Every Day in Court Isn't a Sunny Day

Bernard Barrett looks odd in Danbury Superior Court.

First, he's a little old man, born on Feb. 15, 1946. He's divorced.

Second, he has no record.

Third, he has 14 years of education and he's left handed. (Not sure why, but those pieces of information are included in his uniform arrest report. He also has no disability and his skin is fair {far is what they wrote, but I think they were aiming for fair.})

He was charged in Danbury with second-degree forgery, fifth-degree larceny and attempted fifth-degree larceny.

This is how the arrest unfolded. The police received a complaint about Barrett on Dec. 9, 2011, and were finally able to meet with the victim in January 2012.

The victim said Barrett knows her, and she has lent Barrett money in the past. In mid-November, Barrett showed her a letter with the seal of the state of Connecticut on it that said Barrett's son John was owed $167,323 by the state Superior Court. All Barrett had to do to get the money was give the state $1,000. She said no, and Barrett ended up yelling and shouting at her. This incident had occurred after the woman had lent Barrett $30,000 over the last 18 months, the woman said in the arrest warrant application. There are no records or written agreements, the woman said, and that money is not part of this case.

Then the arrest warrant application said Barrett left a telephone message for the victim in December saying he'd been arrested and he needed money to bail himself out of jail. He had a $10,000 bond. She didn't answer or return the call.

The victim then said Barrett called her in early January, saying he was calling to apologize, and he could now explain to her what was really going on. The victim told the Danbury police she had not spoken to Barrett since November 2011, which was when Barrett gave her the letter he said was from the Danbury Superior Court.

Danbury Police Detective Leonard LaBonia investigated the case, and when he called Barrett asking to meet him on Jan. 17, Barrett said yes, but he didn't show up at Danbury Police headquarters. When LaBonia called him up, Barrett said he would rather talk to his attorney before talking to the police. Three days later, LaBonia got a call from Danbury Attorney Scott Chamberlain, who said his client would not be making any statements.

LaBonia charged Barrett with attemped larceny because he was trying to steal money from the victim. She didn't give him the money, so it was "attempted" larceny. Barrett was charged with second-degree forgery, because the letter was fake, and the arrest warrant application said Barrett was the person passing around the fake letter.

Barrett was also charged with fifth-degree larceny, because he convinced a second victim to give him $975 based on the Danbury Courthouse story.

In that instance, the arrest warrant application said Barrett asked a man he knows first for only $300 because he needed the money to get checks from a lawsuit settlement from Danbury Superior Court. In the end, Barrett convinced this vicim first to give him $300, then another $175 due to a miscalculation on the first $300. When Barrett didn't repay the $475, and the victim asked for it back, Barrett provided the victim with more information. The arrest warrant application said Barrett used the names Judge Reynolds and Danbury Attorney Alan Barry to help convince the victim. The victim then googled the names and found out, yes, they were related somehow to Danbury Superior Court., so he sent Barrett another $500 in order to get the settlement checks.

In court Thursday, Barrett's Attorney Scott Chamberlain asked Judge John Blawie for accelerated rehabilitation for Barrett. If that was granted, if Barrett met the conditions of the program, his record would be erased.

State's Attorney Sedensky opposed this motion, saying first Barrett made no attempt to pay back the $975, and second, he forged a court document, which Sedensky said was a serious crime.

Chamberlain said Barrett had worked at the Taunton Press for years, before leaving to start a business as a home inspector. Chamberlain said that work went well until he lost his business in the recession, and somewhere around this time, Barrett's son John developed a serious drug problem.

"Bernie loves his son very much. He supported him morally, emotionally and financially," Chamberlain said. That cost Barrett his pension, his 401(K) and all Barrett is now living on is a $1,400 a month social security check.

"Bernie still couldn't tell his son, no," Chamberlain said. "He went to friends, relatives and co-workers."

Then Barrett went off the tracks, Chamberlain said. "Was there an error in judgement here?"

Chamberlain said the forgery wasn't even particularly good, but Judge Blawie countered that by saying it was good enough to convince one victim to send money.

Blawie asked if Barrett had paid back the $975, and the answer was no.

You'll have a much better argument for AR when that's been paid, Judge Blawie said. He said he's not guaranteeing he'll agree to AR even if it is paid, but he refused to agree to it without restitution.

He gave Barrett another court date of November 29, and the judge clearly wants the money paid back by then before he gives Barrett the program.