Hadley PalmerConnecticut activist who went to prison last November for secretly recording minors in her $10 million mansion, now free to move around.
Mother-of-four Greenwich entered a transitional surveillance program and was released early on Wednesday, the state Department of Corrections confirmed to The Daily Beast. Under the program, similar to parole, prisoners with sentences of two years or less can serve the remainder of their sentences in a halfway house or with a bailiff.
“She is in the community,” said public information officer Andrius Banevicius, who noted that the 54-year-old inmate is still serving his sentence, just outside the prison walls.
Reached by phone on Wednesday, Palmer declined to comment.
Between her first 90 days in prison last spring and the 71 days she completed this winter, Palmer served less than half of her one-year sentence in state prison.
When arrested in October 2021, Palmer faced charges including using a minor to perform obscenity and second-degree child pornography. Greenwich Police said Palmer filmed three minors without their knowledge and for her own sexual gratification in 2017 and 2018, and one of the victims was 15 years old or younger.
In January 2022, she pleaded guilty to three counts of voyeurism and one count of potentially causing injury to a minor. As part of her plea agreement, she agreed to serve an initial term of 90 days at York CI, the state’s only facility for female inmates, before sentencing in November.
At the sentencing hearing, State Attorney Paul Ferencek revealed that Palmer recorded naked and sometimes completely naked victims at her waterfront home in Belle Haven and shared the footage with her. an unnamed third party. She faces 5 years behind bars.
Judge John Blawie of Stamford High Court — who sealed Palmer’s case from the public to protect the victims — ordered her to serve a year in prison and 20 years of probation. She is required to register as a sex offender for the next decade.
Blawie also granted a female victim a 30-year criminal protection order, barring Palmer from contacting her.
Little is known about the criminal case against Palmer and it is not clear why she was arrested many years after her crimes. The daughter of famed hedge fund founder Jerrold Fine, Palmer is known in Greenwich social circles and is photographed at charity fundraisers with her ex-husband, venture capitalist Brad Palmer.
The sealing of Palmer’s case, which was opposed by the Associated Press, raised concerns about a two-tiered justice system that favors the wealthy. “Judge Blawie said in her lengthy sealing decision that it was not possible to protect victims by editing, as is often done in similar criminal cases,” said David Collins, a commentator. of the local newspaper, note. Day. “I find it hard to believe. You can rearrange so much and still leave so much. Even if most documents have to be redacted, it can at least show a transparent effort.”
However, Palmer is not without supporters.
An acquaintance told The Daily Beast that they believed there was more to Pamer’s story and that they were glad she was released. “I think that’s great,” the person said, adding the disturbing accusations against her: “On the surface it’s one thing and when you know someone it’s another.”
The person continued: “Please let her know that there are many people out there who believe in her and see the story as it is.
Palmer was arrested amid her divorce dispute, leading acquaintances to speculate that Brad may have turned her over to the police.
In family court filings, Palmer repeatedly invoked her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination in response to Brad’s discovery request, which included copies of “photographs, videos and audio recordings sent to or received from anyone with whom you have a sexual or romantic relationship. relationship, whether directly or only by remote means.” She also objected to the request for “all reports by private investigators or other oversight” regarding “the spouse or any children of the marriage.”
For its part, Palmer requested records of “background checks, surveillance or other services of any and all private investigators, police or investigative services provided by you or buy on your behalf.”
Palmer filed for divorce in June 2020, saying her marriage was “irretrievably broken”. Her ex-husband filed a cross-complaint soon after, demanding custody of the couple’s young children (they also have three adult children) and support. The case is ongoing.
In January of this year, Palmer’s divorce attorneys revealed the date of her early release in a move to postpone a scheduled status meeting so she could participate. They note that their client will be released on or before March 1st.
Palmer’s attorney did not return messages left by The Daily Beast.
Banevicius said that to qualify for supervised release, an inmate must assemble paperwork for the correctional department’s community release unit. They must also arrange for an inspection of the home where they will be for the remainder of the sentence.
“The reason we parole and release the community is because it has been statistically proven that for prisoners, the likelihood of recidivism is reduced when they have a supervised release period before they are released. get out of prison versus just keeping them in prison,” Banevicius said, adding that Palmer’s maximum release date is August 20.
“It’s on or on [Aug. 20] assuming that she is unencumbered, that she is not violating her conditions,” he said.
In general, he added, the rules a freed prisoner must follow include abstaining from drugs and alcohol and not leaving the state unless authorized to do so.
“Be a law-abiding citizen,” he said.
