Bill Text: CT SB00279 | 2012 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: An Act Concerning Sentence Modification.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-03-08 - Public Hearing 03/12 [SB00279 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2012-SB00279-Introduced.html

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General Assembly		Raised Bill No. 279
February Session, 2012		LCO No. 1368
		*01368_______JUD*
Referred to Committee on Judiciary
Introduced by:
(JUD)

AN ACT CONCERNING SENTENCE MODIFICATION.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 53a-39 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2012):

(a) At any time during the period of a definite sentence, [of three years or less,] the sentencing court or judge may, after hearing and for good cause shown, reduce the sentence, order the defendant discharged, or order the defendant discharged on probation or conditional discharge for a period not to exceed that to which the defendant could have been originally sentenced.

[(b) At any time during the period of a definite sentence of more than three years, upon agreement of the defendant and the state's attorney to seek review of the sentence, the sentencing court or judge may, after hearing and for good cause shown, reduce the sentence, order the defendant discharged, or order the defendant discharged on probation or conditional discharge for a period not to exceed that to which the defendant could have been originally sentenced.]

[(c)] (b) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any portion of a sentence imposed that is a mandatory minimum sentence for an offense which may not be suspended or reduced by the court.

[(d)] (c) At a hearing held by the sentencing court or judge under this section, such court or judge shall permit any victim of the crime to appear before the court or judge for the purpose of making a statement for the record concerning whether or not the sentence of the defendant should be reduced, the defendant should be discharged or the defendant should be discharged on probation or conditional discharge pursuant to [subsection (a) or (b) of] this section. In lieu of such appearance, the victim may submit a written statement to the court or judge and the court or judge shall make such statement a part of the record at the hearing. For the purposes of this subsection, "victim" means the victim, the legal representative of the victim or a member of the deceased victim's immediate family.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	October 1, 2012	53a-39

Statement of Purpose:

To permit a sentenced person to seek review and modification of his or her sentence regardless of whether the state's attorney agrees to such review.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]