LibGuides Home: Capital Punishment in Connecticut: Prior Laws & Legislation

2000s

Public Act 09-107
This Act eliminated the death penalty for capital felonies committed on or after the Act's effective date. This Act was vetoed by Governor Jodi Rell on June 5, 2009.
Legislative History of Public Act 09-107
Veto Message for PA 09-107
Governor Rell Vetoes HB 6578, An Act Concerning the Penalty for a Capital Felony
Public Act 01-151
Added an aggravating factor of the murder of a police officer, prohibited imposing the death penalty on a defendant with mental retardation, and changed the scope of the capital felony statute to include the murder of a conservation officer acting within the scope of his official duties and eliminated the illegal sale of cocaine, heroin, or methadone for financial gain to a person who dies as a direct result of using the drug. It also created a Commission on the Death Penalty, which was charged with studying the death penalty in Connecticut.
Legislative History of Public Act 01-151
Public Act 00-200
Required that a victim impact statement prepared by a victim advocate may be read in court prior to the imposition of a defendant found guilty of a crime punishable by death.
Legislative History of Public Act 00-200
Public Act 00-154
Established a Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparity in the Criminal Justice System. Among other duties, the Commission was directed to examine the implementation of policies and procedures to ensure that death penalty cases were administered fairly and impartially, to minimize the risk of the execution of an innocent person and to eliminate discrimination in capital sentencing.

1990s

Public Act 98-126
Expanded definition of capital felony by including the murder of an employee of the Department of Corrections or a person providing services on behalf of the Department of Correction who are acting within his or her employment of duties in a correctional facility, and the offender is confined in the correctional facility.
Public Act A 97-184
Allowed members of the news media to be present at executions, subject to the discretion of the Commissioner of Correction.
Public Act 95-19
Changed the method of execution from electrocution to lethal injection. Added murder of a person under sixteen years of age to the definition of a capital felony.

Legislative history of "An Act Concerning the Death Penalty", Public Act 95-19, 1995 Senate Bill no. 852
Call Number: KFC3606 .C8 no.95-19

Public Act 95-16
Changed the method of execution from electrocution to lethal injection. Added murder of a person under sixteen years of age to the definition of a capital felony

Legislative history of "An Act Concerning Lethal Injection, Proportionality Review of Death Sentences and Murder of a Child", Public Act 95-16, 1995 Senate Bill no. 855
Call Number: KFC3606 .C8 no.95-16

Public Act 94-78 (vetoed)
This act would have required a jury or judge to make findings as to the existance of mitigating and aggravating factors and their relevant weight and changed the method of execution from electrocution to lethal injection. It was vetoed by governor Lowell Weicker on May 26, 1994.
Public Act 93-306
Added aggravating factor of a finding that the defendant committed the offense with an assault weapon.
Legislative History for Public Act 93-306
Public Act 93-27 (vetoed)
This act would have required a judge or jury to sentence a defendant to death if the aggravating factors outweigh the mitigating factors. It was vetoed by Governor Loewell Weicker on May 4, 1993.

1980s

Public Act 87-260

Added a provision that no person who had not been indicted by a grand jury prior to May 26, 1983 could be tried for any crime punishable by death or life inprisonment, unless a court at a preliminary hearing determines that there is probable cause to believe that the defendant committed the offense charged.

Public Act 85-366

Setting forth how a judge or jury is to determine whether a mitigating factor concerning the defendant's character, background, or history, or the nature of the circumstances of the crime exists.

Legislative History of Public Act 85-366

Public Act 85-144

Eliminated the defense of drug dependency from the capital felony of illegal sale of narcotics to a person who dies as a direct result of using the narcotics.

Public Act 83-210

Establishes a procedure for probable cause hearing for defendants charged with an offense punishable with death or life imprisonment.

Legislative History of Public Act 83-210

Public Act 83-327

Clarifying that certain provisions of the General Statutes related to death penalty hearings applied to convictions occuring on or after a particular date.

Legislative History of Public Act 83-327

Public Act 80-335

Added murder committed in the course of a sexual assault and the murder of two or more persons at the same time to the definition of capital felony.

Public Act 80-332

Prohibited the death penalty if a mitigating factor related to the defendant's character, background and history, or nature and circumstances of the crime existed. Also required any death sentence to be reviewed by the Supreme Court.

1970s

Public Act 74-84

Allowed women to be designated as an allowable witness to the execution.

Public Act 73-576

Prohibited a jury trial for a capital office with fewer than 12 jurors unless the defendant consents.

Legislative History of Public Act 73-576

Public Act 73-137

Designated six offenses as capital felonies and provided for a procedure for imposing the death penalty.

Legislative history of "An Act Concerning the Death Penalty", Public Act 73-137, 1973 House Bill no. 8297
Call Number: KFC3606 .C8 no.73-137