Lawsuit: East Haven Police Officers ‘Extort’ Payment from Citizens for Testimonies

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A proposed collective action alleges that the city of East Haven, Connecticut maintains a practice of demanding “unlawful and extortionate fees” from citizens in exchange for testimonies by police officers and firefighters in criminal court proceedings.

The suit was filed against the office of Mayor Joseph Maturo, several East Haven police officers and the city’s attorneys by a resident who claims his right to due process was violated by the defendants. According to the case, the man was arrested in December 2015 for failing to surrender his firearms after a restraining order was issued against him. The plaintiff went on to subpoena two officers to testify at his January 2016 hearing, to which the city’s attorneys responded by sending a letter that demanded the following payments for the officers’ attendance:

• Sergeant/Officer – five hour minimum, $383.62 each officer
• Vehicle - $20.00 per hour, minimum five hours, $100.00
• Report copy, $15.00

These fees were illegitimate, the suit argues, and interfered with the plaintiff’s right to a fair hearing in that they exceeded state law’s maximum fee of $100 plus mileage for an officer’s appearance at a court hearing. From the complaint:

“Defendants acted with intent to violate Plaintiff’s rights without excuse or justification using extortionate methods to demand fees that were outside the legitimate ends of the [legal] process.”