Michelle Troconis makes first appearance since conviction; judge rules she can’t leave CT on bond
Two weeks after a jury found Michelle Troconis guilty on all charges related to the disappearance of Jennifer Farber Dulos, she made her first court appearance via video call from York Correctional Institution in Niantic on Thursday morning.
Troconis, wearing an orange prison shirt and cat eyeglasses, spoke through a Spanish interpreter as attorneys discussed a request from state prosecutors to change the conditions of her release if she were to post bond.
According to Assistant State Attorney Liz Moran, the request came after Troconis listed an address in Miami Beach, Florida, as the home address where she would live if released on house arrest.
Judge Gary White ruled that Troconis would not be allowed to leave the state of Connecticut if she posts bond, which was raised to $6 million by Judge Kevin A. Randolph after she was convicted.
White maintained that Troconis will be subject to home confinement if released and ruled to impose the following additional conditions: Troconis will be subject to both IPS and GPS monitoring, she must surrender all passports — whether or not they are expired — to the clerk’s office, she will have to report to the bail commissioner wherever she is residing if she makes bond and her bond must be posted at the courthouse.
Tronconis was already under GPS monitoring imposed by Randolph. The additional IPS monitoring would include weekly check-ins and home visits.
Troconis was found guilty on March 1 of conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of conspiracy to tamper with evidence, two counts of tampering with evidence and hindering the prosecution in connection to the disappearance and death of Jennifer Farber Dulos in May 2019.
Troconis’ United States passport is already in possession of the court, while her defense attorney Jon Schoenhorn has her expired Venezuelan passport. Schoenhorn agreed to turn over the passport at the next court date for Troconis in which he is representing her, which is slated for April 10.
During the virtual hearing Thursday, Schoenhorn said the hearing was irrelevant because “there is no present ability of Ms. Troconis through her family to be able to post that anyway.”
“I don’t know why we’re having this hearing,” he said at one point. “This is a complete waste of time.”
Schoenhorn said the court was aware that Troconis does not live in Connecticut. During the years that she was released on bond with GPS monitoring, Schoenhorn said, Troconis was living in both Florida and Colorado. During that time, her location was monitored at all times and she was “in constant compliance.” Schoenhorn argued that the state’s claim that she could not be properly monitored out of state was “patently false.”
He also argued that the court has had Troconis’ U.S. passport since 2019, and she has never tried to get a new passport “or sought to have her passport returned.”
He said that “the idea that she would have to move to Connecticut” if she posted bond was both “unheard of” and unconstitutional.
While White said he carefully considered the requests by the state and the defense’s objections, he said he was persuaded by the state’s argument and granted its motion, instituting the additional conditions.
Troconis’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 21 at Stamford Superior Court on contempt of court charges she incurred during her criminal trial. Attorney Robert Frost is representing Troconis on that charge.