A criminal case against a former Shelton police officer accused of having drugs in his police department locker last year was uneventful Monday, but a resolution of several other legal wrangles he has with the city may be looming.
Former Shelton police officer Loren Casertano, appeared briefly before Judge Maureen Keegan at Superior Court in Milford Monday, where the case was pushed to May 14.
State police charged Casertano last month with possession of narcotics, possession of a prescription not in a container, possession of drug paraphernalia, and two counts of possession of a controlled substance. Click here to read more about the charges.
Castertano, through his attorney, has denied the charges, saying he had legitimate medical reasons for having the items.
Meanwhile, several other pending legal matters between Casertano and the city — a federal lawsuit and a hearing before the state labor department’s Board of Mediation and Arbitration — may be resolved soon, according to parties involved.
Mayor Mark Lauretti said last week that while a resolution hasn’t been reached, settlement talks are taking place.
“There’s a long litany of issues that need to be discussed and that’s what we’re doing,” Lauretti said.
The lawyer representing Casertano before the state labor board, John “Chip” Walsh, said Thursday that he was “in discussions” regarding the case but wouldn’t comment further.
Serafinowicz and Casertano’s lawyer in the federal lawsuit, Norm Pattis, said last month that state police charged Casertano in the drug case as “retribution” for his not resolving his legal battles with the city. Click here to read more.
Casertano will be subject to random drug tests until at least his next court date.
Serafinowicz said outside the courthouse that such a referral is “standard protocol on a drug case” and that his client has “nothing to hide.”
Since Casertano’s arrest Serafinowicz has said his client had prescriptions for all of the drugs found in his locker last May. He said Monday that he has provided those prescriptions to prosecutors.
The lawyer also said he’s confident the random drug tests given to Casertano between now and his next court date will come back negative.
Previous stories:
Lawyer Guarantees Acquittal In Cop’s Drug Case
Warrant: Fired Shelton Cop Had Drugs, Syringes In Locker
Ex-Cop Released After Surrender On Drug Charges
