A bail commissioner recommend that Stamford family attorney Ridgely Brown, 72, be released after signing a promise to appear in court. However, Judge Bruce Hudock, who signed Brown’s arrest warrant charging him with six felony counts of intentionally not reporting his guns missing and six counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, said he would keep Brown’s bail at $500,000. Hudock then doubled down on his decision by ruling that Brown would have to be present at court and have a hearing before a judge in order to be released on bond. Ordinarily defendants can post bond at any prison in the state.
Hudock appeared to have his concerns raised about Brown, who has practiced for decades in the courthouse and who has no criminal record, after Assistant State’s Attorney Daniel Cummings said additional guns that Brown had registered in his name have gone unaccounted for.
Police said last week that when they arrested Brown, who spent the weekend at Stamford Hospital being treated for undisclosed ailments, they confiscated 19 more guns at his home. When Hudock asked Cummings how many more guns were missing, Cummings said he did not know.
Public Defender Howard Ehring, who represented Brown at his arraignment, told Hudock that it would be “beyond the pale” for Brown to post such a large bond. When Ehring mentioned that Brown might be suffering from a mental health problem, Brown, who had tissue stuffed up his left nostril, began laughing and started shaking his head.
After the hearing Ehring expressed his disappointment at Hudock’s decision.
“There may be some extenuating circumstances that I’m not aware of at this point, but still I think half and million dollars for these charges is really on the high end of the spectrum,” he said. “I’m astonished.”
Brown’s arrest came two days after Lawrence Moore was arrested on July 9 for allegedly trying to shoot officer Bryan Cooper during a drug raid with a
Full Story: https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/Stamford-judge-won-t-budge-on-lawyer-s-500K-14096890.php
