Westport Disorderly Conduct Lawyer
An arrest in Westport Connecticut for disorderly conduct is a misdemeanor. Receiving a summons or getting arrested for disorderly conduct in Westport Connecticut under CGS 53a-182 can tie you up in Norwalk Superior Court for months, and linger on your record for years, if not handled properly. A Westport disorderly conduct lawyer can help.
Almost all Westport Connecticut arrests will find their way onto the internet, published on online news websites such as the Westport Patch, Westport Minuteman, and Connecticut Post, causing irreparable damage to your reputation in town and during employment background checks.
A Westport domestic violence attorney can help keep people from overly broad restraining orders, onerous conditions of release and unnecessary court intervention. Consult with a legal team that has experience in not only fighting these charges, but also taking on Connecticut DCF investigations and scrubbing the internet of your arrest reports and mug shots.
What Should You Expect At Your First Court Date For Disorderly Conduct?
A first court date for a disorderly conduct charge can include a number of court interviews, procedures and hearings capped off with a hurried restraining / protective order hearing that can have you removed from your home and ordered not to have any contact with your spouse, significant other, children or other family members.
Immediately following your arrest the police will order you to appear on the very next business morning in Norwalk Superior Court, located at 17 Belden Avenue, Norwalk Connecticut.
Levels of Criminal Protective / Restraining Orders
You will be required to appear for a restraining / protective order hearing at Norwalk Superior Court on the very next business morning.
There are three kinds of protective or restraining orders issued at a domestic violence arrest arraignment:
(1) a “Full No Contact” order, the most restrictive order barring any kind of physical, verbal or electronic contact, and ordering you out of the protected person’s home;
(2) a “Full / Residential Stay Away” order, allowing you contact but not allowing you to enter the protected person’s home; and
(3) a “Partial / Limited” protective order, the most preferable Connecticut domestic violence protective order, allowing contact and visitation, but not allowing threats or violence against the protected person.
Any violation of a restraining order can get you arrested with a five-year Class D felony. A Westport disorderly conduct attorney can help fight these charges.
What Is Involved During DCF Investigations?
If you are arrested while your kids are in the house or in the vicinity of the dispute, you will also be the target of a Connecticut Department of Children & Families (“DCF”) investigation. The DCF investigation will usually involve an investigator showing up at your house unannounced. They will want you to sign release paperwork for your kids’ schools and health providers. DCF investigators will also pressure you to sign a DCF “service agreement” or “safety plan” which results in you giving up many of your constitutional due process rights.
Do not sign anything until you’ve consulted with a Westport disorderly conduct attorney who can properly advise you of your rights and your options. Do not agree to be interviewed by DCF. Do not let them into your home. Politely advise them that you will contact them later that day after you’ve had a chance to speak with a lawyer. Everything you tell an investigator is “on the record” and can be shared with the Police Department and prosecutors.
Contact a Westport Disorderly Conduct Attorney Today
If you have been arrested or given a summons for disturbing the peace, disrupting lawful assembly, fighting, or making unreasonable noise, call our Westport disorderly conduct lawyers. We are available and ready to help protect your rights.