6 April—It’s with great pleasure—make that utter delight—The Litchfield Monitor celebrates the arraignment in Torrington a couple of days ago of fired Litchfield Public Works foreman Richard Jespersen for first-degree larceny. Jespersen’s next court date is 2 May. Expect a plea deal.

The docket number is L18W-CR24-0188819-S, should you want to follow the case on the Connecticut Judicial Branch website under criminal/motor vehicle cases. (You wonder why they’re classed together.) Since Jespersen hasn’t been convicted of or admitted to anything, we’re supposed to refer to his alleged larcenous crimes against the town and people of Litchfield. No problem. But as the Monitor disquisition of 6 March 2022 reminds us, even his union had the good sense and probity not to stand behind him after evidence was presented.

Since then, Richard Jespersen’s C felony has been elevated to a B felony because diligent investigation by Litchfield volunteer ambulance chief and licensed private investigator John Pudlinski, with the cooperation of State Police Western District Major Crime personnel, has turned up larceny well in excess of $20,000. Just between 2018 and 2021, in fact, Jespersen allegedly but brazenly stole over $37,000 in goods and services from poor, trusting Litchfield.

But not so fast. Given the way justice is or isn’t served in and by Connecticut’s courts, let’s not count on anything at all regarding Richard Jespersen’s plea, plea bargain, trial, sentence, pension, or penance. Certainly it would be only fitting for the town and people of Litchfield to be made whole and for Jespersen to be deprived of the pension he’s currently receiving. And for Jespersen to serve some slammer time in the bargain.

But only if he admits to or is convicted of the larcenous acts he’s charged with, of course. Before that happens, everything against the bugger is merely alleged. And in Connecticut, in all events, let’s not count on justice being done . . .