Connecticut Courts
Connecticut courts are one of the three branches of government and are referred to as the Judicial Branch. Along with the executive and legislative branches, the Connecticut judicial branch is responsible for interpreting and upholding Connecticut laws in many ways. They resolve disputes about personal or civil rights and interpret laws' constitutional provisions. Connecticut courts also determine the innocence or guilt of accused persons and ascertain if any law violates the state's Constitution or the Constitution of the United States. The state-operated courts handle the majority of criminal cases and various civil lawsuits. Connecticut courts consist of the Supreme Court, Appellate Court, Superior Court, and Probate Court. There are also various federal courts and federal appellate courts within the state that hear matters pertaining to federal law and the federal judiciary, as state courts have no authority to hear federal cases.
Pursuant to the Connecticut FOIA, Connecticut court records are generated during judicial proceedings and maintained by the administrative office of each court. These records are disseminated to interested and eligible members of the public in order to foster transparency in the state’s judicial operations.
What is the Connecticut Supreme Court?
The Connecticut Supreme Court reviews rulings made in the Superior Court for errors in the application of the law. It is the state's highest court and was established in 1784. There are seven justices in the Supreme Court, one of whom serves as the Chief Justice. These justices sit in Hartford. They may hear a case in what is known as an en banc review, but the court often hears cases as a panel of five justices. The Supreme Court does not receive evidence or hear witnesses in deciding on an appealed case. The Supreme Court will usually not hear an appeal until the Appellate Court reviews it. There are exceptions, however. Lawsuits challenging the legality of a state law or criminal conviction that carries a death sentence can be appealed directly to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court's primary responsibility is to review any decision made in the Superior Court and fish out errors committed by judges. It sometimes examines judgments from the Appellate Court cases to ensure the correct application of the law. Typically, a panel of five justices sits to hear and make decisions on cases appealed to the court. The Supreme Court may assign to the Appellate Court any pending lawsuit unless such matter is under its original jurisdiction.
Connecticut Appellate Court
The Connecticut Appellate Court has nine judges, one of whom is appointed by the Chief Justice as the Chief Judge. Also, judges who are qualified and are at least 70 may choose to take senior status and remain members of the Appellate Court. The court reviews decisions made in the Superior Court to determine if errors of law were committed in their rulings. The Appellate Court makes its decision based on the record, briefs, and oral argument presented to it. Three judges hear and decide any case appealed to the Appellate Court case. However, there are occasions when the nine judges may sit en banc to make decisions. This usually happens in legal matters of high public interest.
Connecticut Superior Court
The Connecticut Superior Court is a trial court with four major divisions. Each of them handles diverse cases, but generally, the Superior Court hears most legal disputes in the state, save those over which the Probate Court has original jurisdiction.
Probate Court matters are usually appealed to the Connecticut Superior Court. The court is a trial court and hears most cases in the state. It, however, does not try legal matters under the Probate Court's purview. The judicial district court locations hear major criminal cases, civil disputes, and family cases not involving juveniles. Juvenile cases typically are tried at juvenile court locations. There are four trial divisions of the Superior Court including:
- Housing Division - This division handles cases involving housing in special housing sessions in the Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, Stamford-Norwalk, and Waterbury judicial districts. Housing cases are part of the usual proceedings in all other judicial districts.
- Criminal Division - The criminal division hears criminal cases such as misdemeanors, felonies, violations, and infractions. Any criminal offense is an attack against the state.
- Family Division - This division of the Superior Court handles cases such as marriage dissolution, family support, child custody, and relief from abuse, and most juvenile matters.
- Civil Division - Cases heard by the civil division include landlord-tenant disputes, automobile or personal accidents, product or professional liability suits, and contract disputes.
Connecticut Probate Court
The Connecticut Probate Court is a trial court. It handles legal matters relating to estates of deceased persons, adoptions, guardians of the persons, trusts, and estates of minors. They are mostly located in municipal buildings such as city and town halls. Connecticut has 54 Probate Court districts and six Regional Children’s Probate Courts. Each Connecticut Probate Court has one judge who is elected to serve for four years.
What are Appeals and Court Limits in Connecticut?
Anyone in Connecticut has the right to request a higher court to review the decision made by a lower court in a process known as an appeal. The only person that may file an appeal is a party who is legally harmed or aggrieved by the decision of a court. The party who is bringing the request for appeal is the appellant, while other parties who have not joined in the petition are known as appellees.
Court decisions in criminal and civil cases are subject to further review in appellate courts. Small claims disputes cannot be challenged anywhere once the magistrate rules. The Probate Court decisions are appealable to the Superior Court in the same location as the Probate Court. The Appellate Court reviews cases for errors that may have been committed by lower courts while making decisions. Generally, most cases in Connecticut are appealed to the Appellate Court. There are, however, some specific cases that are appealable directly to the Supreme Court. The Connecticut Supreme Court has the final decision on matters of state law. A dissatisfied party at the Appellate Court may petition the Connecticut Supreme Court to examine the lower court ruling. Note that review by the Supreme Court is discretionary.
The appellate law in Connecticut is time-dependent. Parties in a legal dispute may not be able to file an appeal if so much time has passed after a court judgment. Depending on the type of case, the time limit for filing appeals to the Superior Court from the Probate Court in Connecticut is either 30 or 45 days. Appellants must file their petitions with the Appellate Court under 20 days after trial court rulings. However, if the time to appeal a case has passed, an appellant may file a motion to reopen it within 120 days, but under the right circumstance. This is most especially feasible where new evidence emerges for a judgment passed by error or obtained by fraud.
How Do I Find My Case Number in Connecticut?
A case number is also known as a docket number. It is a case's unique identifying number that differentiates a lawsuit from another and helps track court proceedings as they make their way through the court system. A court clerk is responsible for allocating case numbers in Connecticut courts at the point of filing new lawsuits. Case numbers in Connecticut are useful in finding or ordering copies of court records.
To find a case number in Connecticut, an interested person must first identify the court where the case is being heard. The Connecticut Judicial Branch created an online public service platform on which residents can find docket numbers. Depending on the courts handling the proceedings of interest, interested individuals may search the portal for case numbers using the parties' names. It provides case information for cases being heard at the Supreme, Appellate, and Superior Courts. The portal also returns information on civil, family, housing, and small claims cases. The various court locations across the state can equally retrieve case numbers at the request of interested persons but may come at a fee.
Does Connecticut Hold Remote Trials?
Connecticut courts had adopted Cisco video conferencing software long before the coronavirus pandemic outbreak in conducting remote hearings with certain prison inmates. Virtual trials in Connecticut have a significant impact on cost reduction in moving inmates to and from the courts. It also eliminates the dangers associated with such a movement. However, in the wake of COVID-19, the Connecticut Judicial Branch moved to employ Microsoft Teams, online audio, and video conferencing software in conducting court hearings. Persons who want to participate in remote trials in the state must install the Microsoft Teams software on any internet-enabled device of their choice (computers or mobile devices). Interested individuals can access virtual hearings at the Connecticut Supreme Court on the court's YouTube Channel.
Remote hearing is convenient, and many judges in Connecticut are beginning to clamor for it to remain even after the pandemic. It helps deal with a higher number of cases in a shorter time. Some judges equally believe that this method of court trials is preferable to in-person hearings in many ways that stretch beyond public health concerns. Although courts are under pressure to resume jury trials, they have remained on hold in many parts of the state due to the rising coronavirus rates. Further information on COVID-19 related remote hearings is available on a webpage developed by the Connecticut Judicial Branch.
