Many mountains ago a conversation centered on a local wiseguy who received a pinch for this and that.
A Westport attorney who knew his way around courtrooms noted underwhelmingly the quality of the man’s legal representation.
“He has a schmuck for a lawyer.”
“Who’s his lawyer?”
“Himself.”
Oh.
Board of Education member Chris Taylor says he wants to represent himself in his defense against what Seymour police and a state prosecutor allege–attempted second-degree kidnapping with a firearm, third-degree assault, impersonating a police officer and risk of injury to a child. His wife Stacy Ramos Taylor was also charged in the incident involving her children.
The sequence goes back to November following an altercation. Seymour police allege Taylor and his wife talked their way (posing as cops) through a checkpoint in an apartment complex. What started inside with Stacy’s 21-year-old son spilled outside with Chris Taylor and a 10-year-old boy in a car, also her son.
On Tuesday in Milford court Taylor stood before a judge seeking approval for a pro se appearance, noting the potential “peril.”
Taylor also seemed to signal his strategy. “The case involved a family member who wasn’t in his right mind,” Taylor told the judge. “I think I can work this out with the prosecutor.”
Good luck with that. A deal can always be struck with a prosecutor, the question is what kind? Plead out to reduced misdemeanor charges with no jail time? Taylor would jump on that presto bango.
A prosecutor, depending on the weight of the evidence, may say what planet are you from?
A judge will bend over backwards to accommodate a pro se defendant’s illusory legal knowledge.
Taylor’s had his scrapes with the law, as he noted in his 2015 affable petitioning run for mayor, promising free cable television and other goodies, if elected. He presents a “what, me worry?” persona.
Superior Court Judge Peter Brown will decide on January 28 if Taylor can represent himself.
Taylor’s wife, meanwhile, said she’s applying for a public defender.
We’ll see if Taylor can match the enigmatic Alfred E. Neuman.
the saying that anyone who represents himself has a fool for a lawyer (and a client!)
but we already knew that….
How the hell are the 21,000 plus Bridgeport school students of which are 90% black and brown, how are they going get a good education with a dysfunctional Bridgeport Board Of Education where one member is dealing with domestic violence and the police, two former BBOE members who stop all BBOE over a boycott of one member to resign and now a BBOE member who is fighting against what Seymour police and a state prosecutor allege–attempted second-degree kidnapping with a firearm, third-degree assault, impersonating a police officer and risk of injury to a child, Only In Bridgeport, God please save us.
Let’s not forget Chris Taylor’s Southport, CT residency. Serving on the Board of Education in a town/city where you do not reside is a felony.
He repeatedly voted at the Dunbar & Madison School precincts as a resident of Southport.
Chris Taylor will never have to worry about having a Bridgeport public school named after him such as the prestigious Bassick family he tried to sully by publicly stating they were involved in the slave trade. His consolation prize may be to have a prison cell named after him highlighting his inmate number.
I wonder if he will attempt to kick the cell door into his cellmate. Karma.
The number and level of BOE seats that are occupied by members in legally- and functionally-comprising personal situations — rendering their BOE functions illegitimate or impossible/ineffectual — is certainly not being lost on persons of authority in Hartford and beyond… We know that Governor Lamont and his buffoon Education Commissioner, Miguel Cardona, are acutely aware of Bridgeport’s untenable BOE/public schools situation(s), and we can also be sure that Congressman Himes and Senator Blumenthal are aware of our situation (Murphy’s disinterest can be assumed…).
Even with the Impeachment and threat-of-war distractions at the national and global levels, just by the media coverage, it can be assumed that Bridgeport appears as the sore spot in Connecticut for any high-level political operatives in this Presidential-election year… We know that there must be a lot of banter at high levels about “what to do about Bridgeport?!”… It will be very interesting to see what kind of state-/federal-level axe takes a possibly fatal political swipe at the set of heads bearing responsibility for Bridgeport’s state-level/municipal-level dysfunction/systemic failure… Certainly some heads are going to roll in Bridgeport and Hartford in the near future… Any ideas when and belonging to whom, Lennie/Connecticut Post?…
*** So what else is new when it comes to Bpt. BOE members & there wacky circus type world? “Stupid is as Stupid does”.***