Judge lifts Troconis’ house arrest, curfew

STAMFORD — Michelle Troconis is no longer on house arrest and she does not have a curfew, but she is still required to wear a GPS monitoring device and cannot leave Connecticut without the court’s permission, a judge ruled on Wednesday.

Troconis is facing conspiracy to commit murder, tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution charges in the death and disappearance of Jennifer Dulos.

In his 15-page ruling, Stamford Superior Court Judge John Blawie said the “seriousness of the defendant’s charges cannot be understated.”

“The defendant stands accused of two serious felonies, alleging her involvement in a conspiracy to murder Jennifer Dulos,” Blawie wrote. “Although Troconis has no prior criminal record nor any history of violence, these allegations themselves weigh heavily against complete termination of her non-financial conditions of release.”

Defense attorney Jon Schoenhorn, representing Troconis, has been trying for months to get the court to loosen the non-financial conditions of his client’s release on $2.1 million bond.

Schoenhorn contends the GPS unit is hampering his client’s ability to participate in her own defense since Judicial Branch officials know her every move.

“It appears that Judge Blawie is splitting the baby,” Schoenhorn said of the ruling. “Although I believe it is a thoughtful legal memorandum, I will continue to ask the Appellate Court to review the requirement of continued GPS monitoring. We are grateful that the court agreed that the other conditions, including curfew and house arrest should be removed, and that she is permitted to travel out of state with prior permission. But we believe there is an insufficient basis to require the ankle bracelet.”