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James A. SaraceniAttorney at Law · Norwalk, Connecticut Call (203) 853-2700

Criminal defense

Representation from the arrest through the last court date, in the Fairfield, New Haven and Litchfield County Superior Courts, from an attorney who spent 27 years on the other side of the courtroom as a Norwalk police officer.

Fairfield County Courthouse, 1061 Main Street, Bridgeport, seat of the Fairfield Judicial District
Fairfield County Courthouse, 1061 Main Street, Bridgeport, seat of the Fairfield Judicial District.

Norwalk cases are heard in Stamford now: the Norwalk courthouse on Belden Avenue closed in 2020 and its docket moved to the Stamford Superior Court on Hoyt Street. A criminal case begins there, usually the next court day after the arrest, at the arraignment. What happens at that hearing sets the terms for everything after it: the bond, any protective order, and whether the case is headed toward a negotiated plea, a trial, or another way to resolve it.

Attorney Saraceni reads the State's case the way he once wrote it and reviewed it. Twenty-seven years of police reports, warrants, interviews and testimony are the background he brings to finding what a report leaves out, which questions were never asked and where a case is thin. Domestic violence and DUI are the two cases that walk in the door most often.

What the office handles

  • Domestic violenceThe most common arrest the office sees. Arraignment is usually the next court day, a protective order will most likely issue at that hearing, and a pistol permit will likely be revoked shortly after the arrest. Call before the hearing.
  • AssaultFrom a bar fight to Assault in the First Degree. Two dismissals are described in the case results.
  • Drug crimesPossession, possession with intent, sale and trafficking. How the search was conducted is often the central question.
  • DUI / OUI / DWIThe roadside stop, the breath test, refusal, the DMV suspension and the criminal case. Detailed on the DUI page.
  • Theft crimesLarceny in all six degrees, shoplifting, embezzlement, receiving stolen property.
  • Sex offensesIf you are under investigation and have not been charged, speak with a lawyer before you speak with police.
  • Violation of probationA violation hearing has a lower burden of proof than a trial and can carry the full suspended sentence. It deserves a defense of its own.

How a case starts

  1. Call(203) 853-2700. Say first whether someone is being held and when the court date is.
  2. Free consultationThe first 30 minutes are free, in the office on Mott Avenue or by phone, by appointment. Bring the summons, the bond paperwork and any police report you were given.
  3. The filePolice reports, the warrant, body-camera video, witness statements, medical records. Attorney Saraceni reviews the State's case before advising on a plea or a trial.
  4. CourtHe appears with you in Stamford, Bridgeport, Danbury, Torrington or New Haven Superior Court, and negotiates or tries the case as the facts warrant.

Questions people ask first

Should I talk to the police to clear things up?

Not without a lawyer. Anything you say can be used against you, and a statement given to be helpful is still a statement. You have the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney. Use both, politely.

What is a protective order?

In a family-violence case the court will most likely issue a criminal protective order at the arraignment. It can bar you from your home and from contact with the other person while the case is pending, regardless of what that person wants. Having a lawyer at the arraignment matters because the order is set there.

Can the charges be dropped if the other person does not want to press them?

In Connecticut the State brings the charge, not the complainant. A complainant's wishes are one factor the prosecutor weighs; they do not end the case on their own.

What are your options if this is a first offense?

There may be attorney services and other options to dispose of your case short of a trial. Whether one applies to you depends on the charge and your record — that is worth a call.

Related case results

Dismissed

Assault in the First Degree

An infant's head injury was called shaken-baby syndrome; both parents were charged and the child placed in foster care. A review of the medical records found a pre-existing condition, an expert witness said so, the charges were dismissed and the child went home.

Dismissed

Assault in the First Degree

A young woman fleeing a beating held up a kitchen knife; her attacker ran onto it. Photographs of her injuries and statements about his history persuaded the court to allow a diversionary program. Completed, dismissed.

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case turns on its own facts. Nothing on this site is legal advice, and contacting the office does not create an attorney-client relationship.

General information about Connecticut procedure, not advice about your case.

Other practice areas

Talk to the office before you talk to anyone else.

The first 30 minutes are free. Call, or tell us about your case and the office will call you.

(203) 853-2700
Tell us about your caseContact page
Call(203) 853-2700If he is in court, the answering service takes the message and it reaches him.
Office9 Mott Avenue, Suite 307, Norwalk, CT 06850By appointment. In person or by phone.
ConsultationThe first 30 minutes are free.
PaymentCash, check, credit card, Venmo and Zelle.
Call (203) 853-2700 Tell us about your case

Tell us about your case

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