Prosecutor Fled Cops, Was Forcibly Removed From SUV: Fairfield PD

FAIRFIELD, CT — A prosecutor for the state took on a new role in the courtroom Friday: defendant. Fairfield resident and assistant state's attorney Justina Moore was charged last month with interfering with police after she refused to identify herself to law enforcement, eventually fleeing her home and being brought to the ground after a car chase, according to a police report.

In court Friday, Moore was quiet during a brief hearing, where attorneys confirmed discovery had been received by the defense and that Moore's next court date would be set for Feb. 7. Moore has yet to enter a plea in the case.

The incident that resulted in the charge against Moore, 42, happened Dec. 9, after Moore's ex-husband contacted police about a propane gas tank hooked up to a propane heater at Moore's home, where two children were staying, according to the report.

When police arrived at the Dawn Street residence, fire officials were already in the process of disconnecting the tank and removing it from the house, the report said. Although the fire department was taking the tank for safety reasons, department personnel did not find unhealthy propane levels at the home, according to the report, which stated the house was chilly but the children were not in danger of hypothermia.

When police asked Moore about the home's heat and the children's condition, Moore refused to answer any questions or identify herself or her children, the report said. She told law enforcement she was in the midst of a custody dispute with her ex-husband and any documentation could jeopardize the custody hearing, according to the report. When police again asked for Moore's identification, she told law enforcement she was a prosecutor in the Fairfield Judicial District, but the officer reiterated that he still needed to know her name, the report said.

Moore tried to shut the front door on the police, telling the officer to get out of her house, according to the report. She then left the home out the back door and fled with her children in an SUV, the report said. Police chased the SUV for a few blocks, before cutting the vehicle off at Stephens Lane and Sunset Avenue, according to the report.

Police ordered Moore to get out of the SUV, but she refused, so police reached through an open window to unlock the door and remove Moore from the SUV, the report said. Moore pulled away from police and was brought to the ground, handcuffed and put in the back of a law enforcement vehicle, according to the report. Only then did she identify herself and her children, the report said. Police followed her back to her home, where she was issued the misdemeanor summons, according to the report, which said that law enforcement also notified the Connecticut Department of Children and Families about the incident.

After her court appearance Friday, Moore's attorney, Eugene Riccio, referenced Moore's divorce in connection with the incident.

"Attorney Moore has been a well-respected prosecutor in this state for many years," Riccio said.

Moore was placed on leave for a week as a result of the charge, State's Attorney John Smriga said. She has since returned to work but is on limited duty, which means she cannot practice in courtrooms. Her case has been transferred to the New Haven Judicial District to avoid the potential for a conflict of interest.

Interfering with or resisting police is a Class A misdemeanor, meaning Moore could face a year in prison, a $2,000 fine and probation.

Moore attended New York Law School and has worked as an assistant state's attorney with the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice since 2008.

Fairfield police did not respond Tuesday to a phone call and email seeking information about the charge against Moore, but released the report mid-day Friday after Hearst Connecticut Media filed a Freedom of Information Act request earlier in the week, seeking the report and recordings of the incident.

“Unlike other investigations, this case is sensitive in nature as it relates to the protection and well-being of the juveniles involved, we wanted to have the case reviewed by the Town’s Risk Management Department to review any FOIA exclusions that may be applicable,” Capt. Robert Kalamaras said Friday in a prepared statement.