Office of Family Relations in Wilton Disorderly Conduct Cases

The office of family relations is often associated with a disorderly conduct arrest through interviews. A distinguished disorderly behavior attorney can help you prepare to deal with the office of family relations in Wilton disorderly conduct cases by helping you understand their role and goals in your case.

What is the Impact of a Protective Order?

A Protective order is typically given to protect the accused. It includes conditions of release that an accused individual may be ordered to comply with while under a bond, such as undergo Substance Abuse Counseling or anger management counseling.

The Protective Orders can be really severe. It can prohibit a person from having any contact with the accuser and/or with his children and can last for weeks or months. Protective Orders stay in place until the case is disposed of, but a person can file a Motion to Terminate the Protective Order earlier.

Family Relations Requirements for Disorderly Conduct Arrests

The charged person is required to meet with the office of family relations in Wilton disorderly conduct cases for an interview. A Domestic Violence Restraining Order hearing will take place and the Judge will hear arguments from the Bail Commissioner and the State’s Attorney regarding whether or not that person should be ordered into AIC (Alternative Incarceration Center) or mandated to participate in any counseling or Alcohol Substance Abuse Program. Then the Judge will then hear bond arguments and place a bond on that person and enter a Protective Order. The first court appearance may take awhile. Domestic violence arraignments do not usually begin before 11:00 AM in most Courthouses, including Norwalk (where Wilton arrestees go), and could continue into the afternoon.

What is the Office of Family Relations?

The Office of Family Relations is an office of the State of Connecticut and runs through the Judicial Branch. The purpose of the Family Relations Interview is to assess the risk that the Court believes the defendant poses to the accuser. In domestic violence arrests, the family relations officers are trained in conducting risk assessment interviews by asking pointed questions about the defendant’s educational background, professional history, mental health history, if that person has any prior domestic violence incidents; and any personal questions that family relations feel are relevant to the specific facts they have.

Role of the Accused vs. Role of the Accuser

It is always important to tell the truth to the Family Relations Officers. However, it would be wise to know that an arrested person has the right to remain silent with the office of family relations in Wilton disorderly conduct cases.

Emotions are still usually running pretty high the next morning and can be overwhelmed by being arrested and appearing in Court the next day. Any person arrested should contact a lawyer immediately before sitting for an interview with a Family Relations Officer.

The alleged victim will have a chance to speak with the Family Relations Officer and the Victim’s Advocate. This will affect the recommendations that they make to the Judge about the defendant’s Conditions of Release and the Protective Order that they put in place.

What is a Protective Order?

A Protective Order is an Order that is issued at the time of arraignment during any criminal proceeding that involves domestic violence. Usually these orders are recommended by either the Family Relations Officer or it can be recommended by the State Attorney’s Office in some cases. They are usually in effect from the date they are issued until the end of the criminal case when the defendant is sentenced, or the charge is disposed of. It can be removed prior to the case being settled upon Motion to the Court.

At a Wilton protective order hearing, the charged person will first speak to the Officer of Family Relations and do an interview with him. Then he will appear in front of a Judge. This Court hearing is called the arraignment. The Judge will hear from the Family Relations Officer and the Bail Commissioner for their recommendations on the Protective Order as well as what the bail should be, if there should be bail, or any Conditions of Release that they may have. The Judge will then issue a Protective Order based on the recommendations of the Family Relations Officer and any other Conditions of Release based upon the Bail Commissioner’s recommendations.