Attorney Norm Pattis Reacts to Fotis Dulos' Suicide Attempt

Fotis Dulos is in critical condition after attempting to take his own life at his Farmington home on Tuesday morning, according to Farmington police.

Dulos is facing murder charges in connection with the disappearance of his estranged wife, Jennifer Dulos, who vanished in May after dropping the couple’s children off at school.

Norm Pattis, who is representing Dulos in the criminal case, said he had just spoken to his client earlier in the day.

“I was in Washington D.C. for another case and we got word this morning there was going to be an emergency bond hearing…questions had arisen regarding the collateral to post the $6 million bond and we were ordered to appear in court at noon,” he explained.

Fotis Dulos has been charged with murder, commission of felony murder, kidnapping in the first-degree, hindering prosecution in the first degree and two counts of tampering with physical evidence. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Pattis was unable to make it back for the hearing, but said he spoke with Dulos. He said that during their conversation, Dulos remained determined to fight the charges.

"The potential for a bond revocation was devastating news to him but throughout he has been a fighter and resolute in our review of the discovery. We very much liked our options for trial and we very much liked our possibility for success," he said.

Dulos is also fighting for custody of his five children, who have been living with their maternal grandmother since Jennifer disappeared. The couple was in the midst of a divorce and custody fight when Jennifer went missing.

Pattis said he did not want to speculate about what may have motivated Dulos, but that he had been handling the pressure of the case better than some might, and that after years of representing clients in criminal cases, Pattis was stunned by the turn of events.

“I’ve represented people for close to 30 years now and not once did it ever occur to me that he might be at risk for suicide,” Pattis said.

“I don’t know if people who have not been accused can appreciate the savageness of the criminal justice system. We have a presumption of innocence in this country for a reason and all the folks who harped on Mr. Dulos can obviously take some grim satisfaction in today’s events but my message to each and every one of them is shame on you,” he added.

A gag order is in place for the criminal charges against Fotis Dulos and Pattis has been trying to get that lifted. The case is in the state Supreme Court.

SUICIDE PREVENTION HELP: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Disappearance of Jennifer Dulos

Jennifer Dulos, a mother of five, has been missing since May 24. The last sighting of her was when she dropped her children off at school in New Canaan that morning.

Officers who went to her home to investigate the missing person case found bloodstains on the garage floor and on a vehicle in the garage, which led them to believe the home was a crime scene, according to an arrest warrant. They said there was also evidence of attempts to clean it up.

See the timeline of the case here.

Conditions of Fotis Dulos' Release Modified

Fotis appeared in court last week and the judge changed the conditions of his release to strict house arrest after prosecutors filed a motion saying Dulos violated terms of his release by getting out of his car and removing items from a memorial for Jennifer.

Fotis Dulos’ attorney, Norm Pattis, said last week that he was disappointed in the decision.

Pattis also said there is no evidence that Jennifer is deceased.

"I remind the supporters, Jennifer is missing. She may be presumed dead as far as they're concerned, we've yet to see persuasive evidence of that," Pattis said.

In-Depth Look at the Disappearance of Jennifer Dulos and the Investigation

Get an in-depth look at the case here.