Estranged husband charged in connection to wife’s disappearance appears in court

The estranged husband charged in connection to the disappearance of a New Canaan mother of five appeared in court today for a pretrial hearing.
Fotis Dulos appeared in Stamford court with his lawyer Norm Pattis.
Eleven weeks have passed since Fotis Dulos' estranged wife Jennifer Dulos disappeared. She was last seen dropping her children off at school.

Fotis Dulos and his girlfriend Michelle Troconis are both charged with tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution in the disappearance of Jennifer Dulos. Both pleaded not guilty and have since been out on bond.

On Friday, the judge went over several motions the defense and prosecution have filed since Fotis Dulos' last court hearing-- including a gag order requested by state prosecutors to keep attorneys from making statements to the media that could prejudice a jury.

Pattis has issued several controversial statements offering alternative explanations for Jennifer Dulos' disappearance, including that she could have staged her own disappearance. State attorney Richard Colangelo says Pattis is spreading false information about the case.

He said Troconis never took a lie detector test but Pattis has told the media she did. Meanwhile Pattis argues he's trying to protect his client from false claims.

The judge denied Pattis' motion to have Jennifer Dulos' medical records released. Pattis claims the medical records show over $14,000 in tests and could prove Jennifer Dulos was despondent or in a bad state of mind.

The judge also denied Fotis Dulos' request to move his GPS tracking device to his arm.

Pattis argued that the state should turn over Fotis Dulos' electronic devices. The state agreed to give Fotis Dulos back two cars seized in the investigation, but the judge denied the defense's request for his electronic devices. Pattis says the devices could prove where Fotis Dulos was the day of the disappearance.

The gag order was also discussed at length; no decision was made. Pattis says if the motion for a gag order is approved he will fight it in Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, co-defendant Michelle Troconnis and Fotis Dulos are still to have no contact with each other, the judge said.

The state attorney wants time to file an objection to Pattis' motion that all charges against Fotis Dulos be dropped.

The next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 13 at 10 a.m.
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