JUDGE HEARS RARE LENIENCY REQUEST ; HEROIN ADDICT ASKS FOR SENTENCE MODIFICATION, TELLING STORY OF REHABILITATION 5 NORTHWEST CONNECTICUT/SPORTS FINAL Edition

In an unusual sentence modification hearing, [Stephen Aylward]'s family, his lawyer and even the prosecutor told Superior Court Judge Jack W. Fischer that Aylward had turned his life around shortly after his burglary conviction four years ago. That was also when Aylward began taking care of his...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Hartford courant
Main Authors Frahm, Robert A, Courant Staff Writer
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Hartford, Conn Tribune Publishing Company, LLC 13.12.2005
Subjects
Aylward, Stephen
Fischer, Jack W
Thomas, James
Zitser, Suzanne
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Summary:In an unusual sentence modification hearing, [Stephen Aylward]'s family, his lawyer and even the prosecutor told Superior Court Judge Jack W. Fischer that Aylward had turned his life around shortly after his burglary conviction four years ago. That was also when Aylward began taking care of his wife, Christine, who had been seriously injured in an automobile crash. Although Aylward had agreed to the original five-year term, his lawyer, Assistant Public Defender Suzanne Zitser, asked the court to suspend the sentence and place him on probation. Zitser said she had never represented a client at a sentence modification hearing before. Zitser also made the unusual argument that suspending Aylward's sentence makes financial sense for the state, in light of potential medical costs in prison to treat a chronic life-threatening illness related to Aylward's drug use.
ISSN:1047-4153