New Connecticut laws going into effect Oct. 1

Among the more than 70 new state laws that take effect on Oct. 1, is a requirement that police notify the families of deceased people within 24 hours of their identification, or risk their jobs.

The law was approved after two controversial cases in Bridgeport, and it will allow police responding to an incident involving a death to also enlist police from the towns where nextof-kin live, in order to expedite the notification.

If a responding officer is unable to notify next of kin, they will have to document the reasons. In cases where next of kin are not contacted, the families may request that the Office of Inspector General investigate the communications failure. The inspector general may recommend suspension or even the decertification of officers found to have neglected the good-faith requirement, essentially ending their law enforcement careers in the state.

“Obviously this was a priority bill for the Bridgeport delegation and we’re happy to see that it’s taking effect,” said state Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, who is co-chairman of the law-writing Judiciary Committee of the General Assembly. “Hopefully this will help prevent similar incidents that we saw previously.”

On Dec. 12, 2021, in two unrelated incidents, police found the bodies of Lauren Smith-Fields, 23, who had died from an accidental drug overdose, and 53-year old Brenda Lee Rawls, who died from natural causes. Families of the women complained that police failed to notify them, sparking public protests against the local police. Two Bridgeport detectives who initially investigated the deaths were suspended.

Another new law changes the procedures for juveniles who are arrested, including a requirement of speedier court hearings. It mandates electronic monitoring in the cases of youngsters charged with second or subsequent motor vehicle or property theft offenses. It also includes the possibility of detaining a child up to eight hours, from the current six hours, in jail without a judge’s detention order, but requires court hearings the following business day.

The new law also includes the possible extension of incarceration for up to 60 months for certain homicide, firearms and serious sexual offender prosecutions. Current law lets state prosecutors ask judges to designate a case as a “serious sexual offender prosecution” when a youngster is referred for a sexually related crime and the case is not transferred to adult court.

New rules on auto thefts include graduated penalties on whether they are firsttime offenses, rather than the previous law that was based on a vehicle’s monetary value. The result is lower penalties for first-time offenders, with rising felony penalties for subsequent thefts, according to a legislative review of the law. In addition, those convicted of robbery of an occupied motor vehicles can be liable for mandatory three-year prison sentences.

State Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, the other co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said the juvenile crime legislation was the result of legislative compromise after months of onand-off talks between majority Democrats and Republicans who currently have a 54-97 minority in the

House and a 13-23 minority in the Senate. Winfield warned that while the legislation is a political attempt to tackle the problem of youth crime, the need to stabilize young people and keep them out of the criminal justice system is a much tougher, more-expensive problem.

“We need to focus on what’s really necessary for the kids growing up in these communities,” Winfield said. “It’s a political answer, but I don’t think the research and data got us there. In all the talk about public safety, we’re not having that conversation.”

Stafstrom noted that many new changes to the state’s criminal codes take effect on Oct. 1 rather than the start of the new budget year on July 1, to give law enforcement professionals a few more months to plan on the latest laws. Below are a few more:

Failed background checks

Another new law will require the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Safety to notify local police chiefs when a resident fails a background check while attempting to buy a firearm. Under state law, before a handgun sale, the buyer must complete a Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection application and the agency must perform a national instant criminal background check, then determine if there is a reason to disqualify the applicant.

Winfield said the new law could be helpful, but the issue of gun violence is systemic, starting with racial and economic segregation and urban education systems in the cities with the most violence, including New Haven, Bridgeport and Hartford.

“We have to go to the source of why these guns crimes are happening,” Winfield said, stressing that many of the shootings are among 17-to-25-year-olds.

Dating service protections

Online dating services will be required to provide Connecticut users with safety awareness notifications before allowing the consumers on their platforms. The law also includes “child grooming,” domestic violence training, employment discrimination and workplace sexual harassment, and anti-discrimination protections for domestic violence victims.

Oversight of chief state’s attorney

This legislation was the result of the retirement of Richard Colangelo, who was replaced as chief state’s attorney following an independent investigation that raised questions on his credibility and office ethics. The new law allows the state Criminal Justice Commission to reprimand or suspend the state’s top criminal prosecutor with or without pay. The former law limited the commission to removing state’s attorneys from office after determining misconduct, neglect of duty, or incompetence.

Tethering dogs

The new law requires that dogs be provided with adequate shelter when out of doors for more than 15 minutes during National Weather

Service advisories of extreme heat or cold, if the animal’s health and safety is threatened based on its breed, coat thickness, physical condition and other factors. The prior law prohibited canines from being tied or tethered to stationary objects for more than 15 minutes in adverse weather. The new law also prohibits tethering a dog to a stationary object or mobile device like a pulley without providing drinking water at least twice in each 24-hour period. Violators are liable to $100 fines for the first offense, $200 for a second offense, and between $250 and $500 for a third or subsequent offense.