How do you violate a no-contact order from law enforcement authorities 66 times in a four-day period?
Police are accusing a Darien man with doing that by visiting the other party twice and texting that person 64 times.
Darien police gave this account of the matter, including accusations not proven in court:
At 9:26 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 9, police were called to a Greenwood Avenue home on a report of a domestic incident.
Arrest photo of Ardian Ramaj, 35, of Greenwood Avenue, Darien, charged with assault, strangulation and, in a second arrest four days after the first, violating a protective order.
Police were told that Ardian Ramaj (who had turned 35 that day) had strangled the victim. Officers arrived at the scene and were met in the front yard by the victim and Ramaj.
Ramaj said: He and the victim were in a verbal confrontation when the victim ripped his shirt. To defend himself, he said he pushed the victim, possibly in the neck.
The victim said: At one point Ramaj put both hands around the victims neck and started to squeeze, and that’s when the victim ripped his shirt.
(The police announcement gave no indication that the alleged strangling left any marks on the victim’s neck and also gave no indication that the victim was injured or that an ambulance was called.)
Police asked Ramaj about the victim’s version of events, and he admitted that it was accurate.
He was issued a misdemeanor summons for the charges of third-degree assault and third-degree strangulation and told to appear the next morning in state Superior Court in Stamford.
Police said Ramaj was “released on a written promise to appear [in court] with conditions in regards to the victim placed on his release.” Police didn’t say so, but typically these conditions include an order not to have any contact with the victim.
After a court official reviews the matter and makes a recommendation to the judge at the initial court hearing, the judge may keep the order as is or make changes to it.
Four days later, on Saturday, Sept. 14, police were again called to the home on Greenwood Avenue at 10:43 p.m.
They again found Ramaj outside, this time banging on the door. Officers confirmed that there was an active order of protection forbidding Ramaj from contacting the victim in any way.
Police spoke with Ramaj, who told them he was dropping off food. When police asked him if he was aware that he was in violation of the order, he confirmed that he knew he was. That was count 1 of violation of a protective rrder.
Police spoke with the victim, who said Ramaj had done the same thing the night before. That was count 2 of violation of a protective order.
The victim also said Ramaj had texted 64 times since the order was put in place, and then gave police the texts. Those were counts 3 through 66 of violation of a Protective order.
For those 66 felony counts, Ramaj was held on a $250,000 bond and taken to state Superior Court in Stamford the following day.
The Connecticut Judicial Branch website does not indicate that there is more than one count of violation of a protective order against Ramaj.
The website also says that Ramaj’s bond is now set at $25,000, and he is again due in court on Oct. 23.
The website also says he has not been released from custody.