Tag: connecticut

Bridgeport Democrat Mayor Wins Race After His Associate Is Caught Stuffing the Local Ballot Drop Boxes with Bags of Ballots

Mayor Joe Ganim won another victory on Tuesday in the Bridgeport, Connecticut special election for the Democratic primary for mayor. Ganim quickly claimed victory after winning the in-person tally by 274 votes.

In November a local judge overturned the initial primary election after Wanda Geter-Pataky, the Vice Chairwoman of the Democratic Town Clerk and a vocal supporter of incumbent Mayor Joe Ganim,  was caught on video stuffing the ballot drop boxes with dozens if not hundreds of absentee ballots.

So Mayor Ganim won again on Tuesday against John Gomes in the Democrat primary.

Superior Court Judge William Clark ordered a new election to be held, citing bombshell video evidence of election fraud as the basis for his decision. The ruling has far-reaching implications, not just for Bridgeport but for the entire country, as it sets a precedent for ongoing and future cases involving mail-in ballot fraud.

The Gateway Pundit reported in September that mayoral candidate John Gomes’ campaign released a damning video showing evidence of election fraud in the Bridgeport Democratic primary. The video has prompted an investigation by the Bridgeport Police Department for “possible misconduct.”

The video on the Gomes campaign’s Facebook page shows a woman dropping stacks of ‘illegal’ ballots into an absentee ballot box outside the Bridgeport government center, where the city’s Registrar of Voters office is located.

The Gomes campaign was able to identify the woman in the footage as Wanda Geter-Pataky, the Vice Chairwoman of the Democratic Town Clerk and a vocal supporter of incumbent Mayor Joe Ganim, who is seeking reelection. Gomes’ campaign claims that the video shows Geter-Pataky dropping off stacks of absentee ballots ahead of the September 12th primary.

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‘That’s the best you could do?’: Father irate after teacher accused of sexually assaulting 4th grade girls gets probation

A now-former Connecticut elementary school teacher reached an agreement with prosecutors to avoid what could have been a substantial prison sentence over allegations that he inappropriately touched numerous girls who were his students over several years.

On Tuesday, James Eschert, 53, received a suspended sentence in New Britain Superior Court after accepting legal culpability on one count of risk of injury to a minor, a felony. He was previously charged with five such counts as well as two misdemeanor counts of sexual assault in the fourth degree — and could have been sentenced to well over 50 years behind bars if he had been convicted as charged.

The disgraced ex-teacher did not, however, plead guilty or no contest, but rather, entered an Alford plea — in which a defendant maintains his innocence but concedes the state has enough evidence to convict.

The threat of prison still looms for Eschert. Judge Maureen Keegan sentenced him to five years of probation. He is also subject to a suspended 10-year jail sentence if he violates the terms of his probation, according to a courtroom report by the Hartford Courant.

The former educator taught in the Plymouth school system since 1998. That all changed in September 2021 when a former student, then a middle schooler, complained to Eli Terry Jr. Middle School Principal Angela Suffridge about past alleged misconduct.

Eschert was initially arrested by Plymouth police on Jan. 24, 2022. A complaint alleges: “inappropriate conduct … between Mr. Eschert and several juveniles who were his students at the time of the incidents.”

An ensuing investigation led to the seven charges of risk of injury to a child and sexual assault, which, in the end, were pared down to one.

One girl alleged Eschert frequently rubbed her shoulders and touched her breasts over her clothing daily to make sure she was wearing a bra. Once, the girl told police, her teacher touched her breasts directly.

Some students allege the then-teacher often invited girls to sit on his lap and forced girls to stay inside with him during recess, police said, according to an affidavit in the case obtained by Law&Crime.

Eschert allegedly took sexualized photos of the girls while they were in school. A camera recovered by authorities is said to have revealed 26 “inappropriate” images; two of the pictures allegedly showed “a close-up of a female student’s groin area while she was performing a cartwheel.” Three images “were taken from ground level and showed female students seated in a manner which exposed their groin and underwear,” the affidavit says.

One girl said Eschert would often give girls paper to decorate underneath his desk while he positioned his genitals “in her face or another girl’s face,” according to the affidavit. That same girl said her teacher would sometimes touch himself over his clothing.

Other students said Eschert was a big hugger — but only with girls, never with boys, police claimed. Sometimes, he would invite girls to his home, allegedly telling them they could stay for dinner.

Additional allegations were leveled against the defendant that contained particularly graphic descriptions of the alleged abuse.

Multiple other educators were arrested in connection with the case, alleging they swept the accusations against Eschert under the rug.

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Connecticut Marijuana Retailers Can Open On Christmas And New Year’s, But Alcohol Stores Must Close

People in Connecticut can’t legally buy alcohol on Christmas or New Year’s Day, the state Department of Consumer Protection reminded residents this week—but cannabis is A-OK.

“If you choose to consume alcohol with your holiday celebrations, be sure to make those purchases ahead of time, and, of course, please drink responsibly,” Department of Consumer Protection (DPC) Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli said in a statement on Wednesday. “And, because we regulate many things you may be wondering about, Connecticut Law does not prohibit the sale of cannabis, or limit your ability to place wagers during the holidays.”

“No matter how you choose to spend the holidays,” he added, “please know your limit, arrange designated drivers and be respectful of the establishments and communities where you celebrate.”

On both New Year’s and Christmas Day, state law prohibits package stores from opening, and grocery stores are barred from selling beer. To-go sales of liquor are also banned.

“Hours for cannabis licensees,” said the Department of Consumer Protection, “are unaffected.”

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Court revives lawsuit over Connecticut rule allowing trans girls to compete in school sports

Opponents of Connecticut’s policy letting transgender girls compete in girls high school sports will get a second chance to challenge it in court, an appeals court ruled Friday, which revived the case without weighing in on its merits.

Both sides called it a win. The American Civil Liberties Union said it welcomes a chance to defend the rights of the two transgender high school track runners it represents. The Alliance Defending Freedom, which represented the four cisgender athletes who brought the lawsuit, also said it looks forward to seeking a ruling on the case’s merits.

In a rare full meeting of all active judges on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, judges found the cisgender runners have standing to sue and have described injuries that might qualify for monetary damages. The runners also seek to alter certain athletic records, alleging they were deprived of honors and opportunities at elite track-and-field events because they say “male athletes” were permitted to compete against them.

The case had been dismissed by a Connecticut judge in 2021, and that decision was affirmed by three-judge panel of the 2nd Circuit a year ago.

At least 20 states have approved a version of a blanket ban on transgender athletes playing on K-12 and collegiate sports teams statewide, but a Biden administration proposal to forbid such outright bans is set to be finalized by March after two delays and much pushback. As proposed, the rule announced in April would establish that blanket bans would violate Title IX, the landmark gender-equity legislation enacted in 1972.

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Trans child of Connecticut deputy associate attorney general arrested over antisemitic felony hate crime

The 28-year-old trans child of Connecticut’s deputy associate attorney general was arrested on Thursday over a felony antisemitic hate crime incident in Newtown. 

Sarah Stofko, who goes by the alias “Isaac,” was arrested on Dec. 7 by the Newtown Police Department following an investigation into the vandalism of an Israeli flag that had been cut down. According to the police report, a witness reported the incident to law enforcement and police were able to obtain a vehicle description and registration belonging to Stofko. The report lists Stofko’s sex as “m” though she is an adult female.

Stofko, an alumna of Hunter College in New York City, is facing charges of third-degree intimidation based on bigotry or bias, a felony, and third-degree criminal mischief. Stofko is the child of Deputy Associate Attorney General Carolyn Signorelli, a Democrat and liberal activist. Stofko’s arrest record shows an address belonging to her mother, confirming she was living with the high-level state attorney in their 2,000-square-foot house in the state’s wealthiest county when she allegedly committed the hate crime.

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Connecticut To Double Limit on Weed Purchases

Connecticut’s cannabis regulatory agency announced last week that it is increasing the amount of cannabis that can be bought in a single transaction by doubling the state’s limit on recreational marijuana purchases. Under the new regulations approved by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), adult-use cannabis consumers will be permitted to purchase up to a half-ounce (about 14 grams) of cannabis flower or its equivalent beginning next month. 

The limit on purchases of medical marijuana has not been changed. It remains at 5 ounces of cannabis flower or the equivalent monthly, with no limits on purchases in a single transaction.

The DCP noted in a statement that the decision to increase the limit on adult-use cannabis purchases was made based on an ongoing analysis of supply and demand in Connecticut’s regulated cannabis market. The agency also said that the limit will continue to be reviewed over time, adding that the caps are in place to help ensure an adequate supply of cannabis for both adult-use consumers and medical marijuana patients.

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New gun control laws sweep three blue states

Starting in October, three blue states will put into effect a slew of new gun reform legislation. Lawsuits against Colorado and Maryland have arisen, while Connecticut has steered clear of any new legal trouble.

Below is a breakdown of the legislation that went into effect on Oct. 1 in Colorado, Maryland, and Connecticut.

Once considered a purple political state, Colorado has been passing gun control legislation at a fast-moving pace. Two laws, passed by the legislature in April, will instill a three-day waiting period for firearm purchases and make the path easier for gun violence survivors and victims to sue manufacturers and dealers.

House Bill 23-1219 imposes a three-day waiting period and a background check for those who seek to purchase a firearm. Customers previously could purchase a gun and receive it the same day. If gun stores violate the new regulations, they could be charged a $500 fine for a first offense and up to a $5,000 fine for a second offense.

A gun rights group filed a lawsuit challenging the new timeline requirements, calling the waiting period “unconstitutional.” The Rocky Mountain Gun Owners initially filed a lawsuit against the law after the Democratic-led legislature passed the bill in April, but the group withdrew its suit after a judge ruled there was no standing.

“We will not bow down to unconstitutional infringements on our Second Amendment freedoms,” Rocky Mountain Gun Owners Executive Director Taylor Rhodes said in a statement last week.

“We’ve reloaded our legal arsenal and are ready to take on this absurd waiting period that does nothing but trample on the rights of peaceable gun owners. We will not let tyranny prevail.”

The group cited the Supreme Court ruling from last year, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, saying the ruling invalidates “the lower court rulings’ justification for gun control.”

Senate Bill 23-168 makes it easier for Coloradans who are victims of gun violence to file lawsuits against gun manufacturers and sellers by removing the requirement to pay the defendant’s legal bills for those who lose the lawsuit. Similar laws have been enacted in New York and New Jersey and are also facing legal troubles.

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Cannibal Released From Connecticut Psych Ward Early For ‘Good Behavior’ Even Though He Told Psychiatrist He Wanted to Eat Her Flesh

Tyree Smith, a brain-eating cannibal was released from a Bridgeport, Connecticut psych ward 50 years earlier than his scheduled release date for ‘good behavior’ even though he previously told his psychiatrist he wanted to eat her flesh.

“Tyree Smith is an individual with a psychiatric illness requiring care, custody and treatment,” the board stated in its report this week. “Since his last hearing Tyree Smith has continued to demonstrate clinical stability. Mr. Smith is medication compliant, actively engaged in all recommended forms of treatment, and has been symptom-free for many years.”

Smith, who was 36 at the time, was sentenced to 60 years in a psych ward in September 2013 (effectively a life sentence) after a jury found him not guilty of murder by way of insanity.

In December 2011, Smith murdered a homeless man, Angel Gonzalez, mutilated his body and ate his brains and eyeballs.

A psychiatrist previously testified that Smith said he heard voices that told him to eat Gonzalez’s brains and eyes ‘to better understand human behavior’ and ‘to gain vision into the spiritual real.’. He also expressed his desire to consume her flesh.

Tyree Smith was released from the psych ward this week after the state board determined he has been ‘symptom-free’ for many years.

“He denied experiencing cravings but stated that if they were to arise, he would reach out to his hospital and community supports and providers,” the report stated, according to the CT Post.

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Connecticut enacts its most sweeping gun control law since the Sandy Hook shooting

Connecticut’s most wide-ranging gun control measure since the 2013 law enacted after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting takes effect Sunday, with proponents vowing to pursue more gun legislation despite legal challenges happening across the country.

The new law, signed by Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont in June, bans the open carrying of firearms and prohibits the sale of more than three handguns within 30 days to any one person, with some exceptions for instructors and others.

“We will not take a break and we cannot stop now, and we will continue to pass life-saving laws until we end gun violence in Connecticut. Our lives depend on it,” said Jeremy Stein, executive director of Connecticut Against Gun Violence.

Immediately after it was passed, the law was challenged in court by gun rights supporters. Connecticut’s landmark 2013 gun law, passed in response to the 2012 elementary school shooting in Newtown that claimed 26 lives, is also being contested in court.

Besides Connecticut, which has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, other politically liberal-leaning states including California, Washington, Colorado and Maryland also have passed gun laws this year that face legal challenges. They come in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court last year expanding gun rights.

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Hundreds of state troopers may have falsified thousands of traffic tickets, audit finds

Connecticut state police troopers may have falsified thousands of traffic tickets.

WFSB reports a recent audit found nearly 26,000 fake tickets.

According to an internal investigation, troopers falsified tickets for their own personal benefit as those who appear productive are often eligible for federally funded overtime.

And lawmakers are now demanding answers.

Governor Ned Lamont said those who intentionally wrote bogus tickets should be let go, including management.

The audit also reportedly found that troopers not only falsified thousands of tickets but more than 32,000 were inaccurate.

“Those people should go, and I think their management should take a look at themselves as well,” Lamont said.

Ken Barone with the Public Policy Institute at the University of Connecticut pushed for the audit.

According to Barone, this has raised concerns about skewing racial profiling data.

“The records that should have been likely reported to the system were not,” Barone said.

Officials said it’s possible hundreds of state troopers were involved in falsifying tickets.

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