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‘I feel like a passenger in a runaway train that is headed to nowhere’: A frustrated, cash-strapped Fotis Dulos fought against judge overseeing his two-year contentious divorce
Feb 2, 2020
“My soon to be ex-wife has waged war against me by employing the law firm of Wayne Effron and specifically attorney Reuben Midler,” Dulos wrote. “I have been representing myself because I cannot afford legal fees of $70,0000 per month as she does. The result is I have been railroaded.”
Dulos complained that Heller allowed Midler to “always get his way” and controlled the proceedings. Midler could not be reached for comment.
The court-appointed guardian for the couple’s children, Michael Meehan, who Farber Dulos wanted removed from the case, was paid $175,000 through December 2018, records show. Dr. Stephen Herman, a child psychiatrist who authored a custody report, was paid more than $40,000 despite leaving the witness stand during cross-examination by Midler, and refusing to finish his testimony, which could make his report moot in family court.
Herman’s report has been sealed by Heller, although search warrants released recently indicate that Stamford/Norwalk State’s Attorney Richard Colangelo obtained a copy through a search warrant. At the court hearing when the report was sealed, attorneys for Dulos intimated that Herman’s report was favorable toward Dulos.
There also are costs for a family therapist, three psychologists and court-approved monitors, paid about $150 an hour, who were required to supervise Dulos’ visits with his children. Records show Dulos had at least 20-25 supervised visits with his children since Farber Dulos filed for divorce in 2017.
“Judge Heller has ruled against me over and over. I am not an alcoholic, I am not a drug addict, I am not an abuser,” Dulos wrote. “I am a good father and my children adore me.”
Dulos was angry that he was unable to see his children. Heller had restricted his contact with them after he lied about them having contact with his then-girlfriend Michelle Troconis.
[..]
“I speak to them on the phone once a week on a recorded line!” Dulos wrote, referring to the arrangement he had to talk to his children.
It’s unclear what Dulos expected to get from writing the letter, although he does ask the commission to take a closer look at his case and claims that he is being discriminated against because of his Greek origin.
Heller was unaware that the letter was written and told Dulos she should have been informed. She also told Dulos at a court hearing that it didn’t matter anyway.
[..]
But a day after that hearing, Heller issued her new custody orders, which increased the amount of time that Dulos could see his children to every other weekend and Wednesday evenings as long as a court monitor was present.
The last time Dulos saw his children was on May 22, when he spent more than an hour at their New Canaan home eating dinner in the backyard while Farber Dulos and the nanny for the children, Lauren Almeida, were inside.
Two days later, Farber Dulos went missing. Police said she was the victim of a violent crime inside the garage of her home. Police said the crime scene was cleaned up, and they found Dulos’ blood mixed with his wife’s blood on the kitchen faucet and his DNA on the inside doorknob of the mudroom.
Feb 2, 2020
“My soon to be ex-wife has waged war against me by employing the law firm of Wayne Effron and specifically attorney Reuben Midler,” Dulos wrote. “I have been representing myself because I cannot afford legal fees of $70,0000 per month as she does. The result is I have been railroaded.”
Dulos complained that Heller allowed Midler to “always get his way” and controlled the proceedings. Midler could not be reached for comment.
The court-appointed guardian for the couple’s children, Michael Meehan, who Farber Dulos wanted removed from the case, was paid $175,000 through December 2018, records show. Dr. Stephen Herman, a child psychiatrist who authored a custody report, was paid more than $40,000 despite leaving the witness stand during cross-examination by Midler, and refusing to finish his testimony, which could make his report moot in family court.
Herman’s report has been sealed by Heller, although search warrants released recently indicate that Stamford/Norwalk State’s Attorney Richard Colangelo obtained a copy through a search warrant. At the court hearing when the report was sealed, attorneys for Dulos intimated that Herman’s report was favorable toward Dulos.
There also are costs for a family therapist, three psychologists and court-approved monitors, paid about $150 an hour, who were required to supervise Dulos’ visits with his children. Records show Dulos had at least 20-25 supervised visits with his children since Farber Dulos filed for divorce in 2017.
“Judge Heller has ruled against me over and over. I am not an alcoholic, I am not a drug addict, I am not an abuser,” Dulos wrote. “I am a good father and my children adore me.”
Dulos was angry that he was unable to see his children. Heller had restricted his contact with them after he lied about them having contact with his then-girlfriend Michelle Troconis.
[..]
“I speak to them on the phone once a week on a recorded line!” Dulos wrote, referring to the arrangement he had to talk to his children.
It’s unclear what Dulos expected to get from writing the letter, although he does ask the commission to take a closer look at his case and claims that he is being discriminated against because of his Greek origin.
Heller was unaware that the letter was written and told Dulos she should have been informed. She also told Dulos at a court hearing that it didn’t matter anyway.
[..]
But a day after that hearing, Heller issued her new custody orders, which increased the amount of time that Dulos could see his children to every other weekend and Wednesday evenings as long as a court monitor was present.
The last time Dulos saw his children was on May 22, when he spent more than an hour at their New Canaan home eating dinner in the backyard while Farber Dulos and the nanny for the children, Lauren Almeida, were inside.
Two days later, Farber Dulos went missing. Police said she was the victim of a violent crime inside the garage of her home. Police said the crime scene was cleaned up, and they found Dulos’ blood mixed with his wife’s blood on the kitchen faucet and his DNA on the inside doorknob of the mudroom.
