Connecticutcriminallawyerblog

Allan F. Friedman has been defending people charged with crimes in Connecticut for more than 30 years. He operates out of two offices—Stamford (1100 Summer St, #306) and Norwalk (40 Richards Ave, #300)—and serves the Fairfield County area.

His practice focuses on cases where one bad night or one misunderstanding shouldn't wreck the rest of your life.

Domestic Violence & Protective Orders - Assault, threatening, disorderly conduct, breach of peace - Risk of Injury to a Minor (C.G.S. § 53-21) charges - No-contact order violations (including social media violations) - Violations of protective orders - Strangulation charges - Cyberstalking and revenge porn cases

Drug & Weapon Charges - Possession of drug paraphernalia (pipes, grinders, scales) - Drug crimes under C.G.S. § 21a-267 - Weapons possession and firearm-related charges - Gun rights restoration after arrest

Court Procedures & Negotiation - Judicial pretrial (JPT) negotiations - Bail and bond issues - Release from custody - Accelerated Rehabilitation (AR) applications - Conditional discharges

Property & Financial Crimes - Shoplifting in Connecticut - Restitution and civil demand letter defense - Conspiracy charges and accomplice liability

One of Friedman's core strategies is the judicial pretrial (JPT)—a focused settlement meeting with the judge who would handle your case. Here's what actually happens:

The Process: 1. You reject the State's initial settlement offer 2. Judge sits down with you (no jury, no witnesses, no testimony) 3. Judge makes a "Court's offer" based on the facts and your background 4. You accept or reject the offer 5. If you reject it, case goes to jury trial

The "Trial Tax" Reality: If you reject the Court's offer and lose at trial, you'll almost always get more jail time than what the judge offered. This is a known consequence—prosecutors and judges expect fewer trials to go to verdict.

If you're arrested and the judge issues a no-contact order, social media becomes dangerous. Friedman's blog breaks down what can and cannot happen:

What counts as "contact" online: - Direct messages on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok - Liking posts, reacting to stories, or sending emojis - Tagging them in posts or comments - Commenting on their photos (even "nice pic") - Using a burner account to message them - Asking a friend to pass a message through social media

What might look like contact (risky territory): - Repeatedly viewing their stories immediately after they post - Liking multiple photos in a short time - Following and unfollowing repeatedly - Checking their LinkedIn profile

Key Rule: Even if the protected person contacts you first, you cannot respond. The court order applies to you—not to them. One "innocent" DM from you can be a new felony charge on top of your original case.

Many shoplifting arrests come with both criminal restitution and civil demand letters from the store. These are two separate systems:

Friedman's approach: Understand the difference, negotiate criminal restitution separately from civil claims, and keep both amounts tied to actual, provable loss.

If you own firearms and get arrested in Connecticut, several things happen fast:

• •Police may seize your guns immediately
• •Your pistol permit can be suspended or revoked
• •Certain convictions make you permanently ineligible to own firearms
• •Even some dismissed or reduced charges can affect long-term gun rights

Friedman advises clients on both immediate fallout (losing guns now) and long-term consequences (whether you can own again after the case).

Connecticut's accomplice and conspiracy laws are broad. If prosecutors believe you "helped" someone commit a crime, you can face the same charges and penalties as the person who actually did it—even if:

• •You didn't physically commit the act
• •You didn't intend for the crime to happen
• •You only provided minor assistance

Friedman defends clients charged this way and fights to show you're not guilty of the full charge.

Friedman's advice for people just arrested:

1. Stay silent – Anything you say can be used against you. Ask for a lawyer. 2. Don't consent to searches – You have the right to refuse (in most situations). 3. Document everything – Names of officers, badge numbers, witnesses, what was said. 4. Call immediately – The first few hours matter for bail decisions and next steps. 5. Don't post on social media – Even venting or defending yourself can hurt your case. 6. Get a lawyer before your first court date – Decisions made at arraignment (bail, conditions) set the tone for the whole case.

Friedman has been doing this long enough to know:

• •How judges actually think – Not just what the law says, but how the specific judge in your county will view your case
• •What prosecutors will negotiate – Where there's real room for a better outcome
• •How to exploit weaknesses – In police reports, evidence collection, or witness statements
• •When to fight and when to settle – Risk assessment based on actual trial data, not just hope

Call (203) 357-5555 or contact through the website. No charge for an initial consultation. Friedman discusses your options in plain language—what the charges mean, what could happen, what the path forward looks like. :::

1100 Summer St, #306 Stamford, CT 06905 (203) 357-5555

40 Richards Ave, #300 Norwalk, CT 06854 (203) 847-2000

Spanish-language consultations available ("En Español")

Credit cards accepted

Note: Initial contact does not create an attorney-client relationship. Do not submit sensitive information via contact form (not encrypted).