2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 54 - Criminal Procedure
Chapter 961 - Trial and Proceedings After Conviction
Section 54-91c - Testimony of victim or representative of deceased victim prior to acceptance of plea agreement and at sentencing hearing. Terms of proposed plea agreement. Notification by state’s attorney.

(a) For the purposes of this section, “victim” means a person who is a victim of a crime, the legal representative of such person, a member of a deceased victim’s immediate family or a person designated by a deceased victim in accordance with section 1-56r.

(b) Prior to the imposition of sentence upon any defendant who has been found guilty of any crime or has pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to any crime, and prior to the acceptance by the court of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere made pursuant to a plea agreement with the state wherein the defendant pleads to a lesser offense than the offense with which such defendant was originally charged, the court shall permit any victim of the crime to appear before the court for the purpose of making a statement for the record, which statement may include the victim’s opinion of any plea agreement. In lieu of such appearance, the victim may submit a written statement or, if the victim of the crime is deceased, the legal representative or a member of the immediate family of such deceased victim may submit a statement of such deceased victim to the state’s attorney, assistant state’s attorney or deputy assistant state’s attorney in charge of the case. Such state’s attorney, assistant state’s attorney or deputy assistant state’s attorney shall file the statement with the sentencing court and the statement shall be made a part of the record at the sentencing hearing. Any such statement, whether oral or written, shall relate to the facts of the case, the appropriateness of any penalty and the extent of any injuries, financial losses and loss of earnings directly resulting from the crime for which the defendant is being sentenced. The court shall inquire on the record whether any victim is present for the purpose of making an oral statement or has submitted a written statement. If no victim is present and no such written statement has been submitted, the court shall inquire on the record whether an attempt has been made to notify any such victim as provided in subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this section or, if the defendant was originally charged with a violation of section 53a-167c for assaulting a peace officer, whether the peace officer has been personally notified as provided in subdivision (2) of subsection (c) of this section. After consideration of any such statements, the court may refuse to accept, where appropriate, a negotiated plea or sentence, and the court shall give the defendant an opportunity to enter a new plea and to elect trial by jury or by the court.

(c) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, prior to the imposition of sentence upon such defendant and prior to the acceptance of a plea pursuant to a plea agreement, the state’s attorney, assistant state’s attorney or deputy assistant state’s attorney in charge of the case shall notify the victim of such crime of the date, time and place of the original sentencing hearing or any judicial proceeding concerning the acceptance of a plea pursuant to a plea agreement, provided the victim has informed such state’s attorney, assistant state’s attorney or deputy assistant state’s attorney that such victim wishes to make or submit a statement as provided in subsection (b) of this section and has complied with a request from such state’s attorney, assistant state’s attorney or deputy assistant state’s attorney to submit a stamped, self-addressed postcard for the purpose of such notification.

(2) Prior to the imposition of sentence upon a defendant originally charged with a violation of section 53a-167c for assaulting a peace officer, and prior to the acceptance of a plea pursuant to a plea agreement, the state’s attorney, assistant state’s attorney or deputy assistant state’s attorney in charge of the case shall personally notify the peace officer who was the victim of such crime of the date, time and place of the original sentencing hearing or any judicial proceeding concerning the acceptance of a plea pursuant to a plea agreement.

(3) If the state’s attorney, assistant state’s attorney or deputy assistant state’s attorney is unable to notify the victim, such state’s attorney, assistant state’s attorney or deputy state’s attorney shall sign a statement as to such notification.

(d) Upon the request of a victim, prior to the acceptance by the court of a plea of a defendant pursuant to a proposed plea agreement, the state’s attorney, assistant state’s attorney or deputy assistant state’s attorney in charge of the case shall provide such victim with the terms of such proposed plea agreement in writing.

(e) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any proceedings held in accordance with section 46b-121 or section 54-76h.

(P.A. 81-324, S. 1–3, 5; P.A. 85-117; P.A. 86-401, S. 2, 7; P.A. 98-53; P.A. 99-247, S. 1; P.A. 00-200, S. 3; P.A. 01-211, S. 10; P.A. 02-105, S. 13; P.A. 03-179, S. 1; P.A. 10-42, S. 1.)

History: 85-117 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) by adding “or a violation of section 53a-72a or 53a-72b”; P.A. 86-401 amended Subsecs. (b) and (c) permitting victim to make statement prior to acceptance plea of guilty or nolo contendere pursuant to plea agreement wherein defendant pleads to lesser offense and requiring state’s attorney to notify victim of any such judicial proceeding; P.A. 98-53 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re statement by representative or family member of deceased victim and re inclusion of the appropriateness of penalty in any written or oral statement; P.A. 99-247 added new Subsec. (d) to require the prosecutorial official to provide a victim, upon such victim’s request, with the terms of a proposed plea agreement in writing prior to the court’s acceptance of the defendant’s plea, relettering former Subsec. (d) as Subsec. (e), and made a technical change for purposes of gender neutrality; P.A. 00-200 amended Subsec. (b) by making a technical change and adding provision that statement of victim may include victim’s opinion of plea agreement, and amended Subsec. (c) by providing that, if victim of crime is deceased, legal representative or family member shall inform prosecutor of wish to give statement and to be notified, and if prosecutor is unable to notify, such prosecutor shall sign statement as to notification; P.A. 01-211 amended Subsec. (a) to redefine “victim” as a person who is a victim of “a crime” rather than “a class A, B or C felony or a violation of section 53a-72a or 53a-72b”, amended Subsec. (b) to make provisions applicable with respect to the sentencing of a defendant convicted of “any crime” rather than “any class A, B or C felony or a violation of section 53a-72a or 53a-72b” and amended Subsec. (c) to delete language re deceased crime victim; P.A. 02-105 amended Subsec. (a) by adding a person designated by a victim pursuant to Sec. 1-56r to definition of “victim”; P.A. 03-179 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “permit the victim” with “permit any victim”, adding provisions re inquiry of the court on the record and making technical changes; P.A. 10-42 amended Subsec. (b) to specify that notification of victim is as provided in Subsec. (c)(1) and add provision requiring court to inquire, if defendant was originally charged with violation of Sec. 53a-167c for assaulting a peace officer, whether peace officer has been personally notified as provided in Subsec. (c)(2) and amended Subsec. (c) to designate existing provisions re notification of victim as Subdiv. (1) and amend same by adding exception re Subdiv. (2) and replacing “advise” with “notify”, add Subdiv. (2) re notification of peace officer assaulted in violation of Sec. 53a-167c and designate existing provision re statement of prosecutor if unable to notify victim as Subdiv. (3).

See Sec. 54-91e re notification of victim through automated system prior to acceptance of plea agreement.

Cited. 41 CS 229.

Subsec. (b):

Cited. 9 CA 686. Cited. 10 CA 591.