New London police officer Deana Nott has returned to work following the quick dismissal of her breach of peace case in Superior Court.

   Nott, 40, of Waterford, was charged with second-degree breach of peace on Sept. 24. She was suspended from duty pending the outcome of her court case.

   Nott's case was heard in Superior Court in Norwich to avoid a conflict of interest, since Nott and several other members of her family are involved in law enforcement and are well known to prosecutors in New London.

    On Oct. 10, Judge Robert Young granted Nott accelerated rehabilitation, a pretrial diversionary program that lets defendants -- usually first-time offenders -- clear their record after staying out of trouble for a specified time. The judge set the time period at five days, and on Oct. 15 dismissed her case.

    Nott's arrest stemmed from an encounter she had with a man at Sunset Ribs restaurant in May. She said another patron, James Campbell, made her angry after he grabbed her and called her a name. She said she slapped Campbell in the face, leaving him with a scratch on his right cheek. Waterford police obtained a warrant for her arrest in September. They said Campbell called police the night of the incident but did not file a formal complaint immediately.

    Campbell, 48, was also charged with second-degree breach of peace. His case is pending, and his next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 18.

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