Sec. 46b-136. (Formerly Sec. 51-317). Appointment of attorney to represent child or youth and parent or guardian.
Sec. 46b-136. (Formerly Sec. 51-317). Appointment of attorney to represent
child or youth and parent or guardian. In any proceeding in a juvenile matter, the
judge before whom such proceeding is pending shall, even in the absence of a request
to do so, provide an attorney to represent the child or youth, the child's or youth's parent
or parents or guardian, or other person having control of the child or youth, if such judge
determines that the interests of justice so require, and in any proceeding in which the
custody of a child is at issue, such judge shall provide an attorney to represent the child
and may authorize such attorney or appoint another attorney to represent such child or
youth, parent, guardian or other person on an appeal from a decision in such proceeding.
Where, under the provisions of this section, the court so appoints counsel for any such
party who is found able to pay, in whole or in part, the cost thereof, the court shall assess
as costs against such parents, guardian or custodian, including any agency vested with
the legal custody of the child or youth, the expense so incurred and paid by the Commission on Child Protection in providing such counsel, to the extent of their financial ability
to do so. The Commission on Child Protection shall establish the rate at which counsel
provided pursuant to this section shall be compensated.
(1967, P.A. 630, S. 9; 1969, P.A. 794, S. 10; P.A. 73-188; P.A. 75-277; 75-602, S. 6, 13; P.A. 76-235, S. 1, 2; 76-436,
S. 24, 681; P.A. 07-159, S. 7.)
History: 1969 act specified that judge may provide attorney to represent child "even in the absence of a request to do
so" and added provisions re assessment of costs; P.A. 73-188 allowed judge to authorize attorney to represent his assigned
client on an appeal to the superior court; P.A. 75-277 added provision making appointment of attorney for child in custody
proceeding mandatory; P.A. 75-602 applied provisions to youths; P.A. 76-235 referred to cases where custody of child "is
at issue" rather than to cases where custody "may be affected"; P.A. 76-436 replaced reference to juvenile court with
reference to juvenile matters and deleted reference to superior court as appeal court, reflecting transfer of juvenile court
powers to superior court, effective July 1, 1978; Sec. 17-66c temporarily renumbered as Sec. 51-317 and ultimately transferred to Sec. 46b-136 in 1979, see note to Sec. 17-66c; P.A. 07-159 replaced provision re expense paid for by court with
provision re expense paid by Commission on Child Protection, added provision re counsel compensation rate established
by commission and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2007.
Annotations to former section 17-66c:
Cited. 158 C. 439. Cited. 168 C. 421.
Annotations to present section:
Where statute mandates assistance of counsel it is implicit that this means competent counsel. 179 C. 155.
Cited. 10 CA 36. Cited. 31 CA 400; judgment reversed, see 230 C. 459. Under this section and Sec. 45a-132, court has
broad discretion to appoint counsel and guardians ad litem for minor parties. 76 CA 693.
Cited. 39 CS 400.