Experts: Prosecution Likely to Proceed Against Lawyer Implicated in Fotis Dulos Case
Experts the Connecticut Law Tribune spoke to say that the case against attorney Kent Mawhinney, who was implicated in the disappearance of Jennifer Dulos, will likely proceed even though Fotis Dulos, Jennifer's husband, died from suicide last week. Fotis Dulos was charged with murder in the death of his wife, who went missing in May and was never found.
February 04, 2020 at 10:17 AM
4 minute read
Legal experts believe that prosecutors will move forward with their case against Bloomfield attorney Kent Mawhinney, who has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
They say the case against the attorney is likely to proceed, even though the prime suspect, real estate developer Fotis Dulos, died by suicide Thursday. Fotis had been awaiting trial for murder of his wife Jennifer, who disappeared in May.
Now, the fate of an attorney hangs in the balance.
Mawhinney, a Connecticut lawyer for 29 years, received his law degree from Western New England College in 1990. He specialized in immigration law. He was friends with Dulos, and represented him in several civil matters.
But Mawhinney's law license was suspended Jan. 28, and he remains behind bars, unable to post a $2 million bond. While the criminal case unfolds, a court-appointed trustee will look at the defendant-lawyer's caseload, contact his clients, and refer them to other counsel as needed, according to former Connecticut chief disciplinary counsel Mark Dubois, an attorney with New London's Geraghty & Bonnano.
Mawhinney's most notable tie-in to the Dulos case involves the Windsor Rod and Gun Club, which Mawhinney helped start. Court documents show that a few days before Jennifer Dulos went missing, two hunters found what appeared to be a makeshift shallow grave near the gun club. A hole had been dug in the ground, but there were no signs of human remains, according to media reports.
'How can they bargain here?'
While the experts the Connecticut Law Tribune spoke to Monday said the state will probably either offer Mawhinney a plea or try the case, they agreed the evidence is flimsy at best. Dulos' death will also probably not sway the prosecution's decision to move forward with the case, they said.
"To be frank, my opinion from reading the affidavit is that to call this a weak case is an understatement," said longtime New Haven criminal defense lawyer John Williams. "It's a nothing case. I can't believe a judge signed that warrant because it does not allege anything. It's all speculation upon speculation. There are a lot of might have been's. It's disgusting and all that shallow grave stuff is all speculation."
Criminal defense attorney James Bergenn of Shipman & Goodwin agreed.
"There is nothing in the public record that puts Mawhinney as a co-conspirator in advance of the murder," Bergenn said. "All I can see in the public records is that Dulos and Mawhinney were buddies, had an attorney-client relationship, and each had problems going through a divorce."
Mawhinney is also charged with spousal sexual assault and violating a protective order related to his wife.
Lee Gold, Mawhinney's attorney and counsel with Hartford's Butler, Norris & Gold, declined to comment Monday, saying the matter is an active criminal case.
Meanwhile, Dubois, who spent years prosecuting attorney-ethics case, said Mawhinney "lost a big bargaining chip" when Dulos died.
"The question now is what does he know, if anything, and how can they bargain here?" Dubois said. "Ninety-nine percent of criminal cases end with some kind of plea bargain. It will probably happen in this case."
Richard Colangelo Jr., who was named chief state's attorney last week, is also still acting as state's attorney for the Stamford/Norwalk judicial district. He is prosecuting the case against Mawhinney. He declined to discuss the matter Monday because the case is ongoing.
Michele Troconis, Dulos' girlfriend, is also charged with conspiracy to commit murder. She posted bond, and her case is pending.
Related stories:
Likely to Be Denied, Norm Pattis Presses for Trial of Dead Client: 'I Do Suppose I'm Angry'
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View AllTrump Administration Faces Legal Challenge Over EO Impacting Federal Workers
3 minute readSettlement Allows Spouses of U.S. Citizens to Reopen Removal Proceedings
4 minute readTrending Stories
- 1No Two Wildfires Alike: Lawyers Take Different Legal Strategies in California
- 2Poop-Themed Dog Toy OK as Parody, but Still Tarnished Jack Daniel’s Brand, Court Says
- 3Meet the New President of NY's Association of Trial Court Jurists
- 4Lawyers' Phones Are Ringing: What Should Employers Do If ICE Raids Their Business?
- 5Freshfields Hires Ex-SEC Corporate Finance Director in Silicon Valley
Who Got The Work
J. Brugh Lower of Gibbons has entered an appearance for industrial equipment supplier Devco Corporation in a pending trademark infringement lawsuit. The suit, accusing the defendant of selling knock-off Graco products, was filed Dec. 18 in New Jersey District Court by Rivkin Radler on behalf of Graco Inc. and Graco Minnesota. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi, is 3:24-cv-11294, Graco Inc. et al v. Devco Corporation.
Who Got The Work
Rebecca Maller-Stein and Kent A. Yalowitz of Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer have entered their appearances for Hanaco Venture Capital and its executives, Lior Prosor and David Frankel, in a pending securities lawsuit. The action, filed on Dec. 24 in New York Southern District Court by Zell, Aron & Co. on behalf of Goldeneye Advisors, accuses the defendants of negligently and fraudulently managing the plaintiff's $1 million investment. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, is 1:24-cv-09918, Goldeneye Advisors, LLC v. Hanaco Venture Capital, Ltd. et al.
Who Got The Work
Attorneys from A&O Shearman has stepped in as defense counsel for Toronto-Dominion Bank and other defendants in a pending securities class action. The suit, filed Dec. 11 in New York Southern District Court by Bleichmar Fonti & Auld, accuses the defendants of concealing the bank's 'pervasive' deficiencies in regards to its compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and the quality of its anti-money laundering controls. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, is 1:24-cv-09445, Gonzalez v. The Toronto-Dominion Bank et al.
Who Got The Work
Crown Castle International, a Pennsylvania company providing shared communications infrastructure, has turned to Luke D. Wolf of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani to fend off a pending breach-of-contract lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 25 in Michigan Eastern District Court by Hooper Hathaway PC on behalf of The Town Residences LLC, accuses Crown Castle of failing to transfer approximately $30,000 in utility payments from T-Mobile in breach of a roof-top lease and assignment agreement. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Susan K. Declercq, is 2:24-cv-13131, The Town Residences LLC v. T-Mobile US, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Wilfred P. Coronato and Daniel M. Schwartz of McCarter & English have stepped in as defense counsel to Electrolux Home Products Inc. in a pending product liability lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 26 in New York Eastern District Court by Poulos Lopiccolo PC and Nagel Rice LLP on behalf of David Stern, alleges that the defendant's refrigerators’ drawers and shelving repeatedly break and fall apart within months after purchase. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Joan M. Azrack, is 2:24-cv-08204, Stern v. Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250