2013 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 53a - Penal Code
Chapter 951 - Penal Code: Statutory Construction; Principles of Criminal Liability
Section 53a-12 - Defenses; burden of proof.
(a) When a defense other than an affirmative defense, is raised at a trial, the state shall have the burden of disproving such defense beyond a reasonable doubt.
(b) When a defense declared to be an affirmative defense is raised at a trial, the defendant shall have the burden of establishing such defense by a preponderance of the evidence.
(1969, P.A. 828, S. 12.)
Cited. 6 CA 701. Cited. 8 CA 667. Cited. 10 CA 697. Cited. 11 CA 665. Cited. 14 CA 511. Cited. 17 CA 200; Id., 502; judgment reversed, see 213 C. 579.
Cited. 34 CS 612. Statute does not become constitutionally vulnerable by reason of imposing on defendants the burden of establishing affirmative defenses. 35 CS 555.
Subsec. (a):
Cited. 186 C. 654. Cited. 188 C. 237; Id., 653. Cited. 194 C. 376. Cited. 203 C. 212. Cited. 209 C. 322. Cited. 210 C. 110. Cited. 220 C. 602. Cited. 228 C. 335. Cited. 231 C. 484. Cited. 232 C. 537. Cited. 233 C. 1. Cited. 234 C. 381.
Cited. 3 CA 289. Cited. 5 CA 338. Cited. 10 CA 643, 647. Cited. 11 CA 102. Cited. 17 CA 97. Cited. 20 CA 75. Cited. 24 CA 556; Id., 624. Cited. 29 CA 262. Cited. 31 CA 140. Cited. 33 CA 782. Cited. 34 CA 368; see also 233 C. 517. Cited. 46 CA 216.
Cited. 38 CS 619.
Subsec. (b):
Cited. 182 C. 388. Cited. 193 C. 695. Cited. 207 C. 374. Cited. 209 C. 733. Cited. 214 C. 540. Cited. 217 C. 648. Cited. 227 C. 456. Cited. 228 C. 281. Cited. 229 C. 328. Cited. 230 C. 351. Cited. 233 C. 403. Cited. 236 C. 189; Id., 342. Cited. 242 C. 93. Legislature not required to expressly declare an exception to culpability to be an affirmative defense for it to operate as an affirmative defense; statute does not prohibit judicially recognized affirmative defenses. 254 C. 107.
Cited. 12 CA 32. Cited. 14 CA 511. Cited. 20 CA 342. Cited. 24 CA 678; Id., 670. Cited. 28 CA 91.
Held unconstitutional insofar as it places a burden of proof on the defense. 33 CS 28.
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