Trial Dates Set for East Haven Police Civil Rights Case

One year after four East Haven Police Officers were arrested for alleged civil rights violations, two of those men — David Cari and Dennis Spaulding — will finally get their day in court.

At a hearing on Friday, Judge Alvin W. Thompson set the dates for Cari and Spaulding's jury trial.

"Parties shall hold period between April 8 to May 13, 2013 for jury trial," the hearing's minutes, passed along to East Haven Patch by the Connecticut U.S. States Attorney's Office, read.

And jury selection for the court case will occur on April 1.

Earlier this week, Cari was ordered back under house arrest and into his mother's custody after he was charged with illegally hunting deer and trespassing on Regional Water Authority property near the Lake Saltonstall Reservoir.

Other Officers Await Sentencing

The two other East Haven Police officers indicted along with Cari and Spaulding — John Miller and Jason Zullo — will not face a jury trial.

Although all four men initially plead "not guilty," both Miller and then Zullo later changed their pleas to "guilty."

Thompson has scheduled Miller's sentencing for Feb. 1. He now faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.

Zullo's initial sentencing hearing was held on Jan. 8. But the session was dismissed without Judge Thompson handing down a sentence. And no new hearing date has yet been set by the court.

The former EHPD officer faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000