwich landlord-tenant matters is actually located in Norwalk Superior Court, 17 Belden Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut. If you are arrested for a misdemeanor or felony charges in Stamford, Darien or Greenwich, then you will be required to appear in Stamford Superior Court to answer and fight your charges.
Greenwich Domestic Violence Arrests
The Town of Greenwich has one of Connecticut’s lowest domestic violence arrest rates; however, domestic violence continues to be Greenwich’s second most investigated crime. The Greenwich Police Department takes domestic violence offenses seriously. So much so that in 2012, the Greenwich Police Department became 1 of the initial 11 Connecticut police forces to implement the Lethality Assessment Program. The Program was created to assess whether domestic violence victims are facing a deadly threat in their respective homes. The protocol, as adopted by the Greenwich PD, begins when an officer arrives to the scene of a domestic dispute. No matter how minor the dispute, the Officer presents a series of carefully calculated questions to a suspected domestic violence victim in order to determine whether there is a serious safety threat.
As the best Greenwich domestic violence criminal lawyers advise, all domestic violence arrests in Greenwich for Disorderly Conduct, Risk of Injury, Violation of a Protective / Restraining Order or other DV criminal charges, require that you report to court on the next business morning in Stamford Superior Court for your domestic violence arraignment and restraining order hearing. If you are arrested for a Greenwich domestic violence crime, then you will usually be issued 1 of 3 types of protective / restraining orders at your first court date: (1) a “partial” or “limited” protective order which forbids you from threatening, assaulting or harassing the alleged victim, (2) a “full” or “residential stay-away” order which includes the partial order restrictions and also forbids you from entering the home of the protected person, or (3) the most restrictive and onerous “full no contact” protective order, forbidding any contact of any kind whatsoever (verbal, email, text, Facebook, etc.) with the alleged victim. Obviously being ordered out of your home can be extremely disruptive and expensive, so the best Connecticut domestic violence lawyers will usually advise you to come to your first Greenwich domestic violence arrest court date with a top Greenwich criminal lawyer by your side. After the restraining order hearing takes place, your Greenwich domestic violence case is then transferred to the Stamford Superior Court’s domestic violence docket and usually involves a collaboration of Stamford domestic violence prosecutors, family relations officers, and domestic violence victim advocates, who work together to decide how to appropriately prosecute your case. Your Greenwich criminal lawyer will work aggressively to advocate on your behalf to get you the best result possible.
Greenwich Domestic Violence Victims
Some of the best Greenwich criminal lawyers also represent victims of domestic violence in Greenwich. Victims of Greenwich domestic violence cases are also provided free victim counseling and free victim advocate services in Stamford domestic violence court through the Greenwich YWCA. For more information on how the Greenwich YWCA domestic violence center can help you, contact their confidential 24/7 hotline at (203) 622-0003.
Greenwich Civil Restraining Order Applications
In addition to calling the Greenwich police, Greenwich domestic violence victims can also apply for civil restraining orders for court-ordered protection from family members and significant others who are abusing, threatening, harassing or stalking them. Interested victims must submit an application for a civil restraining order to the Stamford Superior Court – Family Division, for consideration. Anyone either applying for, or fighting, a civil restraining order application in Greenwich will usually have to appear in civil restraining order court in Stamford Superior Court – Family Division for their hearing. There, a family court judge determines whether issuing a civil restraining order is necessary to protect the safety of the applicant. If a marshal serves you with a notice of a civil restraining order hearing, then you must appear in Stamford Superior Court to challenge the application, or else the judge may grant it without your attendance and it will remain in effect for one year. If you are interested in applying for or fighting a civil restraining order application in Greenwich or Stamford, contact a top Greenwich restraining order lawyer today.
Fighting Greenwich Speeding Tickets & Greenwich Cell Phone Tickets
Although CGS 14-219 / 14-218a speeding tickets can be a headache for many, Greenwich police are also writing hundreds of 14-296aa cell phone tickets for distracted driving each year. Distracted driving refers to any number of incidents where a driver engages in conduct that distracts them from driving, such as talking with a handhold device, texting while driving, or reading your Google maps on your cell phone while driving. For the past 10 years, the Greenwich Police Department has employed the use of an initiative called the Selective Traffic Enforcement Initiative (S.T.E.P.). The STEP Program targets the specific areas of Greenwich that are most affected by traffic collisions. In 2010, it was reported that Greenwich police officers spend more than a third of each year concentrating on CGS 14-296aa cell phone violations.
Individuals who are issued cell phone tickets and speeding tickets in Greenwich can either plead guilty by mail or plead not guilty by mail and appear at Stamford Superior Court traffic court which is usually held three days a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays). Hiring a top Greenwich speeding ticket lawyer to appear at Stamford Superior Court traffic court on your behalf may save you points on your driving record, and may prevent your auto insurance from skyrocketing. Even better, with many Greenwich speeding tickets, you do not need to appear in court for your infraction ticket and you can let your top Greenwich speeding ticket lawyer handle your case from start to finish. Be sure to double-check with your Greenwich speeding and cell phone ticket lawyer to see if you need to attend your court appearance.
Call a Greenwich Criminal Attorney Today
The Law Offices of Mark Sherman are located at 29 Fifth Street Stamford, CT 06905, just minutes away from the Stamford Superior Court courthouse where crimes and arrests are adjudicated. If you are arrested for Disorderly Conduct, Domestic Violence, Risk of Injury, DUI / DWI or any other crime, and are looking for a Greenwich criminal lawyer, then call today.