New Canaan Resisting Arrest Lawyer
As the best New Canaan Connecticut criminal lawyers and attorneys know all too well, confrontations with New Canaan Connecticut police officers can be challenging, especially when you are dealing with agitated New Canaan police officers who are called into a situation where emotions are running high and the intensity of a crime scene is quickly escalating. Top New Canaan Connecticut criminal attorneys agree—police officers are often called into situations that involve people who are drunk, high, fighting, mentally ill, or under some other form of mental or physical distress. In these scenarios, they usually are unaware of the dangers they are dealing with so they need to proceed guardedly and safely to ensure that no one gets hurt. And if a New Canaan Connecticut police officer feels like you are preventing them from doing their job or interfering with them, you can get arrested in New Canaan Connecticut for Interference with an Officer / Resisting Arrest under CGS § 53a-167a.
Problems with an Interference with Officer Arrest in New Canaan Connecticut
Perhaps what’s most irritating to the best New Canaan Connecticut criminal law firms who fight Interference with an Officer arrests is that it’s too easy for New Canaan Connecticut police to arrest you for Interfering / Resisting Arrest. In fact, some of the best New Canaan Connecticut criminal lawyers and attorneys will tell you that this statute is so broad that it often leads to people being arrested for legally, First Amendment protected speech (such as asking for an officer’s badge number, or asking an officer why you are being detained by New Canaan police). So if you are currently facing an arrest in New Canaan for Interference with an Officer / Resisting Arrest charges, then you should contact a top New Canaan criminal defense lawyer attorney to understand your rights, craft the most effective defense, and find out how you can get your 53a-167a Interference arrest charges dismissed as quickly and affordably as possible.
What is Interfering with a Police Officer/Resisting Arrest?
Many of the best criminal lawyers in New Canaan or Norwalk Connecticut have been frustrated by the sweeping legal definition of Interference with a Police Officer under the Connecticut General Statutes. As defined, the type of conduct that can lead to an arrest for Interfering with a Police Officer/Resisting Arrest under CGS § 53a-167a can be anything that New Canaan police officers view as obstructing, hindering, resisting, or endangering a police officer, peace officer, or firefighter in the performance of their duties. “Resisting” is legally defined in Connecticut as fighting, arguing, or refusing to cooperate with any police officer. “Hindering” and “obstructing” are similar in definition and are defined as preventing or impeding. “Endangering” means exposing a New Canaan police officer to some type of risk of physical injury or harm. Together, these terms prohibit conduct such as swearing, gesturing, yelling, being disrespectful, or ignoring a New Canaan police officer. One final point to consider, especially when considering First Amendment free speech defenses (discussed in Part 2 of this article), is that physical force is not necessary needed to be arrested in New Canaan Connecticut for Interfering with a Police Officer / Resisting Arrest under CGS § 53a-167a.
What Are The Penalties for New Canaan Connecticut Arrests for Interfering with a Police Officer?
New Canaan does not have a criminal courthouse—so your New Canaan Connecticut arrest for Interfering with a Police Officer / Resisting Arrest under CGS § 53a-167a must report to Norwalk Superior Court, located at 17 Belden Avenue in downtown Norwalk. A Resisting Arrest / Interference with Officer arrest in New Canaan is a Class A misdemeanor, the most serious misdemeanor category under Connecticut criminal law. This means that if you’re found guilty, then you can be punished with up to 1 year in jail, 3 years of probation, and a maximum $2000 fine. Prior to appearing in Norwalk Superior Court for your Interfering with a Police Officer arrest, you should contact a top New Canaan or Stamford Connecticut criminal defense attorney to figure out how you can avoid pleading guilty to this misdemeanor crime. A guilty plea, also called a conviction, to a Connecticut Interfering with a Police Officer arrest will show up on every background check for the rest of your life. So don’t take the bait if the Norwalk prosecutor offers you just a $50 fine for a guilty plea. The permanence of your guilty plea on your record can decimate your professional and personal reputations.
As the best New Canaan Connecticut criminal lawyers and attorneys know all too well, confrontations with New Canaan Connecticut police officers can be challenging, especially when you are dealing with agitated New Canaan police officers who are called into a situation where emotions are running high and the intensity of a crime scene is quickly escalating. Top New Canaan Connecticut criminal attorneys agree—police officers are often called into situations that involve people who are drunk, high, fighting, mentally ill, or under some other form of mental or physical distress. In these scenarios, they usually are unaware of the dangers they are dealing with so they need to proceed guardedly and safely to ensure that no one gets hurt. And if a New Canaan Connecticut police officer feels like you are preventing them from doing their job or interfering with them, you can get arrested in New Canaan Connecticut for Interference with an Officer / Resisting Arrest under CGS § 53a-167a.
Problems with an Interference with Officer Arrest in New Canaan Connecticut
Perhaps what’s most irritating to the best New Canaan Connecticut criminal law firms who fight Interference with an Officer arrests is that it’s too easy for New Canaan Connecticut police to arrest you for Interfering / Resisting Arrest. In fact, some of the best New Canaan Connecticut criminal lawyers and attorneys will tell you that this statute is so broad that it often leads to people being arrested for legally, First Amendment protected speech (such as asking for an officer’s badge number, or asking an officer why you are being detained by New Canaan police). So if you are currently facing an arrest in New Canaan for Interference with an Officer / Resisting Arrest charges, then you should contact a top New Canaan criminal defense lawyer attorney to understand your rights, craft the most effective defense, and find out how you can get your 53a-167a Interference arrest charges dismissed as quickly and affordably as possible.