Domestic Abuse Laws
Connecticut
2001
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GENERAL STATUTES OF CONNECTICUT, REVISED TO
1997
Title-46b-Family Law
Chapter
815a Family Matters
Sec. 46b-15. Relief from physical abuse by family or household
member. Application. Court orders. Duration. Copies. Expedited hearing for
violation of order. Other remedies. (a) Any family or household member
as defined in section 46b-38a who has been subjected to a continuous threat
of present physical pain or physical injury by another family or household
member may make an application to the Superior Court for relief under this
section.
(b) The application shall be accompanied by an affidavit made under oath which includes a brief statement of the conditions from which relief is sought. Upon receipt of the application the court shall order that a hearing on the application be held not later than fourteen days from the date of the order. The court, in its discretion, may make such orders as it deems appropriate for the protection of the applicant and such dependent children or other persons as the court sees fit. Such order may include temporary child custody or visitation rights and such relief may include but is not limited to an order enjoining the respondent from (1) imposing any restraint upon the person or liberty of the applicant; (2) threatening, harassing, assaulting, molesting, sexually assaulting or attacking the applicant or (3) entering the family dwelling or the dwelling of the applicant. If an applicant alleges an immediate and present physical danger to the applicant, the court may issue an ex parte order granting such relief as it deems appropriate. If a postponement of a hearing on the application is requested by either party and granted, the order shall not be continued except upon agreement of the parties or by order of the court for good cause shown.
(c) Every order of the court made in accordance with this section shall contain the following language: "This order may be extended by the court beyond six months. In accordance with section 53a-107, entering or remaining in a building or any other premises in violation of this order constitutes criminal trespass in the first degree. This is a criminal offense punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than one year, a fine of not more than two thousand dollars or both."
(d) No order of the court shall exceed six months, except that an order may be extended by the court upon motion of the applicant for such additional time as the court deems necessary. If the respondent has not appeared upon the initial application, service of a motion to extend an order may be made by first-class mail directed to the respondent at his or her last known address.
(e) The applicant shall cause notice of the hearing pursuant to subsection (b) and a copy of the application and of any ex parte order issued pursuant to subsection (b) to be served on the respondent not less than five days before the hearing. Upon the granting of an ex parte order, the clerk of the court shall provide two certified copies of the order to the applicant and a copy to the Family Division. Upon the granting of an order after notice and hearing, the clerk of the court shall provide two certified copies of the order to the applicant and a copy to the Family Division and a copy to the respondent. Every order of the court made in accordance with this section after notice and hearing shall contain the following language: "This court had jurisdiction over the parties and the subject matter when it issued this protection order. Respondent was afforded both notice and opportunity to be heard in the hearing that gave rise to this order. Pursuant to the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, 18 USC 2265, this order is valid and enforceable in all fifty states, any territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and tribal lands." The clerk of the court shall send a certified copy of any ex parte order and order after notice and hearing to the appropriate law enforcement agency within forty-eight hours of its issuance.
(f) A caretaker who is providing shelter in his or her residence to a person sixty years or older shall not be enjoined from the full use and enjoyment of his or her home and property. The Superior Court may make any other appropriate order under the provisions of this section.
(g) When a motion for contempt is filed for violation of a restraining order, there shall be an expedited hearing. Such hearing shall be held within five court days of service of the motion on the respondent, provided service on the respondent is made not less than twenty-four hours before the hearing. If the court finds the respondent in contempt for violation of an order, the court may impose such sanctions as the court deems appropriate.
(h) An action under this section shall not preclude the applicant from seeking any other civil or criminal relief.
(P.A. 81-272, S. 2; P.A.
86-337, S. 7; P.A. 87-567, S. 4, 7; P.A. 91-6, S. 1, 3; 91-381, S. 3, 7;
P.A. 95-193, S. 1; P.A. 96-180, S. 158, 166.)
History: P.A. 86-337 amended Subsec. (a) by substituting "family or
household member as defined in section 46b-38a" for "adult person"; amended
Subsec. (b) by adding "such order may include temporary child custody or
visitation rights" and providing that order shall not be continued except
upon agreement of parties or good cause; amended Subsec. (e) by requiring
(1) court to provide two copies of order to applicant, a copy to family division,
a copy to individual to whom order is directed and certified copy to appropriate
law enforcement agency within forty-eight hours of issuance and (2) family
division to provide registry of protective orders and inform peace officers
of status of orders; and amended Subsec. (g) by adding provision re expedited
hearing for motion for contempt for violation of restraining order; P.A.
87-567 amended Subsec. (e), adding "and restraining" before "orders"; P.A.
91-6 amended Subsec. (e) by adding "clerk of the" before "court", changing
"file with" to "send to" and deleting provision re registry of protective
and restraining orders by family relations division; P.A. 91-381 added
"threatening, harassing" to Subdiv. (2) of Subsec. (b), and amended Subsec.
(e) to require applicant to serve notice of hearing, copy of application
and of any ex parte order upon respondent not less than five days before
hearing and to require clerk of the court to provide copies of ex parte order
to applicant and family division and send certified copy of ex parte order
and order after notice and hearing to law enforcement agency, deleting those
provisions from their previous locations in Subsec. (b); P.A. 95-193 amended
Subsecs. (a) and (b) by changing time limit on court orders from "ninety
days" to "six months"; P.A. 96-180 made technical change in Subsec. (c) changing
fine from one thousand to two thousand dollars in accordance with P.A. 92-256,
effective June 3, 1996.
Sec. 46b-16. Petition to Superior Court for ex parte order re temporary care and custody of child when parent arrested for custodial interference.
Duration of order. (a) When (1) a parent or relative has been arrested for violation of section 53a-97 or 53a-98 or arrested pursuant to chapter 964 for an offense of intentional interference of the lawful custody of a child under the laws of another state or territory, and (2) a child has been in the care of such parent or relative, the legal custodian of the child or the Department of Children and Families may petition the superior court or probate court which has venue over the matter for immediate temporary custody of the child.
(b) If the court finds that there is a substantial likelihood that the child will be removed from the jurisdiction of the court prior to a hearing to determine custody, an order of temporary custody may be issued ex parte by the court granting the temporary care and custody of the child to a suitable person or agency pending a hearing to determine custody pursuant to chapter 815j or 815o. Such hearing shall be held not more than five days from the issuance of the ex parte order nor less than three days from the return of service, whichever is later.
(c) If the parent or relative arrested for violation of section 53a-97 or 53a-98 is in custody of the state, the state shall produce such parent or relative for the hearing to determine custody of the child pursuant to chapter 815j or 815o. (d) The sole duty of the Department of Children and Families under this section shall be to provide care for the child during the period of custody pending determination of the custodial rights of the parents or guardians.
(P.A. 86-311, S. 2; P.A.
93-91, S. 1, 2.)
History: P.A. 93-91 substituted commissioner and department of children
and families for commissioner and department of children and youth services,
effective July 1, 1993.
Secs. 46b-17 to 46b-19. Reserved for future use.
