Press Releases
08/17/2023
Inspector Charged with Evading Responsibility, Failure to Obey Traffic Control Signal
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Rocky Hill, CT) – A Fairfield State’s Attorney’s Office Inspector was arrested today and charged with evading responsibility following a July 2023 incident in Bridgeport involving a vehicle and a bicycle.
James Lawton, age 61, was arrested by Inspectors from the New Britain State’s Attorney’s Office on a warrant charging him with one count of Evading Responsibility in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 14-224(b)(3) and one count of Failure to Obey Traffic Control Signal in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 14-299. To avoid any potential conflicts of interest, Chief State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin transferred the investigation of the incident from the Bridgeport Police Department, which falls within the Fairfield Judicial District, to New Britain State’s Attorney Christian M. Watson. The New Britain State’s Attorney’s Office will prosecute the case.
Lawton is charged in connection with an accident that occurred on Main Street in Bridgeport at about 3 p.m. on July 11, 2023. According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Lawton failed to make a complete stop at a traffic signal at the intersection of Main Street and Golden Hill Street and proceeded to make a right turn when the state-issued vehicle he was driving struck a bicycle entering the crosswalk. The impact from the collision caused the operator of the bicycle, age 17, to fall to the ground. Lawton stopped and exited the vehicle, helped the victim pick up his damaged bicycle and then left the scene. About two minutes later, Lawton briefly returned to an area close to the crash scene where the victim remained and was talking on his phone. Lawton stopped briefly and spoke to the victim before leaving again.
About an hour after the incident, the victim and his mother went to the Bridgeport Police Department to report the crash. While at the department, paramedics treated the victim for minor injuries and he was evaluated later at Bridgeport Hospital.
Lawton, who is currently on administrative leave, was released on a written promise to appear in court and is scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court, G.A. No. 2, on August 29, 2023. The charges are merely accusations and he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.