Stamford Resisting Arrest Lawyer
Dealing with aggressive Stamford Police officers can be a challenge, especially under circumstances when Stamford Connecticut police are called into a situation where they are trying to de-escalate tensions or calm down individuals who are fist-fighting, intoxicated, mentally ill, or under some form of crisis. Stamford Connecticut police are frequently called into high-pressure scenarios without any warning or background information about the people with whom they will be dealing, so they must proceed cautiously, and assume the worst case scenarios so that no one gets hurt. As a result, however, Stamford Police officers may sometimes have little time and patience for people who want to question their authority, challenge their rights to detain them, demand their name, badge number, and supervisor’s name in the middle of an arrest, or who hinder, interfere or obstruct their ability to do their job.
This is when Police can arrest you for Interference with a Police Officer / Resisting Arrest under CGS 53a-167a. As you will learn in the discussion below, the Stamford resisting arrest lawyers who defend Interference with Police arrests contend that the statute is so broadly written and interpreted that ordinarily, harmless conduct can lead to a misdemeanor arrest. Additionally, the charge is classified in the most serious category of misdemeanors in the State of Connecticut, punishable by up to 1 year in jail. So if you have you have been arrested for Interference with an Officer / Resisting Arrest under CGS 53a-167a, then you should contact a top criminal lawyer in Stamford Connecticut to discuss your options in getting your Interfering / Resisting Arrest charge dismissed as quickly and affordably as possible.
Defining an Arrest for Interfering with a Police Officer
So what kind of conduct can get you arrested in Stamford Connecticut for Interference with a Police Officer under CGS 53a-167a? To the best attorneys, the definition is way too simple: any person who “obstructs, hinders, resists or endangers” a police officer, peace officer, or firefighter can get arrested in Stamford for Interfering with an Officer / Resisting Arrest. But what do these statutory terms actually mean?
Top lawyers know what these terms mean under Connecticut criminal law. “Resist” means to fight, argue or refuse to cooperate with the Stamford police officer giving you instructions. “Hinder” and “obstruct” are terms that mean basically the same thing– to prevent or impede the police officer from performing his or her job in any way whatsoever. And “endanger” means to expose the police officer somehow to risk of injury or harm. Finally, the use of any kind of force is not even necessary to get arrested in Stamford Connecticut for Interfering / Interference with an Officer under CGS 53a-167a.
Penalties & Punishments for Interfering with an Officer / Resisting Arrest
Getting arrested for Interfering with an Officer in Stamford Connecticut or anywhere else in Connecticut is a Class A Misdemeanor. This means that if you plead guilty or are found guilty at trial for your Stamford arrest for Resisting Arrest / Interfering with an Officer arrest, then you can be sentenced in Stamford Superior Court to up to 1 year in prison, be placed on probation for up to 3 years, and be ordered to pay a $2000 fine. Prior to pleading guilty or going to trial, however, you should be talking to your top defense lawyer attorney to craft the best defense strategy to AVOID pleading guilty to your Stamford arrest for Interfering with Police / Resisting Arrest. A guilty plea will result in a permanent criminal record which will show up on every employment and insurance background check for the rest of your life. The best Stamford Connecticut criminal lawyers will know the nuances of Connecticut criminal law which may allow you to avoid having to plead guilty, even if you actually committed the conduct for which you were arrested. So get in touch with a top Stamford Connecticut criminal law firm to understand all of your options before pleading guilty to anything.
Fighting Your Stamford Arrest for Interfering with an Officer / Resisting Arrest
If you have been arrested in Stamford Connecticut for Resisting Arrest / Interfering with an Officer, then you should contact a top Stamford Connecticut criminal lawyer attorney to learn how you can possibly fight these charges to an outright dismissal and expungement. The best criminal law firms in Stamford Connecticut know that the first thing that should be considered is whether you need to file motions with the Stamford Superior Court to preserve electronic and digital evidence, such as Stamford police cruiser dashboard cams, police vest body cams, 911 calls, and recordings, and police dispatch internal audio communications. Some of these materials are over-written after 30 or 60 days. So if you do not act quickly, then critical evidence may not be available to be reviewed or preserved. Additionally, your top Stamford Connecticut criminal lawyer attorney should be immediately scrutinizing police reports, witness statements, digital evidence, and police conduct training manuals to determine whether it was actually the Stamford police officer who was out of order and violating the law, rather than you.
You see, police who negligently or intentionally commit police brutality or violate your civil rights will often try to cover up their misconduct by slapping you with gratuitous arrests for Interference with an Officer or Assault on a Police Officer. But experienced and top Stamford Connecticut police brutality lawyers and attorneys are neither fooled nor intimidated by trumped-up charges like these when police brutality may have been committed against you in Stamford Connecticut. These lawyers will investigate your case thoroughly, provide you with an honest assessment of your case, and advise you accordingly. Finally, in cases where you may have in fact acted out of line, but want to avoid having a criminal record, your attorney can explain the option of rejecting the prosecutor’s lousy plea bargain offer, going over the prosecutor’s head, and going directly to the judge by applying for a court diversionary program such as the Accelerated Rehabilitation Program. If you are lucky enough to be granted this program, then your top Stamford Connecticut criminal lawyer attorney can assist you in getting your case completely erased and expunged, so long as you stay out of trouble for a specified period of time, and satisfy any other court-ordered conditions the judge may impose. Click here for more on fighting your Stamford Connecticut arrest for 53a-167a Interference with a Police Officer / Resisting Arrest.
Removing Your Stamford Connecticut Online Arrest Report from the Internet
Many of the best Stamford Connecticut criminal law firms often get this question from their clients: How can I get my Stamford arrest for Interfering with an Officer removed off the internet. There’s hope, as some of the best Stamford Connecticut criminal lawyers have developed “internet scrubbing” practices, which not only help their clients get their Stamford arrests dismissed and expunged, but also get online reports of your Stamford Connecticut arrest off the internet quickly, particularly Stamford online news publications like the Patch, the Stamford Advocate, and the Stamford Daily Voice. Some of the best Stamford Connecticut expungement and internet scrubbing lawyers have been making progress in this relatively new area of law, pressuring online news outlets with libel and defamation lawsuits that eventually lead to the removal of your Stamford Connecticut online arrest report, or at the very least, some form of compromise.
Police Piggybacking? Avoiding a Stamford Arrest for Felony Assault on a Police Officer
One last concern of top Stamford Connecticut criminal lawyers who defend Interference with Police Officer charges are when police officers tack on felony Assault on Police Officer charges per CGS 53a-167c to what should be just a breach of peace arrest in Stamford Connecticut. As the best Connecticut criminal lawyers know, the charge is serious: an arrest for Assault on a Police Officer in Stamford Connecticut is a Class C Felony, exposing you to up to 10 years in prison, probation and a maximum $10,000 fine. A Stamford Connecticut arrest for Assault of a Police Officer per 53a-167c simply requires the police to believe you intentionally caused a Stamford police officer physical injury. Doesn’t require much here, does it? And you can bet that if the Stamford Police believe you have committed this crime, they will lay out a factual narrative that they believe constitutes enough probable cause to arrest you in Stamford for 53a-167c Assault of a Police Officer, even if you and your top Stamford Connecticut criminal law firm believe your were over-charged. So make sure your top Stamford criminal law firm looks closely at the police reports, medical records and surveillance videos available to you before discussing any kind of disposition with Stamford Superior Court prosecutors. And you can always follow this link to learn more about fighting a Stamford Connecticut arrest for Assault on a Police Officer.
Contact a Mark Sherman Law Attorney Today for Your Stamford Interfering with a Police Officer Arrest
Connecticut defense lawyers would argue that a high number of Stamford Connecticut arrests for Interfering with Police Officer / Resisting Arrest under CGS 53a-167a are unjustified and overblown. These Stamford arrests can sometimes be the result of kneejerk reactions by stressed-out Stamford Police officers who are just trying to do crowd control and don’t have the time under stressful circumstances to calm you down or answer your questions. They don’t. however, always appreciate just how devastating an Interfering with an Officer arrest can be to your personal and professional reputations, even if the court decides to dismiss your Stamford Interfering / Resisting Arrest charge later on. So contact an experienced Stamford Connecticut criminal lawyer attorney at Mark Sherman Law today to start unraveling your Stamford Connecticut arrest for Interfering / Resisting Arrest. We are available 24/7 to take your call.