Criminal cases against two public officials have been resolved, with a prosecutor dropping charges against an Ansonia Alderman and a school board member agreeing to take an alcohol education course.
The two cases are not connected.
On Thursday a prosecutor nolled a low-level breach of peace charge against Edward Adamowski, a First Ward Alderman who was charged in connection with an argument he had with an ex-girlfriend in the parking lot of Seymour’s Tri-Town Plaza last September.
A breach of peace charge against the woman involved, Stacey Pettinella, was also dropped Thursday.
Prosecutor Paul Gaetano said in court that “no further prosecution” of the cases had been recommended by the Judicial Branch’s Family Services division, which supervises domestic violence cases.
“Family relations is making a favorable recommendation,” Gaetano said. “There have been no further incidents.”
The move means the cases against them will be formally dismissed if they don’t run afoul of the law in the next 13 months.
Both Adamowski and Pettinella also agreed not to threaten, harass, or commit any acts of violence toward one another as a condition of the case being dropped.
Adamowski denied the charge adamantly after his arrest, and reiterated his stance after court Thursday, calling the case “a farce.”
“I got caught up in something crazy. I’m glad it’s over,” Adamowski said.
Meanwhile, a drunk driving charge and other accusations lodged last year against a member of the city’s Board of Education will likely be dismissed next January.
Robert Caruso was arrested last May after police said he crashed into a house at the corner of Beaver Street and Myrtle Avenue. There were no injuries.
He was charged with operating under the influence and carrying a firearm under the influence in connection with the crash.
Cops said Caruso had a .380-caliber Bersa “Firestorm” handgun on him at the time of the accident.
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In the days following his arrest, Caruso’s lawyer told the Valley Indy his client suffered from an unspecified medical condition that led to the accident, but in court Caruso applied to take part in the alcohol education program, a diversionary program for first-time offenders.
Caruso pulled the application last December after he was ruled ineligible for it.
However, he was allowed into the program at a January appearance at Superior Court in Derby, according to his lawyer, Heather Rolfes.
In addition to the alcohol program, Caruso was given accelerated rehabilitation, a form of probation that will see charges formally dropped on Jan. 15, 2015 if he stays out of trouble and sticks to the rules laid down by the court.
Rolfes on Thursday declined to comment on Caruso’s medical condition, or why he had withdrawn the applications to the diversionary programs.
“I don’t really feel that I’m at liberty to discuss someone’s medical issues,” she said. “He got both programs as every citizen in this state is entitled to get.”
The Valley Indy left a message for Caruso Thursday morning.
