Source: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2008/rpt/2008-R-0619.htm
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 00:18:00+00:00

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You asked for a list of Connecticut criminal offenses that have mandatory minimum prison sentences. This report updates previous reports on this topic to reflect changes through 2008.
We identified 61 crimes that carry a mandatory minimum prison sentence of a specific duration. These include class A felonies, which carry a 10-year minimum sentence (CGS §§ 53a-28 and 53a-29 prohibit suspension or reduction of any sentence for a class A felony, meaning that the 10-year minimum sentence for a class A felony becomes a mandatory minimum). The mandatory minimum sentences range from a low of 48 hours for a first offense of driving under the influence (DUI) if the offender is not sentenced to community service to a high of life without possibility of release or execution for a capital felony.
In Table 1 below, we list these offenses arranged by their classification, with crimes in numerical order within each classification. Unclassified crimes are listed at the end of the table.
By law, attempt or conspiracy to commit a crime “are crimes of the same grade and degree as the most serious offense which is attempted or is an object of the conspiracy, except that an attempt or conspiracy to commit a class A felony is a class B felony” (CGC § 53a-51). Thus, if someone is convicted of attempt or conspiracy to commit a crime that carries a mandatory minimum sentence other than a class A felony, the offender would be subject to that mandatory minimum sentence (see State v. Moran, 264 Conn. 593 (2003)).
It also appears that someone who is an accomplice in committing a crime that is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence would be subject to that mandatory minimum. By law, someone is criminally liable for the acts of another if he or she acts with the mental state required to commit a crime and solicits, requests, commands, or intentionally aids another to engage in criminal conduct. These offenders can be prosecuted and punished as if they were the principal offenders (CGS § 53a-8).
Of the 61 crimes that carry a mandatory minimum sentence, we identified 15 which can result in a person being punished as a persistent dangerous felony offender. By law, someone can be prosecuted as a persistent dangerous felony offender if he or she stands convicted of certain serious crimes and has prior convictions of certain serious crimes (CGS § 53a-40, as amended by PA 08-1, JSS and PA 08-51). This law enhances penalties for these offenders, including doubling or tripling the mandatory minimum sentence that would otherwise apply. In Table 1, we mark these 15 crimes with a “+” sign. A further explanation of the persistent dangerous felony offender law and its penalties is below the table.
In addition to mandatory minimum prison sentences, the law sets a 10-year mandatory minimum period of combined imprisonment and special parole for aggravated sexual assault 1st degree and sexual assault 1st degree. Similarly, persistent dangerous sexual offenders are subject to a mandatory combined prison sentence and period of special parole that constitutes a life sentence (statutorily defined as 60 years) instead of the statutory sentence for the underlying crime (CGS § 53a-40(i)). A persistent dangerous sexual offender is a person awaiting sentencing for sexual assault in the 1st or 3rd degree, aggravated sexual assault in the 1st degree, or sexual assault in the 3rd degree with a firearm who has previously been sentenced to at least one year in prison for one of these crimes, attempt to commit one of them, similar crimes under predecessor statutes, or substantially similar crimes prosecuted elsewhere (CGS § 53a-40(b)).
Other persistent offender provisions allow the court to impose a harsher sentence than otherwise authorized for the crime, including authorizing a three year mandatory minimum for a persistent felony offender (CGS § 53a-40(m)), but these provisions do not require the court to impose the enhanced penalties.
+ These crimes are subject to the persistent dangerous felony offender law which, depending on the offender's record, could double or triple the mandatory minimum sentence the court imposes.
* The law also sets a 10-year mandatory minimum period of combined imprisonment and special parole for these crimes.
^ An offender convicted of this crime could, based on his or her record, be prosecuted as a persistent dangerous sexual offender, which requires a combined prison sentence and period of special parole that constitutes a life sentence (statutorily defined as 60 years) instead of the statutory sentence for the crime.
# Judges can impose less than the mandatory minimum sentence if no one was hurt during the crime and the defendant (1) did not use, attempt, or threaten to use physical force; (2) was unarmed; and (3) did not use, threaten to use, or suggest that he had a deadly weapon or other instrument that could cause death or serious injury. Defendants must show good cause and can invoke this provision only once (CGS § 21a-283a).
By statute, 1st degree kidnapping is a class A felony and 10 years of a sentence for a class A felony cannot be suspended. In State v. Jenkins, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to subject a person convicted of 1st degree kidnapping to a higher mandatory minimum sentence than a person convicted of kidnapping with a firearm, which is punishable as a class A felony with only a one year mandatory minimum sentence (198 Conn. 671 (1986)). The court ruled that the one-year mandatory minimum sentence would apply to both crimes.
By statute, 1st degree arson is also a class A felony. In State v. O'Neill, the court held that it is unconstitutional to subject a person convicted of 1st degree arson to a 10-year mandatory minimum while allowing the suspension of a sentence for arson murder, a more serious crime (200 Conn. 268 (1986)).
By law, someone may be prosecuted as a persistent dangerous felony offender if he or she stands convicted of certain serious crimes and has prior convictions of certain serious crimes.
The law contains a list of crimes that someone can stand convicted of to be eligible for sentencing under this provision. Some of these crimes carry a mandatory minimum prison sentence. Table 2 shows these crimes and how that mandatory minimum sentence would be doubled or tripled for a persistent dangerous felony offender.
The persistent dangerous felony offender statute uses the terms “manslaughter,” “arson,” “kidnapping,” and “assault in the first degree.” These do not refer to specific criminal statutes but they appear to apply to all of the crimes listed in the table above. For example, “manslaughter” appears to include the crimes of 1st degree manslaughter, 1st degree manslaughter with a firearm, 2nd degree manslaughter, 2nd degree manslaughter with a firearm, and 2nd degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle.

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