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Section 54-56j – Pretrial school violence prevention program

May 11, 2021 | Connecticut, Criminal Procedure

(a) There shall be a school violence prevention program for students of a public or private secondary school charged with an offense involving the use or threatened use of physical violence in or on the real property comprising a public or private elementary or secondary school or at a school-sponsored activity as defined in subsection (h) of section 10-233a. Upon application by any such person for participation in such program, the court shall, but only as to the public, order the court file sealed, and such person shall state under oath, in open court or before any person designated by the clerk and duly authorized to administer oaths, under penalties of perjury that such person has never had such system invoked in such person’s behalf and that such person has not been convicted of an offense involving the threatened use of physical violence in or on the real property comprising a public or private elementary or secondary school or at a school-sponsored activity as defined in subsection (h) of section 10-233a, and that such person has not been convicted in any other state at any time of an offense the essential elements of which are substantially the same as such an offense.
(b) The court, after consideration of the recommendation of the state’s attorney, assistant state’s attorney or deputy assistant state’s attorney in charge of the case, may, in its discretion, grant such application. If the court grants such application, it shall refer such person to the Court Support Services Division for assessment and confirmation of the eligibility of the applicant. The Court Support Services Division, in making its assessment and confirmation, may rely on the representations made by the applicant under oath in open court with respect to convictions in other states of offenses specified in subsection (a) of this section. As a condition of eligibility for participation in such program, the student and the parents or guardian of such student shall certify under penalty of false statement that, to the best of such person’s knowledge and belief, such person does not possess any firearms, dangerous weapons, controlled substances or other property or materials the possession of which is prohibited by law or in violation of the law. Upon confirmation of eligibility, the defendant shall be referred to the Court Support Services Division for evaluation and placement in an appropriate school violence prevention program for one year.
(c) Any person who enters the program shall agree:

(1) To the tolling of the statute of limitations with respect to such crime,
(2) to a waiver of the right to a speedy trial,
(3) to participate in a school violence prevention program offered by a provider under contract with the Court Support Services Division pursuant to subsection (g) of this section, and
(4) to successfully complete the assigned program. If the Court Support Services Division informs the court that the defendant is ineligible for the program and the court makes a determination of ineligibility or if the program provider certifies to the court that the defendant did not successfully complete the assigned program, the court shall order the court file to be unsealed, enter a plea of not guilty for such defendant and immediately place the case on the trial list.
(d) The Court Support Services Division shall monitor the defendant’s participation in the assigned program and the defendant’s compliance with the orders of the court including, but not limited to, maintaining contact with the student and officials of the student’s school.
(e) If such defendant satisfactorily completes the assigned program and one year has elapsed since the defendant was placed in the program, such defendant may apply for dismissal of the charges against such defendant and the court, on reviewing the record of such defendant’s participation in such program submitted by the Court Support Services Division and on finding such satisfactory completion, shall dismiss the charges. If the defendant does not apply for dismissal of the charges against the defendant after satisfactorily completing the assigned program and one year has elapsed since the defendant was placed in the program, the court, upon receipt of the record of the defendant’s participation in such program submitted by the Court Support Services Division, may on its own motion make a finding of such satisfactory completion and dismiss the charges.
(f) The cost of participation in such program shall be paid by the parent or guardian of such student, except that no student shall be excluded from such program for inability to pay such cost provided (1) the parent or guardian of such student files with the court an affidavit of indigency or inability to pay, and (2) the court enters a finding thereof.
(g) The Court Support Services Division shall contract with service providers, develop standards and oversee appropriate school violence prevention programs to meet the requirements of this section.
(h) The school violence prevention program shall consist of group counseling sessions in anger management and nonviolent conflict resolution.

Conn. Gen. Stat. ยง 54-56j

( P.A. 99-259, S. 2, 3; P.A. 10-43, S. 23; P.A. 17-99, S. 20.)

Amended by P.A. 19-0151,S. 6 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2019 Regular Session, eff. 7/8/2019.
Amended by P.A. 17-0099, S. 20 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2017 Regular Session, eff. 10/1/2017.
Amended by P.A. 10-0043, S. 23 of the February 2010 Regular Session, eff. 5/18/2010.

See Sec. 46b-133e re suspension of delinquency proceedings for participation in school violence prevention program.