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Court Records
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I order a transcript of
a court hearing?
Requests for written transcripts of any court proceeding
must be made in writing and submitted to the Court Reporter's Office at
the judicial district where the case was heard.
E-mailed orders cannot
be accepted. The letter must include:
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the case name (or caption)
-
the docket number
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the judge's name
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where the case was heard
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the date(s) the case was
heard
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your name, address and
telephone number
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brief description of the
proceeding (or section of the proceeding) you are ordering (for
example, the testimony of a specific witness, the court's order,
etc.)
If you would like a cost
estimate and/or the projected delivery date before your transcript
request is processed, please state this in your letter. For more
information about ordering transcripts, view the publication
"Procedures for Ordering A Court Transcript" in PDF format.
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2.
What does the term "court file" mean?
The term, court file,
refers to the official record of the court and includes all the
pleadings, exhibits, orders and word for word testimony that took place
during the trial. (Not every court file contains each and every item
cited herein.)
Members of the
public have the right to see any document in any court file, unless a
court has sealed the file, or statute has rendered the contents of the
file confidential.
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3. What information is
contained in a court file pertaining to a criminal or motor vehicle
matter?
The contents of a
file depend on the nature of the case and the charges (see Connecticut
Practice Book Section 7-13 for more detailed information). The file's
contents may include, inter alia, the following documents:
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executed
arrest warrant;
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original
affidavit in support of probable cause;
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summons and
complaint;
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infraction/violation complaint;
-
uniform
arrest report (UAR);
-
information
or indictment and any substitute information;
-
written plea
of nolo contendere;
-
documents
relating to programs for:
a) Youthful Offender (Y.O.)
b) Accelerated Rehabilitation (A.R.)
c) Alcohol Education Program (A.E.P.)
d) Drug Education Program
e) Family Violence Education Program
f) determination of competency to stand trial or suspension of
prosecution;
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official
receipts;
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judgment
mittimus;
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notice of
rights;
-
orders
regarding probation; and,
- transaction sheet.
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4. What information is
contained in a court file pertaining to a civil or family matter?
The contents of a civil or family file depend on the nature of the case
and the allegations. The file's contents may include the following
documents:
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The
complaint, amendments to the complaint, a substituted complaint or
an amended complaint;
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Orders of
notice, appearances and officers' returns;
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Military or
other affidavits;
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Cross
complaints, third-party complaints and amendments;
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Responsive
pleadings;
-
Memorandum of
decision;
-
Judgment file
or notation of the entry of judgment and all modifications of
judgment; and,
-
Executions
issued and returned.
(Specific
Connecticut statutes and court rules permit particular documents in
a civil or criminal case to be sealed. This means that specific
records cannot be inspected by members of the public except by order
of the court.) See Connecticut Practice Book Sec. 11-20, 42-49,
25-29 and 35-5 for more detailed information.
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5. Are records of
juvenile matters open to the public?
Generally, all
records of cases of juvenile matters are confidential. Certain
exceptions apply. For example, the record of the case of a juvenile
matter involving delinquency proceedings or any part thereof, shall be
available to the victim of the crime committed by such child to the same
extent as the record of the case of a defendant in a criminal proceeding
in the regular criminal docket would be available. (See C.G.S. 46b-124).
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6. What becomes unavailable to the public when a file
is sealed by the court?
Only those portions of
the file that the judge has ordered sealed. In the event of a partial
sealing, certain information in the court file will continue to be
available for public inspection.
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7. When do sealed materials become available to the
public and how will news professionals or members of the public know
when a sealed file becomes disclosable?
Materials ordered
sealed by the court are disclosable once the sealing order expires. News
professionals or members of the public should make note of the date when
the sealing order will expire. Please be aware that, in many cases, the
information may not be disclosable at any point in the future.
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8. What items are
automatically sealed by statute?
Generally,
communications and records of a party to the action between the
following individuals are sealed:
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psychologist
and patient;
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psychiatrist
and patient;
-
battered
women's or sexual assault counselor and victim;
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Judicial
Branch employee and employee assistance program counselor;
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physician,
surgeon or health care provider and patient;
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marital and
family therapist and person consulting such therapist; and,
-
social worker
and person consulting such social worker.
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9. Is there an expedited process to review orders to
seal court documents?
Yes, anyone impacted
by court orders to seal or limit disclosure of materials on file in
connection with a court proceeding may petition the appellate court for
review of that order within 72 hours of its issuance, EXCEPT that the
following types of matters will not be reviewed:
-
orders under
the family matters or search warrant statutes;
-
any statutory
provision authorizing the court to seal or limit disclosure of
materials at a pretrial or trial stage; or,
-
a court rule
that seals or limits disclosure of affidavits in support of arrest
warrants.
(Please refer to
C.G.S. 51-164x for more information.)
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10. When must court records be erased?
Generally, police, court
and prosecutorial records must be erased when:
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More than 20
days have elapsed after a defendant is acquitted or the dismissal of
a criminal case, unless an appeal is taken, or 13 months have
elapsed after a nolle is entered;
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A defendant
is granted an absolute pardon;
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The offense
for which the defendant was convicted is later decriminalized; or,
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The matter
pertains to a person who has been adjudicated a youthful offender
and has been discharged from the supervision of the court.
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11. Under what circumstances would a
clerk respond that there is no public record of a case?
Generally, where:
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A criminal
case was dismissed more than 20 days ago;
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A nolle was
entered more than 13 months ago;
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More than 20
days ago, the case either ended in a finding of not guilty or a
judgment of acquittal; or
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The records
of a case have been erased.
In the event of a
file sealed by court order, the clerk may acknowledge the existence of
such a file, but indicate it as being sealed.
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12. How do I get a copy of my
divorce decree (or other document filed in my
divorce case)?
A copy of a document filed in your
divorce case can generally be obtained from the Judicial District
Clerk's Office in the court location where the divorce took place. Your
divorce decree is referred to as the "Judgment File." The Clerk's Office
will need your case name and docket number (the number that was assigned
to the case), and there are
fees
for copying and certifying. Judgment Files have a flat fee, other
documents have a per page copying fee with a certification fee, if
needed.
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