Refresher on Pattis leaking from the sealed custody report but not before adding his own spin
6/26/2019
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Pattis said Fotis Dulos is ready to cooperate with prosecutors — if he’s allowed to discuss with them the confidential psychological report about the family filed in the divorce case.
The report — how a copy ended up at Fotis Dulos’ house, and whether Pattis could use it in his defense — was the main subject of a contentious half-hour hearing before Judge Donna Heller, who is overseeing the divorce case.
A lawyer
representing Jennifer Dulos, Reuben Midler, said Pattis was “attempting to use something inadmissible to create a defense.”
Pattis said the report would be admissible. “She acted in reliance on that report. She told Mr. Dulos based on that report, ‘You will never see your children, I will see to it.’”
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Michael Meehan, a Bridgeport attorney and a court-appointed guardian ad litem for the five Dulos children, requested Wednesday’s hearing.
Meehan
accused Pattis of violating a court order that sealed a recent custody and psychological evaluation done on the family by speaking to the media about Jennifer Dulos’ psychological status. Those comments could be seen by her children, Meehan said.
“I am concerned on behalf of my wards,” Meehan told the judge.
He also said Fotis Dulos’ previous divorce lawyer
[Rich Rochlin] gave him an affidavit refuting some of the claims Pattis made in a court filing.
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Pattis said he “glanced” at the psychological report and did not read closely before returning it — but that he did so after making statements about it. Then, a reporter called him preparing what he described as a “hit piece” asking him to confirm earlier statements.
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“This is a family case,” Midler said. “This is not an opportunity for the defendant to establish a criminal defense, which is I think what is going on.”
Heller said she was “concerned the report was not protected” the way she envisioned when the order was issued.
She said the report will remain sealed and will be available for lawyers to review and reiterated the rules concerning the document.
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In the latest motions filed on Tuesday, Midler wants Fotis Dulos and his counsel held in contempt and for the court to impose sanctions for violating the judge’s order sealing the evaluation.
Midler is also asking for Meehan to be removed as the court-appointed guardian ad litem for the Dulos children. The motion accuses Meehan of wrongly releasing the evaluation to Fotis Dulos and his attorneys.