Patrick Coyne, who served as chief of staff to former Mayor Joe Ganim, has been acquitted by a jury of sexually abusing his stepdaughter many years ago. He had been charged in 2011. A state jury in New Haven found him not guilty Tuesday morning.
Coyne was represented by John Gulash, a leading Bridgeport-based defense attorney. Coyne did not testify in his own behalf.
Coyne, a college friend of Ganim, was hired as chief of staff in 1992, a position he maintained for several years until he was transferred to become director of the mayor’s clean and green beautification initiative. Coyne served a three-month federal prison sentence in 2003 for accepting a kickback as a result of the federal corruption probe that ended Ganim’s mayoralty.
Coyne now resides in Massachusetts.
Coyne’s former stepchild testified against him regarding one alleged incident that took place many years ago. Gulash questioned the credibility of the testimony. For additional background on the trial see here.
I wish Patrick Coyne good luck in his future endeavors. Despite the acquittal, the accusation leaves doubts in the minds of many and I’m sure he has endured a financial hit on top of it all.
My sympathy goes out to Maria Agueda and her daughter. As a father of two girls, I understand why a parent takes these types of allegations seriously.
Politics. Patrick Coyne is an example of Bridgeport politics at its worst, he had no known skills to do anything.
I wish nothing but the best to Maria Agueda and her daughter and I hope her lovely daughter receives help and support during this stressful time.