Access Guidelines to Court Records

Accelerated Rehabilitation (AR)
 

Records - Open for the duration of the AR probationary period and for 20 days after the entry of a dismissal by the court. The records are then erased pursuant to C.G.S. 54-142a(a) unless an appeal is filed. C.G.S. 54-56e

Acknowledgment of Paternity

If filed prior to 10/1/95, closed; if filed on or after 10/1/95, open.
Comments: Public Act 95-133. Individuals seeking disclosure of an acknowledgment filed prior to 10/1/95 must file an application for disclosure.

Acquittals are available for 20 days disposition. If the case is appealed, the record remains open while the case is on appeal. After the 20th day, the clerk may not disclose anything about the case nor acknowledge that it ever existed. C.G.S. 54-142a et seq. 

If filed prior to 10/1/95, closed; if filed on or after 10/1/95, open. Public Act 95-133.

Closed, but the clerk may acknowledge the existence of the case and may give the next court date, the case name and docket number. C.G.S. 54-56g 

Closed. C.G.S. 17a-694 

Generally open after arrest (unless sealed by order of the court). In cases involving sexual assault and risk of injury charges, the clerk must redact the name and address of the victim from any copies. Practice Book

Closed. C.G.S. 54-63d(e)

Open, with specific exceptions.

Comments: Inquiries regarding child support enforcement matters should be directed to 860-569-6233.

Open.

Dismissals are available for 20 days after disposition, unless appealed, in which case the dismissals are available during the period of the appeal. After the 20th day, the clerk may not disclose anything about the case nor acknowledge that it ever existed. C.G.S 54-142a et seq. 

Generally, open 

Results available as soon as possible after courtroom and/or administrative processing. If court reserves decision, that decision is available upon filing with the clerk. Information on the computer screen may be given over the phone. Other material must be viewed at the clerk’s office.

Open, with restrictions. Convictions are open and non-convictions are subject to the applicable disclosure guidelines.

Dispositions should be disclosed as soon as the file is available after the courtroom proceeding. Disposed files are available from the Superior Court Records Center. Requests for information must include name, case docket number, date of disposition and court location where case was heard, and if possible, date of birth to obtain disposition information from clerk or Records Center. Disposed files are disclosable unless and until all counts are entitled to erasure, therefore, a disposition containing convictions on any count is disclosable unless the file is sealed.

Docket Sheets (Civil/Family) 

Open, unless the proceedings are confidential. Available at the close of the day's court business.

Docket Sheet (Criminal/Motor Vehicle)

Open, with restrictions
Present day’s docket and future dockets are disclosable. Previous days’ dockets are nondisclosable.

Domestic Violence

Open, unless sealed by the court.

Drug Education Program

Closed, but the clerk may acknowledge the existence of the case and may give the next court date, the case name and docket number. C.G.S. 54-56i

Drug Dependency Evaluation 

Closed. C.G.S. 17a-694

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Full (entered by a party)

Generally disclosable.

Certain records are non disclosable under C.G.S. 52-146b through 52-146q.

Generally disclosable. 

Court (entered by a judge) 

Generally disclosable.

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Family Matters

Evaluation or Studies: 

Closed, except to parties and counsel (unless otherwise ordered by court). 

Practice Book 25-60 

Family Matters

Hearings: 

Open, unless closed by judge.

Practice Book 25-59

Files (Civil/Family) 

Open, unless sealed by court order. 

Civil file and documents are available to the public when the clerk receives them officially by time-stamping the documents.

Files (Criminal) 

Open, unless sealed.

Available upon filing. In cases with a great degree of public interest where a high demand is expected, the clerk should make extra copies of the documents and have them available at the counter or make multiple copies for distribution upon payment of a fee. 

Identities of Sexual Assault Victims 

Confidential (except to the accused).
Disclosed only upon order of the court. C.G.S. 54-86e.

Open, with restrictions. Information that is available solely from the confidential juror questionnaire is not disclosable.

In criminal matters, public availability of information regarding jurors who sat on the trial of the case is determined by the status of the case file itself. For example, in cases of acquittals, information becomes confidential after 20 days, unless an appeal is taken.

Name of juror

Open. 

There may be a period of time when the trial judge temporarily suspends the dissemination of this information (e.g., during the jury’s deliberation on the case.) The public and press should anticipate this period.

Address of juror

Open. 

Telephone number of Juror

Closed. 

Period Served

Open.

Amount paid for jury service:
          Open.
Jury Questionnaire
          Closed. C.G.S. 51-232(c)

Juvenile Records:

Closed, with specific exceptions. C.G.S. 46b-124, Practice Book 30a-8, 32a-7.

Nolles

Files of cases in which nolles are entered available for 13 months from the day the nolle is entered. C.G.S. 54-142a(c)

Records in cases with a finding of "not guilty." 

“Not guilty” records are available for 20 days after disposition. If the case is appealed, the record remains open while the case is on appeal. After the 20th day, the clerk may not disclose anything about the case nor acknowledge that it ever existed.

C.G.S. 54-142a et. seq. 

Pardons

Upon petition by the party, an absolute pardon received prior to October 1, 1974, will result in the erasure of records. The subject of the record may obtain information pertaining to any charge so erased upon submission of proof of identity. Whenever an absolute pardon was received on or after October 1, 1974, such records shall automatically be erased. Upon erasure, the clerk may not disclose anything about the case nor acknowledge that it ever existed.

C.G.S. 54-142a(d) 

Paternity Action

Open with restrictions. Acknowledgments and Agreements filed within a paternity action filed prior to 10/1/95 are non-disclosable. Acknowledgments and Agreement filed after 10/1/95 are disclosable.

Pre-Sentence Investigation & Assessments

Closed. 

C.G.S. 54-91b, C.G.S. 54-142g(a) Practice Book 43-7,43-8, 43-9

Search Warrants (unless sealed by order of the court)

Generally open after execution and return. 

C.G.S. 54-33c

Seized Property

Inventory

Open, unless sealed by the court order. 

Sexual assault files

Open, with identity of victim masked.

Victim's Identity in Sexual Assault and Risk of Injury Cases

Comment: Closed, except to the accused. The name and address of the victim are confidential (C.G.S. 54-86e). Restrictions on disclosure of other identifying information about such victim is to be determined by the court and can be redacted only upon order of the court, except that such information shall be available to the accused. Reference in a sexual assault file to the name and address of the victim shall be redacted from any copies provided to the public.

Youthful Offender Information

Closed, but open to offenders. The court file is sealed. The court file is unsealed if the defendant is found to be ineligible for the program.

C.G.S. 54-76c and C.G.S. 54-76d

Youthful Offender Proceedings

Private proceedings. 

Pursuant to 54-76h.

 

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Record Searches: Requests for criminal or motor vehicle record searches should initially be made in writing at the geographical area court location where the arrest occurred. The name and date of birth and, if possible, the date of arrest or disposition should be included in any request for a record search. Please note that the search will be limited to records at the requested court location. 

Statistics: Statistical information on Superior Court cases may be obtained from the Superior Court Operations Division at (860) 263-2734 x3039.

External Affairs Division: For information concerning the Judicial Branch, its programs, its policies, or for assistance in obtaining information about a specific case, please contact the External Affairs Division of the Connecticut Judicial Branch at (860) 757-2270.

Court Clerk's Office: For case specific information or access to court records, please contact the court clerk's office in the geographical area, housing session, judicial district, small claims or juvenile matters court where the case was filed.

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Copy Charges The following rates are in effect for copies of court-related documents.

Transcript charges
(Effective July 1, 2004 per PA04-184)
$3.00 per page ($1.50 per page for state officials and other entities listed in C.G.S. §51-63(c)), provided the charge to any such party or other individual shall be $1.75 for each page for which a charge of $3.00 already has been made. There are additional charges for expedited transcripts.

Note: Generally, Court Reporters' and Monitors' tapes are destroyed, subsequent to the issuance of a destruction order by the court, seven years after they are recorded. 

Court records/documents:	$1.00 per page
Administrative records:	$ .25 per page

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