STAMFORD -- A judge limited the house arrest conditions for Fotis Dulos Thursday after an incident involving him stopping at a road side display for his missing estranged wife.
Dulos was seen exiting his car near his Jefferson Crossing home in Farmington last week and taking items from a memorial dedicated to his estranged wife, Jennifer Dulos. The judge ordered work release conditions removed from his house arrest exemptions. Now Dulos can only leave confines of house for medical or religious or special exemptions.
Defense attorney, Norm Pattis, waived his client's rights to a probable cause hearing. The hearing would have forced the state to prove murder charge was warranted.
Pattis had stated he wants to get the trial started as soon as possible, as soon as September. Dulos has been charged with murder in connection to the disappearance of his estranged wife, Jennifer Farber-Dulos.
The state said on Jan 17th Dulos had permission from supervisors in his home to make three authorized stops. One being at the Stop & Shop supermarket. They said getting out of car to remove items at the end of the driveway was not authorized and a violation.
Pattis said Fotis, “should not” have removed the items but said items were not a memorial but rather the result of taunting, after people on Facebook forum, dedicated to Jennifer Dulos, have been encouraging others to go on Dulos property to shout and hang things on home itself. He read several posts on the forum as examples.
The judge called Dulos removing the items “stupid” and said this was strike two on violating conditions of house arrest. Strike three would likely mean his bond would double to $12 million.
The state asked the judge to remove work conditions from house arrest exemptions. Judge agreed. Pattis asked judge to reconsider. He simply replied, “no.”
Now Fotis can only leave confines of house for medical / religious / legal and special circumstances.
After judge called Dulos actions, “stupid.” Pattis said in a press conference after the hearing that he thought it was a poor choice of words but said, “I don’t wear the robe and he does.” He said is concerned about the public perception of Dulos actions and called it a, “bad day” for the defense.
Fotis also entered a not guilty plea.
Jennifer has been missing since May 24, 2019.
Currently, Dulos is on house arrest in Farmington.
