Connecticut § 51-346 - (Formerly Sec. 52-24). Location in judicial district where civil process may be made returnable. Trial locations.

§ 51-346. (Formerly Sec. 52-24). Location in judicial district where civil process may be made returnable. Trial locations.

Sec. 51-346. (Formerly Sec. 52-24). Location in judicial district where civil process may be made returnable. Trial locations. (a) Process in all civil actions brought to a judicial district, except small claims as provided in subsection (b) of this section, shall be made returnable as follows:

(1) If brought to the judicial district of Ansonia-Milford, to the court at Ansonia or Milford as the plaintiff elects;

(2) If brought to the judicial district of Danbury, to the court at Danbury;

(3) If brought to the judicial district of Bridgeport, to the court at Bridgeport;

(4) If brought to the judicial district of Hartford, to the court at Hartford;

(5) If brought to the judicial district of Litchfield, to the court at Torrington;

(6) If brought to the judicial district of Middlesex, to the court at Middletown;

(7) If brought to the judicial district of New Britain, to the court at New Britain;

(8) If brought to the judicial district of New Haven, to the court at New Haven or Meriden as the plaintiff elects;

(9) If brought to the judicial district of New London, to the court at New London or Norwich as the plaintiff elects;

(10) If brought to the judicial district of Stamford-Norwalk, to the court at Stamford;

(11) If brought to the judicial district of Tolland, to the court at Rockville;

(12) If brought to the judicial district of Waterbury, to the court at Waterbury;

(13) If brought to the judicial district of Windham, to the court at Putnam.

(b) Small claims matters shall be made returnable to the Superior Court facility designated by the Chief Court Administrator to handle small claims matters, except that small claims housing matters, as defined in section 47a-68, shall be assigned in accordance with section 47a-70, where applicable.

(c) Cases brought or taken to any location of the Superior Court may be assigned for trial at such location or at any other authorized court location within the judicial district, except that small claims matters may be heard at any Superior Court facility designated by the Chief Court Administrator.

(1949 Rev., S. 7764, 7765; 1951, S. 3114d, 3115d; 1957, P.A. 445, S. 3, 4; P.A. 73-603, S. 2; P.A. 75-578, S. 2; P.A. 76-436, S. 662, 681; P.A. 77-411, S. 1, 6; 77-576, S. 5, 65; P.A. 78-379, S. 15, 27; P.A. 80-201, S. 7, 9; P.A. 82-248, S. 154; P.A. 88-230, S. 9, 12; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-142, S. 7, 8; P.A. 95-220, S. 4–6; P.A. 97-40, S. 11, 12, 18; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 59, 131; P.A. 17-99, S. 12; P.A. 19-64, S. 20; P.A. 23-46, S. 28.)

History: P.A. 73-603 amended Subsec. (c) to apply provision re court sessions at Danbury; P.A. 75-578 deleted previous detailed provisions specifying permissible transfers, added exception in Subsec. (c) and added Subsecs. (d) to (h) re bringing of action in New London or Windham county or in judicial district of Waterbury and re assignment for trial and transfers generally; P.A. 76-436 added exceptions re small claims, support paternity and summary process actions in existing provisions, substituted Meriden for Waterbury in Subsec. (a), deleted New Britain in Subsec. (b) and Ansonia in Subsec. (d), inserted Subsecs. (g) to (k) and relettered former Subsecs. (g) and (h) accordingly, effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 77-411 added Bristol in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 77-576 replaced counties with judicial districts generally, reorganizing Subsecs., merged judicial district of New Britain and Hartford county to form judicial district of Hartford-New Britain and created judicial district of Danbury, effective July 1, 1978; Sec. 52-24 transferred to Sec. 51-346 in the 1977 Court Reorganization Supplement; P.A. 78-379 made technical corrections in Subsec. (a); P.A. 80-201 added Subsec. (a)(12) re judicial district of Stamford-Norwalk and deleted reference to Stamford in Subsec. (a)(3); P.A. 82-248 amended Subsec. (a) by alphabetizing the judicial districts and amended Subsec. (b) by deleting a provision authorizing transfer of cases between locations within the same judicial district; P.A. 88-230 added Subsec. (a)(7) providing that civil actions brought to the judicial district of New Britain be returned to the court at New Britain or Bristol and renumbered the remaining Subdivs. accordingly, and changed reference to the judicial district of Hartford-New Britain to the judicial district of Hartford and deleted references to the court at Bristol or New Britain reflecting the transfer of said towns to the new New Britain judicial district in Subsec (a)(4), effective September 1, 1991; P.A. 90-98 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1991, to September 1, 1993; P.A. 93-142 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1993, to September 1, 1996, effective June 14, 1993; P.A. 95-220 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1996, to September 1, 1998, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 97-40 amended Subsec. (a) by adding “except small claims as provided in subsection (b) of this section”, added new Subsec. (b) re small claims matters and small claims housing matters and redesignated former Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c), effective September 1, 1997; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 amended Subsec. (c) to add exception that small claims matters may be heard at any Superior Court facility designated by the Chief Court Administrator, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 17-99 amended Subsec. (a)(13) by deleting “or Willimantic as the plaintiff elects”, effective June 30, 2017; P.A. 19-64 amended Subsec. (a)(5) by replacing “courthouse for the judicial district of Litchfield” with “court at Torrington” and amended Subsec. (a)(7) by deleting “or Bristol as the plaintiff elects”, effective September 1, 2019; P.A. 23-46 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by replacing judicial district of Fairfield with judicial district of Bridgeport, effective January 1, 2024.