RECENT NOTABLE TRIALS

2007, STATE V. S*, Superior Court, Danbury

The defendant was charged with first and second-degree manslaughter, misconduct with a motor vehicle, evading responsibility, racing and reckless driving on claims that he engaged in a race with another vehicle on Interstate 84 that led to a fatal accident with a third vehicle and that he subsequently fled the scene.  After a three-week trial, the jury acquitted the defendant of first and second-degree manslaughter and evading responsibility, convicted him of reckless driving and was deadlocked on the charges of misconduct with a motor vehicle and racing.  The trial included a computer simulation of the accident presented by the defense.

2007, STATE V. D*, Superior Court, New Britain

The defendant was charged with multiple counts of sexual assault and risk of injury on a claim that he sexually assaulted his mentally retarded grandson.  After a two-week jury trial, the defendant was found not guilty on five counts, with the jury deadlocked on the remaining four counts.

2005, STATE V. B*, Superior Court, Bridgeport

The defendant was charged with second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury on a claim that he had consensual intercourse with an underage girl.  The trial took three days, with the defense challenging, among other things, the true age of the girl.  The jury found the defendant not guilty of both charges in less than three hours.

2004-2002, STATE V. DAVIS, Superior Court, New London

The defendant was charged with murder, attempted murder and three counts of first-degree assault on the claim that he shot and killed one man and injured three others in a Norwich bar.  The trial, in 2002 took several weeks with the prosecution calling over fifty witnesses.  After eight days of deliberations, the jury was deadlocked and a mistrial was declared.  At the retrial in 2003, the jury was again deadlocked, this time deliberating for six days.  In 2004, a third trial was held.  After several days of deliberations, the jury found the defendant not guilty of murder and attempted murder, but guilty of first-degree manslaughter, first-degree assault and firearms possession.

 2003, STATE V. D*, Superior Court, Stamford

 2001, STATE V. J*, Superior Court, Bridgeport

The defendant was charged with capital murder, murder, kidnaping and other crimes on the claim that he participated in the abduction of the victim and that he subsequently shot and killed the victim with an assault weapon.  The State announced its intention to seek the death penalty upon conviction of the capital offense.  After a two-week trial, the jury deliberated less than three hours and found the defendant not guilty of all charges.

 1998, STATE V. SOLEK, Superior Court, Bridgeport

The defendant was charged with capital murder, murder, felony murder, and first and second-degree sexual assault on the claim that he and another man raped and strangled a young, mentally impaired woman.  The State announced its intention to seek the death penalty upon conviction of the capital offense.  Following an interlocutory appeal to the Connecticut Supreme Court, the case proceeded to trial.  The trial took approximately two weeks.  The jury deliberated for three days, finding the defendant not guilty of capital murder, felony murder and first-degree sexual assault, but guilty of murder and other offenses.  As a result, the defendant was spared a penalty hearing and possible death sentence.

 1998, STATE V. W*, Superior Court, Bridgeport

The defendant was charged with first-degree assault and exposed to up to twenty years in prison on the claim that she stabbed her boyfriend in the chest in a Bridgeport apartment.  At the close of the prosecution’s case, the defendant took the witness stand and testified that she acted in self-defense because the victim, who was upset over the quality of her cooking, was beating her.  The defense also presented expert testimony on battered woman’s syndrome.  The jury found the defendant not guilty.

 OTHER SIGNIFICANT CASES

2007, STEFON MORANT V. WARDEN, Superior Court, New Haven

In this habeas corpus case, petitioner Stefon Morant fought to overturn his conviction for allegedly participating in the killing of a New Haven alderman and another man, largely on the basis of an FBI report suggesting that he was framed and that the key prosecution witness lied at his trial.

2004-1994, STATE V. MICHAEL ROSS, Connecticut Supreme Court

Representing serial killer Michael Ross, Attorney Fitzpatrick became the first lawyer in Connecticut to brief and argue the issue of proportionality review before the Connecticut Supreme Court.  His work became the model for other lawyers to follow in death penalty appeals.

2004, UNITED STATES V. MILANO, ET AL., U.S. District Court, Bridgeport

In this habeas corpus case, petitioner Frank Colantoni fought to overturn his federal conviction for allegedly participating in the killing of reputed mobster Billy “Wild Guy” Grasso.

1999, STATE V. NENCY FORTY, Superior Court, Hartford

Accused of participating in the killing of an East Hartford police officer, the defendant was charged with capital murder and other crimes and exposed to the death penalty.  After lengthy pretrial negotiations, a plea bargain was struck enabling the defendant to offer assistance to the prosecution in exchange for a reduced sentence.

1997, STATE V. MARK DESPRES, Superior Court, New London

The alleged “hit man” in the celebrated Haiman Long Clein and Beth Ann Carpenter murder-for-hire case, the defendant was charged with capital murder and exposed to the death penalty.  During jury selection a plea bargain was reached, enabling the defendant to plead guilty to lesser offenses and to avoid capital punishment.

APPEALS

United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
United States v. Taborda, No. 02-1580, (2003)
United States v. Zabrowski, No. 00-1131 (2000)

Connecticut Supreme Court
State v. Sawyer, 279 Conn. 331 (2006)
State v. Ledbetter, 275 Conn. 534 (2005)
State v. Ross, 269 Conn. 213 (2004)
State v. Solek, 242 Conn. 409 (1997)
State v. Ross, 230 Conn. 183 (1994), cert. denied, 513 U.S. 1165 (1995) (Ross II)
State v. Hinton, 227 Conn. 301 (1993)
State v. Ross, 225 Conn. 559 (1993) (Ross I)
State v. Buster, 27 Conn. App. 263 (1992), aff’d, 224 Conn. 546 (1993)
State v. King, 218 Conn. 747 (1991)

Connecticut Appellate Court
Morant v. State, 68 Conn. App. 137 cert. denied, 260 Conn. 914 (2002)
Hinton v. Commissioner, 43 Conn. App. 549 (1996)
State v. Chace, 43 Conn. App. 205 (1996)
State v. Jones, 35 Conn. App. 839 (1994)
State v. Plude, 30 Conn. App. 527 (1993)
State v. Estrada, 28 Conn. App. 416 (1992)
State v. Burroughs, 22 Conn. App. 507 (1990)
State v. Jackson, 20 Conn. App. 824 (1990)

DISCLAIMER:  Achievements in past cases or on behalf of former clients does not ensure success in future cases and nothing in this website is intended to guarantee or predict the result of a case or the outcome of the legal representation.