[Editor’s Note: This article has been updated by removing the name of at least one arrested teen whose charges were dismissed.]
One of the Darien High School seniors arrested following the widely discussed assault of a New Canaan juvenile one night last month is seeking a form of parole to address criminal charges leveled against him, officials said Wednesday.
Attorney Stephan Seeger (L) with Brian Minicus, at state Superior Court in Norwalk on Dec. 6, 2017. Mandatory credit: Erik Trautmann/ Hearst Connecticut Media
An attorney for 18-year-old Brian Minicus said during an appearance at state Superior Court that that his client is applying for accelerated rehabilitation or ‘AR.’
Wearing a light blue shirt, pink-striped tie, tan slacks and blazer, Minicus was sworn in by Judge Alex Hernandez and offered short responses as to standard questions about his own criminal history—he has no prior convictions—and his understanding of the AR program.
Minicus is scheduled to appear next on Jan. 17.
His attorney, Stamford-based Stephan Seeger, said in an interview with NewCanaanite.com following the arraignment, “We are hopeful that through this process and discussions with the attorney for the victim that we may resolve this case in a forthright and expeditious manner.”
The lawyer for the “complaining witness” or victim, New Canaan-based criminal defense attorney Matthew Maddox, was present during the arraignment and identified himself to Hernandez as such.
An AR application generally would see an arrested person meet terms such as counseling, community service and avoidance of further criminal charges over a specified period of time in order to have charges dropped.
Asked whether he intended to object to Minicus’s application for accelerated rehab, Maddox said he did not know.
“My job is to ensure that my clients victims’ rights are protected,” Maddox said.
He stopped short of naming Seeger specifically during an interview with NewCanaanite.com, saying only that “as a general practice, lawyers should not comment” on pending criminal matters and that it’s a “mistake to engage” in innuendo.
“It does not contribute to the integrity of the process,” Maddox said. “It breaks down the integrity of the process.”
New Canaan Police on Nov. 22 charged Minicus by warrant with third-degree assault and second-degree unlawful restraint, two misdemeanor offenses. According to police arrest warrant applications, Minicus and other Darien High School students traveled to a New Canaan residence on the night of Nov. 6 following an escalating dispute through text and Snapchat. There, while a 17-year-old Darien High School male held down a male juvenile victim from New Canaan, Minicus put the victim in a headlock and punched him 12 times in the face, according to information included in the arrest warrant applications.
Minicus and two others charged following the incident, including Darien High School senior [an arrested teen], 18, turned themselves in to New Canaan Police on Nov. 22, the day before the annual Turkey Bowl. Both Minicus and [an arrested teen] had starred during the football season for the Blue Wave squad—as a receiver and quarterback, respectively—and neither played in the annual Thanksgiving morning rival match between New Canaan and Darien. The Rams won 27-0. Minicus hasn’t played since his arrest, though [an arrested teen] has, as Darien advances through the state championship tournament.
[The arrested teen] is scheduled to appear Dec. 14.