CHAPTER 941*
OFFENSES AGAINST PRIVATE PROPERTY

      *Cited. 191 C. 73, 77. Cited. 192 C. 571, 573.

Table of Contents

Secs. 53-56 to 53-80. Theft from the person. Theft of motor vehicle, bicycle or livestock. Shoplifting. Theft, counterfeiting or embezzlement of passage tickets. Receiving stolen goods. Robbery, burglary, breaking and entering, generally. Use of explosives.
Sec. 53-80a. Manufacture of bombs.
Secs. 53-81 to 53-129. Wilful injury to private building. Damage to materials of construction project. Arson, generally. Illegal burning and dumping. Injury to or obstruction of railroads or navigation. Trespass, generally. Other offenses.
Sec. 53-129a. Defrauding secured party.
Sec. 53-129b. Concealment or conveyance of leased property.
Sec. 53-130. Concealing or destroying attached property.
Sec. 53-131. Removal of identifying marks on electrical devices.
Sec. 53-132. Sale of equipment with defective identification marks.
Sec. 53-132a. Altering manufacturer's serial number.
Sec. 53-133. Unlawful alteration or disposal of rental electric storage batteries.
Sec. 53-134. Possession of outboard motor having defaced factory or engine number.
Secs. 53-135 to 53-142. Unlawful appropriation of electric current. Fraudulent diversion or use of water. Defrauding gas companies or public hospitals. Unauthorized performance of certain compositions. Tapping telegraph or telephone wires. Unlawful sale of railroad tickets. Unlawful gait of animals on bridges.
Sec. 53-142a. Illegal sale or possession of master car key.
Sec. 53-142b. Transferral, sale or use of records, tapes, film, cassettes or discs without owner's consent, or supplying machinery for reproduction thereof, prohibited. Exceptions.
Sec. 53-142c. Manufacture, sale or distribution of records, tapes, cassettes or discs without identification marks prohibited.
Sec. 53-142d. Penalties for violations of sections 53-142b, 53-142c.
Sec. 53-142e.
Sec. 53-142f. Possession of unauthorized recordings prohibited.
Secs. 53-142g to 53-142i.
Sec. 53-142j. (Formerly Sec. 53-142e). Destruction, delay or opening of letters and packages by private messenger or courier service prohibited.

      Secs. 53-56 to 53-80. Theft from the person. Theft of motor vehicle, bicycle or livestock. Shoplifting. Theft, counterfeiting or embezzlement of passage tickets. Receiving stolen goods. Robbery, burglary, breaking and entering, generally. Use of explosives. Sections 53-56 to 53-80, inclusive, are repealed.

      (1949 Rev., S. 8362, 8394-8417; 1951, S. 3275d-3277d; 1953, S. 3273d; 1955, S. 3274d; 1959, P.A. 101; 596; 1961, P.A. 305; February, 1965, P.A. 574, S. 43; 1969, P.A. 828, S. 214.)

      See Sec. 52-564 re treble damages for theft.

      See Sec. 53-202 re machine guns.

      See Sec. 53a-40 re persistent offenders.

      See chapter 952, part III (Sec. 53a-48 et seq.) re inchoate offenses.

      See chapter 952, part VIII (Sec. 53a-100 et seq.) re burglary, criminal trespass, arson, criminal mischief and related offenses.

      See chapter 952, part IX (Sec. 53a-118) et seq.) re larceny, robbery and related offenses.

      See chapter 952, part X (Sec. 53a-137 et seq.) re forgery and related offenses.

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      Sec. 53-80a. Manufacture of bombs. Any person, other than one engaged in the manufacture of firearms or explosives or incendiary devices for lawful purposes, who fabricates, in any manner, any type of an explosive, incendiary or other device designed to be dropped, hurled, or set in place to be exploded by a timing device, shall be guilty of a class B felony.

      (1971, P.A. 277.)

      Cited. 41 CS 525, 532, 536.

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      Secs. 53-81 to 53-129. Wilful injury to private building. Damage to materials of construction project. Arson, generally. Illegal burning and dumping. Injury to or obstruction of railroads or navigation. Trespass, generally. Other offenses. Sections 53-81 to 53-129, inclusive, are repealed.

      (1949 Rev., S. 4895, 4897, 8418-8465, 8467; 1949, S. 3278d; 1955, S. 2492d; 1957, P.A. 167; 277; 529, S. 1; 1959, P.A. 28, S. 204; February, 1965, P.A. 184; 1967, P.A. 372, S. 2; 1969, P.A. 438; 828, S. 214; 1971, P.A. 871, S. 129.)

      See Sec. 52-561a re damage by domestic fowls.

      See Sec. 52-566 re treble damages for wilful removal or destruction of bridge.

      See Sec. 52-567 re treble damages for damage to milestone, guidepost or railing.

      See Sec. 52-569 re damages for leaving open bars, gate or fence.

      See Sec. 53-247 re cruelty to animals.

      See Sec. 53a-8 re criminal liability for acts of another.

      See Secs. 53a-48 to 53a-51, inclusive, re conspiracy and criminal attempt.

      See Sec. 53a-100 for definitions applicable to burglary, criminal trespass, arson, criminal mischief and related offenses.

      See Secs. 53a-107 to 53a-109, inclusive, re criminal trespass.

      See Secs. 53a-111 to 53a-117a, inclusive, re arson and criminal mischief.

      See Secs. 53a-121 to 53a-125b, inclusive, re larceny.

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      Sec. 53-129a. Defrauding secured party. (a) As used in this section:

      (1) "Collateral" has the same meaning as specified in subdivision (12) of subsection (a) of section 42a-9-102;

      (2) "Debtor" has the same meaning as specified in subdivision (28) of subsection (a) of section 42a-9-102;

      (3) "Proceeds" has the same meaning as specified in subdivision (64) of subsection (a) of section 42a-9-102;

      (4) "Security agreement" has the same meaning as specified in subdivision (73) of subsection (a) of section 42a-9-102;

      (5) "Security interest" has the same meaning as specified in subdivision (37) of section 42a-1-201; and

      (6) "Secured party" has the same meaning as specified in subdivision (72) of subsection (a) of section 42a-9-102.

      (b) No person, with knowledge that a debtor has a duty to account to a secured party for proceeds of collateral, shall, with intent to defraud the secured party, take or secrete any of such proceeds or in any way appropriate the same to his own use or to the use of others.

      (c) No person shall, with intent to defraud a secured party, remove or conceal or aid or abet the removal or concealment of any collateral which is subject to a security interest under a security agreement.

      (d) No person, with knowledge that a sale, exchange or other disposition of collateral is prohibited under the provisions of a security agreement, shall sell, exchange or otherwise dispose of, or aid or abet the sale, exchange or other disposition of, such collateral without informing the person receiving such collateral that such collateral is subject to a security interest, and without informing the secured party of the sale, exchange or other disposition.

      (e) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than three months or both.

      (1967, P.A. 372, S. 1; P.A. 77-604, S. 54, 84; P.A. 01-132, S. 177.)

      History: P.A. 77-604 updated references to subsections of Sec. 42a-9-105 in Subsec. (a); P.A. 01-132 amended Subsec. (a) to rephrase, reorganize and alphabetize definitions, insert Subdiv. designators and replace Sec. 42a-9-105(1)(c) with Sec. 42a-9-102(a)(12) as the statutory reference for the definition of "collateral", replace Sec. 42a-9-105(1)(d) with Sec. 42a-9-102(a)(28) as the statutory reference for the definition of "debtor", replace Sec. 42a-9-306(1) with Sec. 42a-9-102(a)(64) as the statutory reference for the definition of "proceeds", replace Sec. 42a-9-105(1)(l) with Sec. 42a-9-102(a)(73) as the statutory reference for the definition of "security agreement" and replace Sec. 42a-9-105(1)(m) with Sec. 42a-9-102(a)(72) as the statutory reference for the definition of "secured party".

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      Sec. 53-129b. Concealment or conveyance of leased property. Section 53-129b is repealed.

      (1967, P.A. 817; P.A. 85-339, S. 2.)

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      Sec. 53-130. Concealing or destroying attached property. Any person who, with intent to place personal property, attached according to the provisions of section 52-283, beyond the control of the attaching officer or attaching creditor, destroys, consumes or causes to be consumed, removes or conceals, or aids or abets the destruction, consumption, removal or concealment of, any such property, and any defendant in any suit in which his property is attached as aforesaid, who assents to such removal or concealment, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than six months.

      (1949 Rev., S. 8466.)

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      Sec. 53-131. Removal of identifying marks on electrical devices. Any person who, with intent to defraud another, wilfully removes, defaces, conceals, alters or destroys the manufacturer's serial number or other distinguishing number, name or identification mark on any motor, apparatus, appliance, device or mechanism operated by or designed principally for the use of electricity or on any part, container, cabinet, receptacle or equipment thereof, or who aids or abets such removal, defacement, concealment, alteration or destruction, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than six months or both.

      (1949 Rev., S. 8468.)

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      Sec. 53-132. Sale of equipment with defective identification marks. Any person who, with intent to defraud, knowingly, for himself or for others, buys, sells, receives, disposes of, conceals, uses or attempts to sell or dispose of, or has in his possession for any of said purposes, any electrical motor, apparatus, appliance, device, mechanism, container, cabinet, receptacle, equipment or part on which the manufacturer's serial number or other distinguishing number, name or identification mark has been removed, defaced, concealed, altered or destroyed, shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than three months or both.

      (1949 Rev., S. 8469.)

      Cited. 212 C. 223-225, 245, 250-252, 256-258.

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      Sec. 53-132a. Altering manufacturer's serial number. (a) For the purposes of this section, a manufacturer's serial number means that number or other mark which identifies any product, other than a motor vehicle, and distinguishes it from other products of like model and kind produced by the same manufacturer and may be punched, impressed or affixed by plate. No person shall remove, deface, alter or obliterate any manufacturer's serial number on any manufactured product with intent to prevent the tracing or identification of such product or shall knowingly sell, offer for sale, or purchase any such product whose manufacturer's serial number has been removed, defaced, altered or obliterated with intent to prevent the tracing or identification of such product.

      (b) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor.

      (P.A. 74-42, S. 1, 2.)

      See Sec. 29-36 re alteration of identifying mark, number or name of firearm.

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      Sec. 53-133. Unlawful alteration or disposal of rental electric storage batteries. Any person other than the owner who removes, defaces, alters or destroys, or causes to be removed, defaced, altered or destroyed, the word "rental" or any other word or identifying mark printed, painted, stamped upon or attached to any electric storage battery or sells or gives or attempts to sell or give to any person any electric storage battery so marked or, without the written consent of the owner, retains in his possession any electric storage battery so marked, with intent to keep or dispose of the same by sale or gift, or any person who buys from any person other than the owner any electric storage battery so marked, shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars.

      (1949 Rev., S. 8470.)

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      Sec. 53-134. Possession of outboard motor having defaced factory or engine number. (a) No person shall have in his possession any outboard motor bearing an engine or factory number which shows evidence of having been altered or defaced except as hereinafter provided. Any officer, upon discovery of any outboard motor, the engine number or factory number of which has been altered or defaced, shall immediately take such motor into his custody and shall produce the same before a proper court and may take into custody the person having such motor in his possession and present him before such court. Such person may be admitted to bail pending proceedings on such matter.

      (b) Any person who knowingly has in his possession any outboard motor of which the engine number, factory number, serial number or other identification number has been altered or defaced shall forthwith file with the Commissioner of Public Safety a sworn statement describing such motor and showing the source of his title and, if known, the reason for such alteration or defacement. If satisfied as to the facts, the commissioner may grant permission to cut, impress or emboss permanently into the motor a special identification number or mark. No person shall wilfully alter or deface or cause to be altered or defaced any engine number, factory number, serial number or other identification number or mark on or from any outboard motor.

      (c) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be fined not more than two hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than six months or both.

      (1949 Rev., S. 8471; 1961, P.A. 517, S. 111; P.A. 77-614, S. 486, 610.)

      History: 1961 act deleted references to jurisdiction of trial justices, who were abolished; P.A. 77-614 replaced commissioner of state police with commissioner of public safety, effective January 1, 1979.

      Cited. 19 CA 571, 572.

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      Secs. 53-135 to 53-142. Unlawful appropriation of electric current. Fraudulent diversion or use of water. Defrauding gas companies or public hospitals. Unauthorized performance of certain compositions. Tapping telegraph or telephone wires. Unlawful sale of railroad tickets. Unlawful gait of animals on bridges. Sections 53-135 to 53-142, inclusive, are repealed.

      (1949 Rev., S. 8472-8475, 8477-8480; 1959, P.A. 28, S. 134; 1969, P.A. 828, S. 214.)

      See Sec. 52-184a re inadmissibility of evidence obtained illegally by electronic device.

      See chapter 952, part XVII (Sec. 53a-187 et seq.) re tampering with private communications and eavesdropping.

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      Sec. 53-142a. Illegal sale or possession of master car key. Any person who makes and sells to anyone other than a new car dealer, licensed under section 14-52, a person actually engaged in the trade of locksmith, a law enforcement agency or a loan institution which finances the purchase of motor vehicles, any motor vehicle master car key, and any person other than one engaged in the manufacture of such keys as a bona fide business or other than one to whom the sale of such a key is authorized by this section who has such a key in his possession, shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days or both for a first offense, and for a subsequent offense shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than six months or both.

      (1967, P.A. 818.)

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      Sec. 53-142b. Transferral, sale or use of records, tapes, film, cassettes or discs without owner's consent, or supplying machinery for reproduction thereof, prohibited. Exceptions. (a) As used in this section, "owner" means the person who owns the master phonograph record, master disc, master tape, master audio or video cassette or disc, master film or other device used for reproducing recorded sounds or images, or both, on phonograph records, discs, tapes, audio or video cassettes or discs, films and other articles on which sound or images, or both, are recorded and from which the transferred recorded sounds or images, or both, are directly or indirectly derived.

      (b) No person shall (1) knowingly and wilfully transfer or cause to be transferred any sounds or images, or both, recorded on a phonograph record, disc, tape, audio or video cassette or disc, film or other article on which sounds or images, or both, are recorded, with the intent to sell or cause to be sold, or to use or cause to be used for profit such article without the consent of the owner, or (2) sell or offer for sale or advertise for sale any such article with the knowledge that the sounds or images, or both, thereon have been so transferred without the consent of the owner or (3) offer or make available for a fee, rental or any other form of compensation, directly or indirectly, any equipment or machinery with the knowledge that such equipment or machinery will be used by another to reproduce, without the consent of the owner, any phonograph record, disc, wire, tape, audio or video cassette or disc, film or other article on which sounds or images, or both, may be transferred.

      (c) Any person engaging in radio or television broadcasting who transfers or causes to be transferred any such sounds or images, or both, which are intended for, or in connection with, broadcast transmission or related uses or for archival purposes shall be exempt from any provision of subsection (b) of this section.

      (d) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

      (P.A. 74-160, S. 1; P.A. 94-140, S. 1.)

      History: P.A. 94-140 included audio or video cassettes or discs in list of articles on which sounds or images are recorded, substituted "sounds or images, or both" for "sounds" where appearing and added Subsec. (d) re penalty for violation, replacing former penalty contained in repealed Sec. 53-142d.

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      Sec. 53-142c. Manufacture, sale or distribution of records, tapes, cassettes or discs without identification marks prohibited. (a) No person shall manufacture or knowingly sell, distribute, advertise for sale or cause to be sold, distributed or circulated for profit any phonograph record, tape, album of phonograph records or tapes or audio or video cassette or disc, without the actual name and address of the manufacturer thereof, and the name of the featured performer or group prominently disclosed on the outside cover, box or jacket containing such record, tape, album of records or tapes or audio or video cassette or disc.

      (b) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

      (P.A. 74-160, S. 2; P.A. 94-140, S. 2.)

      History: P.A. 94-140 added "audio or video cassette or disc" and added Subsec. (b) re penalty for violation, replacing former penalty contained in repealed Sec. 53-142d.

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      Sec. 53-142d. Penalties for violations of sections 53-142b, 53-142c. Section 53-142d is repealed.

      (P.A. 74-160, S. 3; P.A. 94-140, S. 4.)

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      Sec. 53-142e. Transferred to Sec. 53-142j.

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      Sec. 53-142f. Possession of unauthorized recordings prohibited. (a) No person shall knowingly possess one hundred or more copies of any single record, disc, tape, film, audio or video cassette or disc or other article on which sounds or images or both have been recorded without the consent of the owner in violation of section 53-142b.

      (b) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a class D felony.

      (P.A. 94-140, S. 3.)

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      Secs. 53-142g to 53-142i. Reserved for future use.

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      Sec. 53-142j. (Formerly Sec. 53-142e). Destruction, delay or opening of letters and packages by private messenger or courier service prohibited. (a) No person who is an agent or employee of a private messenger or courier service shall secrete, destroy, detain, delay or open any letter or package, entrusted to him or which comes into his possession, and which was intended to be conveyed, carried or delivered by such private messenger or courier service.

      (b) Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

      (P.A. 88-86.)

      History: Sec. 53-142e transferred to Sec. 53-142j in 1995.

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