State v. Falcon

Opinion

SCHALLER, J.

The defendant, Ariel Falcon, appeals from the judgment of conviction, rendered after a jury trial, of criminal possession of a pistol or revolver in violation of General Statutes § 53a-217c. The dispositive issue on appeal is whether the trial court committed plain error when it presided over this case after having *885participated actively in pretrial plea negotiations.1 We reverse the judgment of the trial court.

The following undisputed facts and procedural history are relevant to our resolution of this appeal. In October, 1997, the defendant was charged with criminal…