Table of Contents Sec. 54-143. Costs imposed in prosecutions. (a) A cost of twenty dollars shall be
imposed against any person convicted of a felony, and a cost of fifteen dollars shall be
imposed against any person convicted of a misdemeanor or convicted under sections
14-219, 14-222, 14-224, 14-225 and 14-227a, or who pleads nolo contendere to a violation of section 14-219 and pays the fine by mail, and the taxation of costs or the collection
of fees and expenses as provided by law may be imposed on appeal to the Supreme
Court or Appellate Court. Sec. 54-143a. Cost imposed for infractions and certain motor vehicle violations. A cost of twenty dollars shall be imposed against any person convicted of a
violation, as defined in section 53a-27, under any provision of section 12-487 or sections
13b-410a to 13b-410c, inclusive; any regulation adopted in accordance with the provisions of section 12-484, 12-487 or 13b-410; or a violation of section 14-147, 14-219,
14-266, 14-267a, 14-269 or 14-270, chapter 268 or subsection (a) of section 22a-250,
or any section of the general statutes the violation of which is deemed an infraction, or
who forfeits a cash bond or guaranteed bail bond certificate posted under section 14-
140a or under reciprocal agreements made with other states for the alleged violation of
any of said sections, or who pleads nolo contendere to a violation of any of said sections
and pays the fine by mail. The costs imposed by this section shall be deposited in the
General Fund and shall be in addition to any costs imposed by section 54-143. Sec. 54-143b. Forfeited bonds for motor vehicle violations. The total amount of
any forfeited bond for a motor vehicle violation, when such bond is composed in part of
an additional fee established under subsection (c) of section 51-56a, any cost established
under subsection (b) of section 54-143 or any cost established under section 54-143a,
shall be deposited in the General Fund as one undifferentiated lump sum amount or
deposited in the Special Transportation Fund as one undifferentiated lump sum amount
as may be required by statute. Sec. 54-144. Payment of expenses. Any expenses necessarily incurred in any
criminal proceeding or prosecution, except such expenses as are incurred by the Division
of Criminal Justice, when approved by the court in which the proceeding or prosecution
is had, shall be paid in the same manner as are other expenses of maintenance of the
court. Secs. 54-145 and 54-146. Refunds to clerk of municipal court or to town treasurer. Report to clerk or town treasurer. Sections 54-145 and 54-146 are repealed. Sec. 54-147. Rules for payment of expenses. The judges of the Superior Court
may establish rules, in addition to those already established by statute, for the payment
of the expenses of all criminal proceedings or prosecutions, except such expenses as
are incurred by the Division of Criminal Justice. Sec. 54-148. Support of prisoners after sentence. The support of prisoners in
community correctional centers, sentenced to a correctional institution, or sentenced to
death, shall be paid by the state. Sec. 54-149. Payment for board of prisoners. Section 54-149 is repealed. Sec. 54-150. Compensation of physicians. Physicians shall receive a reasonable
compensation for services rendered in criminal cases. Sec. 54-151. Cost of transcript and printing on appeal. In any appeal in a criminal action, where it appears to the trial court that the accused is without funds with which
to defray the costs of securing a transcript of the evidence, or printing the briefs and the
appendices to the briefs, such costs shall be defrayed by the state. Sec. 54-152. Allowance to witnesses from another state in criminal prosecutions. When, in any criminal prosecution, it is necessary to obtain the testimony of any
witnesses residing without this state, the Chief State's Attorney may allow them a reasonable sum for their time and expenses in going to, attending upon and returning from
the court and may allow a reasonable sum for the expense of procuring their attendance
or procuring any document from without this state necessary to be used as evidence on
the trial of such prosecution, to be from the appropriation for the Division of Criminal
Justice. Sec. 54-153. Where witnesses for accused paid by state. The court before which
any criminal prosecution is pending may order such number of witnesses as the court
approves to be summoned on behalf of the accused at the expense of the state. Sec. 54-154. Taxing expenses in search and seizure cases. In any case in which
the statutes provide for a search warrant and seizure, the court or judge issuing such
warrant may tax for the officer's services thereon the same fees for service, travel,
copies and endorsements as are taxed in civil cases, and such sum for securing, care
and destruction of property as such court or judge, under the circumstances, deems
reasonable, such fees and sum to be paid from the appropriation for the Division of
Criminal Justice.
Sec. 54-143. Costs imposed in prosecutions.
Sec. 54-143a. Cost imposed for infractions and certain motor vehicle violations.
Sec. 54-143b. Forfeited bonds for motor vehicle violations.
Sec. 54-144. Payment of expenses.
Secs. 54-145 and 54-146. Refunds to clerk of municipal court or to town treasurer. Report
to clerk or town treasurer.
Sec. 54-147. Rules for payment of expenses.
Sec. 54-148. Support of prisoners after sentence.
Sec. 54-149. Payment for board of prisoners.
Sec. 54-150. Compensation of physicians.
Sec. 54-151. Cost of transcript and printing on appeal.
Sec. 54-152. Allowance to witnesses from another state in criminal prosecutions.
Sec. 54-153. Where witnesses for accused paid by state.
Sec. 54-154. Taxing expenses in search and seizure cases.
Sec. 54-155. Expenses of requisitions of fugitives.
(b) A cost of fifteen dollars shall be imposed against any person not a resident of
this state who is summoned for allegedly having committed an infraction or a violation
under section 14-219 and forfeits a cash bond or guaranteed bail bond certificate posted
under section 14-140a or under reciprocal agreements made with other states. Such cost
shall be included in the amount of such bond.
(c) Under no condition shall a political subdivision be held liable for the payment
of any cost imposed under this section. The words "felony" and "misdemeanor" as used
in this section do not include infractions or violations of any state or local housing code
or violation of the regulations of the Department of Environmental Protection.
(1949 Rev., S. 8842; P.A. 76-336, S. 9; P.A. 78-261, S. 15, 17; P.A. 79-505, S. 4, 7; P.A. 80-276, S. 3, 6; 80-390, S.
4, 5; 80-483, S. 181, 186; P.A. 81-23, S. 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-29, S. 55, 82; P.A. 84-313, S. 3.)
History: P.A. 76-336 deleted provision which had specified that section does not act to prevent dismissal of complaint
or information or entry of nolle prosequi upon payment of sum fixed by court and rephrased provision re taxation of costs
and collection of fees and expenses upon appeal to supreme court; P.A. 78-261 imposed ten-dollar cost imposed against
persons convicted of crime or convicted under specified sections in title 14, replacing provision which prohibited imposition
of prosecution costs except on appeals to supreme court, and added Subsec. (b) protecting political subdivisions from
liability for costs and specifying that crime does not include infractions or violations of housing codes or violation of
environmental protection department regulations; P.A. 79-505 added reference to Sec. 14-219 in Subsec. (a); P.A. 80-276
applied Subsec. (a) to persons who plead nolo contendere to violation of Sec. 14-219 and pays fine by mail, inserted new
Subsec. (b) re ten-dollar cost imposed against nonresidents and relettered Subsec. (c) accordingly; P.A. 80-390 replaced
ten-dollar cost in Subsec. (a) with twenty-dollar cost for felony conviction and fifteen-dollar cost for other convictions
and applied provision to persons convicted of misdemeanors; P.A. 80-483 raised cost imposed in Subsec. (b) from ten to
fifteen dollars and amended Subsec. (c) to refer to "felony" and "misdemeanor" rather than to crime; P.A. 81-23 amended
Subsec. (b) to include violations under Sec. 14-219 and forfeitures of bond required under reciprocal agreements with
other states; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-29 included reference to appellate court in Subsec. (a); P.A. 84-313 amended Subsec.
(b) to replace "required to be posted under section 51-164o" with "posted under section 14-140a".
See Sec. 54-143a re costs imposed against persons convicted of certain motor vehicle violations.
Annotations to former statute requiring the convicted person to pay costs: Town not liable for support of prisoner legally
committed to jail. 5 C. 185; 7 C. 529. Payment of costs part of punishment. 16 C. 50. Assumpsit will not lie for recovery
of officer's fees. 46 C. 498. Costs not taxable in favor of accused who prevails on appeal to supreme court. 82 C. 392.
Cited. 127 C. 58.
Cited. 34 CS 275.
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(P.A. 81-63, S. 1, 2; P.A. 84-313, S. 4; 84-429, S. 77; P.A. 90-213, S. 6; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6, S. 83, 117; P.A. 93-
307, S. 28, 34.)
History: P.A. 84-313 added provision to impose the cost against a person who forfeits a cash bond or guaranteed
bail bond certificate or under reciprocal agreements with other states; P.A. 84-429 made technical changes for statutory
consistency; P.A. 90-213 increased the cost from ten to twenty dollars and expanded applicability of section by imposing
cost against any person convicted under Sec. 14-219 and replacing provision imposing cost against any person convicted
under Sec. 14-36, 14-80, 14-80b, 14-80h or 14-80i, Secs. 14-96a to 14-96cc, inclusive, or Sec. 14-99f, 14-217, 14-218a,
14-230, 14-251 or 14-299 with provision imposing cost against any person convicted of "any section of the general statutes
the violation of which is deemed an infraction"; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6 added violations under Secs. 12-487, 13b-404,
13b-404a, 13b-405, 14-147, 14-219, 14-266, 14-267a, 14-269 or 14-270, chapter 268 or Subsec. (a) of Sec. 22a-250 or
under regulations adopted pursuant to Secs. 12-484, 12-487 and 13b-410; P.A. 93-307 amended the section by deleting
references to Secs. 13b-404, 13b-404a and 13b-405 which were repealed by the same act, substituting references to Secs.
13b-410a to 13b-410c, inclusive, effective June 29, 1993.
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(P.A. 88-103, S. 3, 4.)
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(1949 Rev., S. 8843; P.A. 73-122, S. 15, 27.)
History: P.A. 73-122 added exception re expenses incurred by criminal justice division and deleted reference to payments
"from the same treasury" as other expenses of maintaining court.
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(1949 Rev., S. 8844, 8845; 1959, P.A. 28, S. 204.)
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(1949 Rev., S. 8846; P.A. 73-122, S. 16, 27.)
History: P.A. 73-122 added exception re expenses incurred by criminal justice division.
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(1949 Rev., S. 8848; 1969, P.A. 297; P.A. 95-16, S. 2.)
History: 1969 act substituted "community correctional centers" for "jails"; P.A. 95-16 replaced "sentenced to the
Connecticut Correctional Institution, Somers, or to be electrocuted" with "sentenced to a correctional institution, or sentenced to death".
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(1949 Rev., S. 8849; 1959, P.A. 152, S. 99.)
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(1949 Rev., S. 3612.)
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(1949 Rev., S. 8850; 1957, P.A. 17; 1967, P.A. 421, S. 1.)
History: 1967 act deleted language restricting section to appeals to the supreme court.
Cited. 139 C. 401; 154 C. 631, 636; 155 C. 719.
Finding of fact after comprehensive examination of facts and circumstances is required where indigency is controverted.
5 Conn. Cir. Ct. 313.
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(1949 Rev., S. 8851; 1963, P.A. 642, S. 81; 1967, P.A. 844; P.A. 73-122, S. 17, 27.)
History: 1963 act deleted obsolete reference to criminal prosecution before common pleas court; 1967 act removed
limitation of section to prosecutions in superior court; P.A. 73-122 made chief state's attorney rather than the court responsible for determining witnesses' expenses and specified that payments are to be made from criminal justice division appropriations, replacing provision whereby they were "taxed and paid as in other criminal cases".
See Sec. 51-275 for applicable definitions.
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(1949 Rev., S. 8852.)
Cited. 17 CA 359, 360, 363.
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(1949 Rev., S. 8853; 1959, P.A. 28, S. 195; P.A. 73-122, S. 18, 27.)
History: 1959 act deleted references to trial justice; P.A. 73-122 specified that payments are to be made from criminal
justice division appropriation.
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