Bill Text: CT SB01029 | 2011 | General Assembly | Comm Sub

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Bill Title: An Act Concerning Victim Impact Statements In Capital Murder Cases.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-04-28 - File Number 664 [SB01029 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2011-SB01029-Comm_Sub.html

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General Assembly		Raised Bill No. 1029
January Session, 2011		LCO No. 3268
		*_____SB01029JUD___041511____*
Referred to Committee on Judiciary
Introduced by:
(JUD)

AN ACT CONCERNING VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENTS IN CAPITAL MURDER CASES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 53a-46d of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2011):

[A victim impact statement prepared with the assistance of a victim advocate to be placed in court files in accordance with subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 54-220 may be read in court prior to imposition of sentence upon a defendant found guilty of a crime punishable by death.]

(a) If a defendant is convicted of or pleads guilty to a capital felony, a family member of the murder victim or his or her legal representative may appear personally before the jury or, if there is no jury, the court to present a victim impact statement prior to the jury or the court returning a special verdict pursuant to subsection (e) of section 53a-46a.

(b) The victim impact statement may include information presented in the form of a narrative, photographs or a video recording that describes the victim's general life history, family and social relationships and accomplishments and the physical, emotional, psychological and economic impact on the surviving family members and the community of the victim's murder by the defendant.

(c) The court shall review the victim impact statement prior to its presentation and may limit its content and the manner of its presentation to ensure that there is no violation of any provision of the general statutes, the Constitution of the state or the Constitution of the United States.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	October 1, 2011	53a-46d

JUD

Joint Favorable