Connecticut § 54-86o - Jailhouse witnesses in a criminal prosecution.

§ 54-86o. Jailhouse witnesses in a criminal prosecution.

Sec. 54-86o. Jailhouse witnesses in a criminal prosecution. (a) In any criminal prosecution, upon written request by a defendant filed with the court, but not requiring an order of the court, the defendant may request of the prosecutorial official whether such official intends to introduce testimony of a jailhouse witness. The prosecutorial official shall promptly, but not later than forty-five days after the filing of such motion, disclose to the defendant whether the official intends to introduce such testimony and, if so, the following information and material:

(1) The complete criminal history of any such jailhouse witness, including any charges pending against such witness, or which were reduced or dismissed as part of a plea bargain;

(2) The jailhouse witness's cooperation agreement with the prosecutorial official and any benefit that the official has provided, offered or may offer in the future to any such jailhouse witness;

(3) The substance, time and place of any statement allegedly given by the defendant to a jailhouse witness, and the substance, time and place of any statement given by a jailhouse witness implicating the defendant in an offense for which the defendant is indicted;

(4) Whether at any time the jailhouse witness recanted any testimony subject to the disclosure and, if so, the time and place of the recantation, the nature of the recantation and the name of any person present at the recantation; and

(5) Information concerning any other criminal prosecution in which the jailhouse witness testified, or offered to testify, against a person suspected as the perpetrator of an offense or defendant with whom the jailhouse witness was imprisoned or otherwise confined, including any cooperation agreement with a prosecutorial official or any benefit provided or offered to such witness by a prosecutorial official.

(b) The prosecutorial official may move for an extension of time to make any disclosure pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. The court may agree to such extension of time if the court finds that the jailhouse witness was not known to the prosecutorial official at the time the defendant filed the written request under subsection (a) of this section, and that information or material required to be disclosed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section could not be disclosed with the exercise of due diligence within the period of time required under subsection (a) of this section. Upon good cause shown, the court may set a reasonable extension of time or may, upon the court's own motion, allow such extension.

(c) If the court finds that a disclosure pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may result in the possibility of bodily harm to the jailhouse witness, the court may order that such information or material may only be viewed by the defense counsel, and not by the defendant or other parties.

(d) For the purposes of this section, “benefit” means any plea bargain, bail consideration, reduction or modification of sentence or any other leniency, immunity, financial payment, reward or amelioration of current or future conditions of incarceration offered or provided in connection with, or in exchange for, testimony that is offered or provided by a jailhouse witness; and “jailhouse witness” means a person who offers or provides testimony concerning statements made to such person by another person with whom he or she was incarcerated, or an incarcerated person who offers or provides testimony concerning statements made to such person by another person who is suspected of or charged with committing a criminal offense.

(P.A. 19-131, S. 1; 19-132, S. 6.)

History: P.A. 19-132 redefined “jailhouse witness” in Subsec. (d).

See Sec. 51-286 re tracking use of testimony by jailhouse witnesses.

Subsec. (d): Procedural protections embodied in section are not dependent on the location where the defendant's alleged statements occurred, instead, they are applicable regardless of whether an incarcerated witness testifies as to statements the defendant made inside or outside of prison. 337 C. 486.