As a lawyer in Connecticut, there is a solemn ethical oath that each individual must swear to uphold. This oath is not merely a formality, but a weighty commitment to uphold justice, act with integrity, and represent clients with unwavering dedication.

Lawyers pledge to abide by the highest standards of professional conduct, maintaining confidentiality and acting in their clients’ best interests at all times. But at what cost? Is there a line?

It is critical for all lawyers to uphold this oath, as it forms the bedrock of legal practice and public trust in our profession. Remember, the ethical oath is more than just words—it is a promise and a responsibility that every CT lawyer willingly undertakes. Words without action are meaningless. As the saying goes, ‘judge a man by his feet not his his words.’

In addition to their ethical oath, lawyers in Connecticut bear another grave responsibility as mandatory reporters. This means they are legally obliged to report any suspicions of child abuse or neglect, elder abuse, or threats towards individuals or the public. This responsibility transcends the usual attorney-client privilege, placing societal safety and well-being above all else.

Justice and wellness UK CampaignPhoto byCAmpaign for child development and Hope

Perhaps that is the disconnect in Fairfield County, where in comparison to its neighbor districts the outcomes measuring

Mandatory reporting is indeed a challenging duty, often putting lawyers in complex situations, but it is a crucial aspect of our legal framework designed to protect the most vulnerable in our society. Lawyers wield the power not only to defend clients but also to act as a guardian of societal well-being.

Sadly, there have been disturbing cases in Fairfield County where some lawyers, notably from Sherman law firm and Eric border law firm in Fairfield County, have breached their ethical oath and abused their position of power for personal gain.

These unethical practices include using their firms’ weight and prestige to unduly sway justice as ‘they see fit,’ prioritizing the highest-paying clients over impartiality and fairness. Or in fact, the well being of protected classes for which this writer can attest first hand.

For instance, deliberately placing your client on the stand and endorsing perjury in cases of child abuse and domestic violence, despite having witnessed and heard evidence to the contrary, is a blatant violation of this sacred oath. Astonishingly, this is the very conduct repeatedly exhibited by Chris Demattie in representing a client originally from Easton, who has since moved to Milford, CT.

February 23 2023. Parenting motion incident of condoned perjury in isolation of a caregiver and removal from the home despite a court orderPhoto byJessica McDonald

The Phone Records later obtained and turned into Police.

Phone records obtained and turned into police, counsel et all for which verify just one of many violations are not acted on nor dissuadePhoto byJessica McDonald

August 2022, video of client assaulting mother by closing garage door on her car with then 4yr old daughter in the backseat. Audio of repeated threats and admissions to stalking, monitoring, and suicide and promises to ‘come after her’ in the presence of children.

November 2022, daughter tells Friend staying with the mother and children in the car home from school, (and again to Mommy over dinner) that her father & grandfather told her that “[friend] will be dead soon.”

Mother reports this to counsel and to local police, however despite numerous recordings of prior admissions and post order violations, no relief is felt by the woman and her children.

As a legal practitioner, it is crucial to provide a robust defense for clients. However, engaging in criminal conduct by repeatedly condoning perjury and filing false legal motions, sometimes obtained through criminal activity, represents an ethical overstep.Truth be damned says some in this circuit, where money rules and women, children, and victims are simply the casualties of the ‘game.’ The effectiveness of their outcomes for their clients leverages on their ability to silence truths and leverage the money and relationships traded off the reputation of the firms historic work. These are often not battles won in the courtroom, but long before, behind closed doors. Bad actors of standard practice?

Not for this writer to say.

Similarly, when it comes to cases involving the endangerment of children, responsibility and consideration should prevail, regardless of the animosity between parties seeking to end a relationship. Children, despite their flawed parents, are innocent and their safety and well-being should always take precedence, regardless of one’s position in the courtroom.

In this specific case, the exploitation of connections and local law enforcement to unjustly arrest a victim of ongoing domestic violence, who has been consistently denied due process, is truly abhorrent.

Perhaps the harm to the children and other innocents was not the intended outcome, but rather an unintended consequence driven by a relentless pursuit of financial gain, which can often cloud one’s judgment regarding the far-reaching effects of their actions.

For instance, consider the case of Ryan O’neil from Sherman Law Offices and Associates, where despite two months after a matter passed, the persistence and unyielding pressure risked not just the safety of the woman in this case and her two children, but the Officer and Sergeant Ceccarelli who acquiesced. These prominent law firms in Connecticut, who claim to uphold ethics and morality, in this authors experience, demonstrate anything but when it comes to their practices.

Let us hope that these examples and this case are the exception for both the firms and the practice at large in the Fairfield County District of private attorneys. Expensive suits and silver tongues should not equate to lumping all in a class of idolization of the mighty dollar above integrity and values of the law for which one would imagine most work tirelessly to uphold and advocate for justice.

The law is a beautifully written set of community standards, rich in history, morality, and provide not just equality and order, but instill the values and remind us for what it means to be ‘American.’ These core values are what give solace to wives, parents, and families to the many sons and daughters who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect the ‘freedom’ and liberties so many of us enjoy.

This type of behavior for those who serve justice in a different manner, not only undermines the very principles of justice but also erodes public trust in profession for which reflects in the community engagement scores in the district.

Lawyers are a privileged class in society with innate knowledge of the laws; as such it is a responsibility to speak out against such misconduct and hold each ALL accountable for upholding the ethical standards for which society has committed to with the passings of laws.

Anything less and we dissolve the values for which are written in the constitution, dishonor the sacrifices of men and women who have fought for these freedoms, and seek to implement a caste system of the ‘haves’ and have nots.

There is a difference between a free market of capitalism, and that of an oligarchy with hands gripped tight around ones throat. To silence the truth, the whole truth, and replace it instead with a mirage of carefully scripted show to be performed in the courtroom before lawmakers for which utlimately affects the lives of so many with lasting devastation in this writers case; seems woefully misaligned.

Transparency equates to accountability; for it is the public that demands the laws of the nation, rights the balance for when those in power seek to utilize it against the will of the people. It is the public for when the system fails that can bring order in even the darkest of places.

Source: https://www.newsbreak.com/social-impact-models-1625320/3175371672828-guardians-of-justice-or-exploiters-of-trust-fairfield-county-legal-inner-circle