Teen’s Killer Allowed to Work While Awaiting Sentencing

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: Good morning. Good morning, everybody. Have a seat, guys. All right, Mr. Elect, good morning, sir. The parties identified themselves for the record, please. [00:00:25] Martin Cosby: Good morning, Your Honor. Attorney Martin Cosby for the state's standing in, the state's attorney Watson. [00:00:31] Martin Manila: Attorney Martin Manila for the defendant, Your Honor. Attorney John Rodden for the defendant, Your Honor. [00:00:35] Speaker 1: All right. Mr. Ullett's posting today, correct? Yes, sir. And I believe that he had to surrender his passport? [00:00:41] Martin Manila: Yes, Your Honor. He usually works in federal court. We will surrender it by 4:30 today. To the clerk's office? Yes, to the clerk's office. [00:00:52] Speaker 1: All right. So at this point, until there's a motion, it's going to be 24/7, except for medical and legal, okay? [00:01:00] Martin Manila: How about work, Your Honor? [00:01:02] Speaker 1: Is he working? [00:01:03] Martin Manila: Yes. [00:01:04] Speaker 1: Okay. What's his hours at work? [00:01:08] Martin Manila: 6:30 in the morning around to around 5 o'clock at night. Okay. So if we can make it 6:30 to 6:30, because his business, they go out of the area. When you say out of the area, what does that mean? I mean, out of Burlington or Harwinton, they might go to-- Not out of Connecticut. No, not out of Connecticut. No. [00:01:42] Speaker 1: Give me one second. Well, does he start work at 6:30? Yes, Your Honor. All right. So he's got to get to work, obviously. Pardon me? He's got to get to work. [00:02:02] Martin Manila: I think he lives right where the business is, Your Honor. I think he's been living there. All right. I spoke to his father, Your Honor. He's literally running the business with five other employees. All right. Does anyone want to be heard on that? [00:02:27] Martin Cosby: Your Honor, this was not the conditions that were set at the time that State's Attorney Watson and Attorney Clifton were-- Oh, I set them. Yes, Your Honor. [00:02:35] Speaker 1: So do you want to be heard on the 6:30 to 6:30 work? [00:02:37] Martin Cosby: Your Honor, at this point in time, I do believe that the 24/7 lockdown is appropriate, given that the defendant has been convicted of a C felony and faces a substantial amount of jail time. And at this point in time, there is obviously concerns that he's out in the community and the possibility-- What are those concerns? With respect to the fact that he is out in the community, he's already been convicted, found guilty by a jury, and he's awaiting sentencing. [00:03:07] Speaker 1: There's no safety concerns, though, are there? [00:03:10] Martin Cosby: No, Your Honor. Just the possibility of flight. [00:03:14] Speaker 1: Well, there's a possibility of flight. That condition wasn't there, either. [00:03:19] Martin Cosby: There's always that possibility, yes, sir. All right. [00:03:22] Martin Manila: Your Honor, I just want to also say that he's been here for multiple-- [00:03:25] Speaker 1: There's no call at the DCL on the file? No, Your Honor. All right. So what I'm going to do is 10% today. Yes. 6:30 to 6:30 is your curfew for work, medical, and legal carve-outs. Thank you, Your Honor. All right. Electronic monitor, yeah. 24/7. [00:03:41] Martin Manila: Do we have a continuum of state? What, sir? [00:03:49] Speaker 1: Yes. All right. You got to get that passport here by 4:30, okay? It'll be here. [00:03:54] Martin Manila: All right. [00:03:55] Speaker 1: That's a condition of your release also, right, sir? [00:03:57] Martin Manila: Yes. The other question I have is, is there a tentative sentencing date? January 12th, I believe. January 12th? Right. And you're going to be present for the PSI. All right. I will be present for the PSI, Your Honor. Thank you very much. [00:04:11] Speaker ?: We're adjourned. [00:04:12] Martin Manila: All right. Thank you. All right. [00:04:28] Speaker 4: Mr. Forperson, in the case of State of Connecticut v. Cooper Ouellette, has the jury agreed upon the verdict? Yes. Will the defendant, Cooper Ouellette, please rise and face the jury? In docket number HHB-CR24-0349816T, in count one of the information charging the defendant, Cooper Ouellette, with the crime of manslaughter in the first degree, in violation of section 53A-55, paren A, paren 3 of the Connecticut general statutes, is the defendant guilty or not guilty? [00:05:08] Speaker 5: Not guilty. [00:05:10] Speaker 4: As to the lesser included crime of manslaughter in the second degree, in violation of section 53A-56, paren A, paren 1 of the Connecticut general statutes, with which the defendant stands charged in the first count, is the defendant guilty or not guilty? [00:05:25] Speaker 6: Guilty. [00:05:27] Speaker 4: In count two of the information charging the defendant, Cooper Ouellette, with the crime of delivery of alcohol to a minor, in violation of section 30-86, paren B, paren 2 of the Connecticut general statutes, is the defendant guilty or not guilty? [00:05:41] Martin Manila: Guilty. [00:05:42] Speaker 4: May the verdict be accepted and recorded. It may be accepted and recorded. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, please listen to your verdict as it is accepted and recorded. As to count one of the information charging the defendant, Cooper Ouellette, with the crime of manslaughter in the first degree, in violation of section 53A-55, paren A, paren 3 of the Connecticut general statutes, you say the defendant is not guilty. As to count two of the information charging the defendant, Cooper Ouellette, with the crime of delivery of alcohol to a minor, in violation of section 30-86, paren B, paren 2 of the Connecticut general statutes, you say the defendant is guilty. As to count two of the information charging the defendant, Cooper Ouellette, with the crime of delivery of alcohol to a minor, in violation of section 30-86, paren B, paren 2 of the Connecticut general statutes, you say the defendant is guilty. So say you, Mr. Foreperson? Yes. So say you all? Yes. Thank you. You may be seated. [00:06:35] Speaker 1: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Appreciate that. Ladies and gentlemen, the verdict in this case has now been accepted, and it is time to discharge you from your oath. The time and energy you've spent listening to the evidence and to the charge and deliberating to a verdict is greatly appreciated by the parties and by the court. Jury service is both a burden and a privilege to our legal system, which could not function without your participation. I want to thank you for your efforts. The oath that you took at the beginning of this case obligated you to keep silent about your work as jurors during the trial. Having rendered your verdict, you are released from that oath. It is, of course, up to you to decide whether or not to talk about your work as jurors. You certainly have no obligation to do so and should be aware that any comment you may make might become the cause of further proceedings in this court concerning your verdict. You are now discharged. Because this proceeding is still pending, the law does suggest that I cannot speak with you regarding your experience. However, I appreciate your participation here. I want to like to thank you individually and shake your hands and personally say thank you as you exit the jury room. So if you could just hang out there for a few minutes, I appreciate that. Okay. Thank you very much. Just one more second. Do you want the jury to be pulled? No, Your Honor. Okay. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. [00:08:21] Speaker 5: All right. Anything from the parties? State? At this point, Your Honor, Mr. Ouellette is no longer cloaked in innocence. He's been found guilty of manslaughter in the second degree, as well as delivering alcohol to a minor. The state's request would be to increase his bond. [00:08:37] Speaker 1: Okay. What's his bond now? Do you know? [00:08:39] Martin Cosby: $50,000. [00:08:40] Speaker 1: $50,000? Do you have a certain request or no? I do not, Your Honor. Okay. [00:08:46] Speaker 6: Congrat? Your Honor, he's been out on bond for quite some time now. He has no record. He's 21 years old. He lives with his family. I would ask bond to be remained as set. He's given no indication to the court that he's a flight risk or a danger to society. All right. [00:09:02] Speaker 1: Well, he did get convicted of a serious felony, a C felony, where it's penalties up to 10 years, another delivery of alcohol to a minor, which I believe is up to 11 months. The court is going to increase his bond to $200,000, and we need a PSI date. And would the court consider that to be post in court only? Post that court only, and there will be, at this point, 24-7 lockdown with carve-outs for medical and attorney appointments at this point. Okay.