2005 Connecticut Code - Sec. 54-63c. Release by law enforcement officer.

      Sec. 54-63c. Release by law enforcement officer. (a) Except in cases of arrest pursuant to a bench warrant of arrest in which the court or a judge thereof has indicated that bail should be denied or ordered that the officer or indifferent person making such arrest shall, without undue delay, bring such person before the clerk or assistant clerk of the superior court for the geographical area under section 54-2a, when any person is arrested for a bailable offense, the chief of police, or the chief's authorized designee, of the police department having custody of the arrested person shall promptly advise such person of the person's rights under section 54-1b, and of the person's right to be interviewed concerning the terms and conditions of release. Unless the arrested person waives or refuses such interview, the police officer shall promptly interview the arrested person to obtain information relevant to the terms and conditions of the person's release from custody, and shall seek independent verification of such information where necessary. At the request of the arrested person, the person's counsel may be present during the interview. After such a waiver, refusal or interview, the police officer shall promptly order release of the arrested person upon the execution of a written promise to appear or the posting of such bond as may be set by the police officer, except that no condition of release set by the court or a judge thereof may be modified by such officer and no person shall be released upon the execution of a written promise to appear or the posting of a bond without surety if the person is charged with the commission of a family violence crime, as defined in section 46b-38a, and in the commission of such crime the person used or threatened the use of a firearm. When cash bail in excess of ten thousand dollars is received for a detained person accused of a felony, where the underlying facts and circumstances of the felony involve the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force against another person, the police officer shall prepare a report that contains (1) the name, address and taxpayer identification number of the accused person, (2) the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each person offering the cash bail, other than a person licensed as a professional bondsman under chapter 533 or a surety bail bond agent under chapter 700f, (3) the amount of cash received, and (4) the date the cash was received. Not later than fifteen days after receipt of such cash bail, the police officer shall file the report with the Department of Revenue Services and mail a copy of the report to the state's attorney for the judicial district in which the alleged offense was committed and to each person offering the cash bail. No police officer shall set the terms and conditions of a person's release, set a bond for a person or release a person from custody under this subsection unless the police officer has first checked the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computerized index of criminal justice information to determine if such person is listed in such index. If the arrested person has not posted bail, the police officer shall immediately notify a bail commissioner.

      (b) The chief, acting chief, superintendent of police, the Commissioner of Public Safety, any captain or lieutenant of any local police department or the Division of State Police within the Department of Public Safety or any person lawfully exercising the powers of any such officer may take a written promise to appear or a bond with or without surety from an arrested person as provided in subsection (a) of this section, or as fixed by the court or any judge thereof, may administer such oaths as are necessary in the taking of promises or bonds and shall file any report required under subsection (a) of this section.

      (1967, P.A. 549, S. 3; 1969, P.A. 826, S. 2; P.A. 74-183, S. 142, 291; P.A. 76-336, S. 3; 76-436, S. 542, 681; P.A. 79-216, S. 2; P.A. 80-313, S. 14; P.A. 99-186, S. 8; 99-240, S. 16; P.A. 00-196, S. 41; P.A. 03-173, S. 1.)

      History: 1969 act transferred duty to notify arrested person of his rights, etc. from bail commissioner to chief of police or his designee and added provisions re bail commissioner's investigation and decision re release on bail in Subsec. (a); P.A. 74-183 amended section to reflect transfer of circuit court functions to court of common pleas, effective December 1, 1974; P.A. 76-336 deleted provisions which implied officer's or bail commissioner's right to deny release on bail if he "finds custody to be necessary to provide reasonable assurance of such person's appearance in court"; P.A. 76-436 reworded exception in Subsec. (a) to clearly distinguish between bench warrants and arrest warrants in which court or judge has set conditions of release, replaced references to prosecuting attorneys with references to various categories of state's attorneys and deleted references to court of common pleas, reflecting transfer of all trial jurisdiction to superior court, effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 79-216 rephrased exception in Subsec. (a) to replace reference to condition of release with specific orders of judge or court re denial of bail, etc. and further amended subsection to specify that officer or bail commissioner may not modify condition of release set by court or judge; P.A. 80-313 deleted detailed provisions re bail procedure formerly comprising latter part of Subsec. (a) and Subsecs. (b) to (f), restated remaining provisions of Subsec. (a) and added new Subsec. (b) containing general statement of police officers' powers; P.A. 99-186 amended Subsec. (a) to prohibit the release of a person on the execution of a written promise to appear or the posting of a bond without surety if such person is charged with the commission of a family violence crime in which such person used or threatened the use of a firearm and to make technical changes for purposes of gender neutrality; P.A. 99-240 amended Subsec. (a) to add provisions requiring the police officer to prepare a report when cash bail in excess of ten thousand dollars is received for a person accused of a felony involving the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force against another person, specifying the contents of such report and requiring such police officer not later than fifteen days after receipt of such cash bail to file such report with the Department of Revenue Services and mail a copy of such report to the state's attorney and each person offering the cash bail and amended Subsec. (b) to require any of the specified officials authorized to take action under said Subsec. to file any report required under Subsec. (a); P.A. 00-196 made technical changes in Subsec. (a); P.A. 03-173 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision prohibiting a police officer setting the terms and conditions of a person's release, setting a bond for a person or releasing a person from custody unless the officer first checks the National Crime Information Center computerized index of criminal justice information to determine if such person is listed in such index.

      See Sec. 54-1g re time for arraignment.

      See Sec. 54-64c re notice of required appearance after release on bond or promise to appear.

      See Sec. 54-69b re court's authority to modify conditions of release.

      See Sec. 54-71a re lack of liability of bail commissioners, police department employees and others in action for damages on account of a person's release.

      Exclusionary effects of Sec. 54-1c do not apply to violations of this statute. 195 C. 505, 510-515, 518.

      Cited. 28 CS 313.