Margaret Sullivan, the mother arrested for texting her ex-husband to speak to her children before undergoing a life-threatening heart operation, appeared before CT Judge Neeta Vatti after being released from the hospital. In a surprising decision, Judge Vatti did not place Sullivan in custody and released her without bail.
Sullivan faces a felony charge for attempting to contact her children from her hospital bed, violating a restraining order issued by CT Family Court Judge Gerard Adelman. Her ex-husband, Randall Hale of Hamden, filed a complaint seeking her arrest once it was clear Sullivan would survive her heart attack, using her text message as evidence of the alleged crime.
After her arrest by five police officers who refused to let her take her heart medication, Sullivan suffered a second heart attack.
Rushed to the hospital, Sullivan was handcuffed to her bed as a state trooper guarded the door. After several days in the hospital, she was released from the hospital and appeared in court.
Judge Vatti, declining to remand Sullivan to custody, issued a criminal protective order against Sullivan during the court appearance, banning any further contact with her children and scheduling a hearing for early June.
Originally, the warrant demanded Sullivan’s arrest, immediate incarceration, and a $20,000 bond. However, Judge Vatti directed her to family court to explain her position, stating there would be no bond or jail time. Attorney Neal Rogan agreed to represent Sullivan in court and accompanied her to a meeting with family court services.
One commenter wrote that the shift from $20,000 bail to no bail was “a significant turn of events. As usual, despite many calls, Connecticut media did not cover this horrifying story. Thank you, Frank Rerport.”
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Transcript of hearing before Judge Adelman, where Randal Hale fights to take the mother, Margaret Sullivan, out of his children’s lives.
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