2nd Norwalk cop accused of drinking on the job denied probation program
STAMFORD — A second Norwalk police officer accused of drinking while on duty was denied entry to a pretrial probation program Thursday.
Judge Gary White ruled that Sara Laudano, 31, would not be granted the accelerated rehabilitation program that could have resulted in the charges against her being dropped.
The decision comes nearly a week after Laudano’s colleague and codefendant Michael DiMeglio, 39, was also denied the probationary program.
Attorney Raymond Hassett, who represented Laudano, argued his client was a “perfect candidate” for the program.
“This is a person who's standing before you as a single mom. She's on the verge of most likely losing her job. It's very likely, if not probably, that that will occur,” said Hassett, who argued the application was more an effort to avoid a criminal record than an attempt to save Laudano’s job.
White ultimately determined Laudano had “endangered not only the residents
of the city of Norwalk in not being available to respond to calls, but she had an infant in a police car and she was driving around after she had been drinking.”
“If she really accepted responsibility for her conduct, I would think that she would recognize that she doesn’t belong in the police department,” White said. “Am I saying she’s a horrible criminal who should go to prison? No, I’m not saying that. But at the same time, I’ve got to look at her conduct in the overall context of the situation, and I
think it’s too serious under the circumstances, so I'm going to deny the application.”
Both Laudano and DiMeglio applied for the accelerated rehabilitation program earlier this year following their arrests in January.
Arrest warrants show a 12-hour period between Oct. 8 and 9, 2020, in which DiMeglio and Laudano, 31, are accused of drinking in their police cruisers and not responding to service calls before they were found in a hotel room.
Laudano was accused of driving with a baby and a civilian in the cruiser after she consumed alcohol, and also using a THC vape pen, according to the warrants.
A department investigation was launched following the incident and both officers were placed on administrative leave.
During the investigation, police determined the conduct went beyond department violations and criminal charges were filed.
“I am extremely disappointed in the apparent dereliction of their duty to both the citizens of Norwalk as well as to their fellow officers,” Police Chief Thomas Kulhawik said when the officers were arrested. “We will have no further comment until after the disciplinary process is complete.”
The internal investigations are still ongoing, police said.
Neither officer has completed their disciplinary hearing yet.
Laudano is expected back in court on Dec. 3, and DiMeglio will appear back on Oct. 19. Both defendants are expected to receive a plea offer at their next court dates, according to State’s Attorney Paul Ferencek.