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Section 54-33l – Strip searches. Procedure

May 11, 2021 | Connecticut, Criminal Procedure

(a) No person arrested for a motor vehicle violation or a misdemeanor shall be strip searched unless there is reasonable belief that the individual is concealing a weapon, a controlled substance or contraband.
(b) No search of any body cavity other than the mouth shall be conducted without a search warrant. Any warrant authorizing a body cavity search shall specify that the search is required to be performed under sanitary conditions and conducted either by or under the supervision of a person licensed to practice medicine in accordance with chapter 370.
(c) All strip searches shall be performed by a person of the same sex as the arrested person and on premises where the search cannot be observed by persons not physically conducting the search or not absolutely necessary to conduct the search.
(d) Any peace officer or employee of a police department conducting a strip search shall (1) obtain the written permission of the police chief or an agent thereof designated for the purposes of authorizing a strip search in accordance with this section and section 54-33k and (2) prepare a report of the strip search. The report shall include the written authorization required by subdivision (1) of this subsection, the name of the person subjected to the search, the name of any person conducting the search and the time, date and place of the search. A copy of the report shall be provided to the person subjected to the search.
(e) Nothing in this section shall preclude prosecution of a peace officer or employee under any other provision of the general statutes.
(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting any statutory or common law rights of any person for purposes of any civil action or injunctive relief.
(g) The provisions of this section and section 54-33k shall not apply when the person is remanded to a correctional institution pursuant to a court order.

Conn. Gen. Stat. ยง 54-33l

(P.A. 80-93, S. 2; P.A. 81-234, S. 2.)

Section does not address those strip searches that are conducted incident to lawful arrest on a felony charge. 82 Conn.App. 111. Language of section suggests that a strip search and a body cavity search are two discrete searches and, therefore, when a search constitutes a strip search, it does not necessarily amount to a body cavity search under statute; although the two types of searches appear within same statutory provision, the two terms are used independently of each other. 105 CA 179.