US Laws, Codes, Statutes & Cases

      Sec. 54-143. Costs imposed in prosecutions. (a) A cost of twenty dollars shall be imposed against any person convicted of a felony, and a cost of fifteen dollars shall be imposed against any person convicted of a misdemeanor or convicted under sections 14-219, 14-222, 14-224, 14-225 and 14-227a, or who pleads nolo contendere to a violation of section 14-219 and pays the fine by mail, and the taxation of costs or the collection of fees and expenses as provided by law may be imposed on appeal to the Supreme Court or Appellate Court.

      (b) A cost of fifteen dollars shall be imposed against any person not a resident of this state who is summoned for allegedly having committed an infraction or a violation under section 14-219 and forfeits a cash bond or guaranteed bail bond certificate posted under section 14-140a or under reciprocal agreements made with other states. Such cost shall be included in the amount of such bond.

      (c) Under no condition shall a political subdivision be held liable for the payment of any cost imposed under this section. The words "felony" and "misdemeanor" as used in this section do not include infractions or violations of any state or local housing code or violation of the regulations of the Department of Environmental Protection.

      (1949 Rev., S. 8842; P.A. 76-336, S. 9; P.A. 78-261, S. 15, 17; P.A. 79-505, S. 4, 7; P.A. 80-276, S. 3, 6; 80-390, S. 4, 5; 80-483, S. 181, 186; P.A. 81-23, S. 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-29, S. 55, 82; P.A. 84-313, S. 3.)

      History: P.A. 76-336 deleted provision which had specified that section does not act to prevent dismissal of complaint or information or entry of nolle prosequi upon payment of sum fixed by court and rephrased provision re taxation of costs and collection of fees and expenses upon appeal to supreme court; P.A. 78-261 imposed ten-dollar cost imposed against persons convicted of crime or convicted under specified sections in title 14, replacing provision which prohibited imposition of prosecution costs except on appeals to supreme court, and added Subsec. (b) protecting political subdivisions from liability for costs and specifying that crime does not include infractions or violations of housing codes or violation of environmental protection department regulations; P.A. 79-505 added reference to Sec. 14-219 in Subsec. (a); P.A. 80-276 applied Subsec. (a) to persons who plead nolo contendere to violation of Sec. 14-219 and pays fine by mail, inserted new Subsec. (b) re ten-dollar cost imposed against nonresidents and relettered Subsec. (c) accordingly; P.A. 80-390 replaced ten-dollar cost in Subsec. (a) with twenty-dollar cost for felony conviction and fifteen-dollar cost for other convictions and applied provision to persons convicted of misdemeanors; P.A. 80-483 raised cost imposed in Subsec. (b) from ten to fifteen dollars and amended Subsec. (c) to refer to "felony" and "misdemeanor" rather than to crime; P.A. 81-23 amended Subsec. (b) to include violations under Sec. 14-219 and forfeitures of bond required under reciprocal agreements with other states; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-29 included reference to appellate court in Subsec. (a); P.A. 84-313 amended Subsec. (b) to replace "required to be posted under section 51-164o" with "posted under section 14-140a".

      See Sec. 54-143a re costs imposed against persons convicted of certain motor vehicle violations.

      Annotations to former statute requiring the convicted person to pay costs: Town not liable for support of prisoner legally committed to jail. 5 C. 185; 7 C. 529. Payment of costs part of punishment. 16 C. 50. Assumpsit will not lie for recovery of officer's fees. 46 C. 498. Costs not taxable in favor of accused who prevails on appeal to supreme court. 82 C. 392. Cited. 127 C. 58.

      Cited. 34 CS 275.