Sec. 54-255. Restriction on dissemination of registration information for certain offenders.
Sec. 54-255. Restriction on dissemination of registration information for certain offenders. (a) Upon the conviction or finding of not guilty by reason of mental
disease or defect of any person for a violation of section 53a-70b, the court may order
the Department of Public Safety to restrict the dissemination of the registration information to law enforcement purposes only and to not make such information available for
public access, provided the court finds that dissemination of the registration information
is not required for public safety and that publication of the registration information
would be likely to reveal the identity of the victim within the community where the victim
resides. The court shall remove the restriction on the dissemination of such registration
information if, at any time, the court finds that public safety requires that such person's
registration information be made available to the public or that a change of circumstances
makes publication of such registration information no longer likely to reveal the identity
of the victim within the community where the victim resides. Prior to ordering or removing the restriction on the dissemination of such person's registration information, the
court shall consider any information or statements provided by the victim.
(b) Upon the conviction or finding of not guilty by reason of mental disease or
defect of any person of a criminal offense against a victim who is a minor, a nonviolent
sexual offense or a sexually violent offense, where the victim of such offense was, at
the time of the offense, under eighteen years of age and related to such person within
any of the degrees of kindred specified in section 46b-21, the court may order the Department of Public Safety to restrict the dissemination of the registration information to law
enforcement purposes only and to not make such information available for public access,
provided the court finds that dissemination of the registration information is not required
for public safety and that publication of the registration information would be likely to
reveal the identity of the victim within the community where the victim resides. The
court shall remove the restriction on the dissemination of such registration information
if, at any time, it finds that public safety requires that such person's registration information be made available to the public or that a change in circumstances makes publication
of the registration information no longer likely to reveal the identity of the victim within
the community where the victim resides.
(c) Any person who: (1) Has been convicted or found not guilty by reason of mental
disease or defect of a violation of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 53a-71
between October 1, 1988, and June 30, 1999, and was under nineteen years of age at
the time of the offense; (2) has been convicted or found not guilty by reason of mental
disease or defect of a violation of subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 53a-73a
between October 1, 1988, and June 30, 1999; (3) has been convicted or found not guilty
by reason of mental disease or defect of a criminal offense against a victim who is a
minor, a nonviolent sexual offense or a sexually violent offense, between October 1,
1988, and June 30, 1999, where the victim of such offense was, at the time of the offense,
under eighteen years of age and related to such person within any of the degrees of
kindred specified in section 46b-21; (4) has been convicted or found not guilty by reason
of mental disease or defect of a violation of section 53a-70b between October 1, 1988,
and June 30, 1999; or (5) has been convicted or found not guilty by reason of mental
disease or defect of any crime between October 1, 1988, and September 30, 1998, which
requires registration under sections 54-250 to 54-258a, inclusive, and (A) served no jail
or prison time as a result of such conviction or finding of not guilty by reason of mental
disease or defect, (B) has not been subsequently convicted or found not guilty by reason
of mental disease or defect of any crime which would require registration under sections
54-250 to 54-258a, inclusive, and (C) has registered with the Department of Public
Safety in accordance with sections 54-250 to 54-258a, inclusive; may petition the court
to order the Department of Public Safety to restrict the dissemination of the registration
information to law enforcement purposes only and to not make such information available for public access. Any person who files such a petition shall, pursuant to subsection
(b) of section 54-227, notify the Office of Victim Services and the Victim Services Unit
within the Department of Correction of the filing of such petition. The Office of Victim
Services or the Victim Services Unit within the Department of Correction, or both, shall,
pursuant to section 54-230 or 54-230a, notify any victim who has requested notification
pursuant to subsection (b) of section 54-228 of the filing of such petition. Prior to granting
or denying such petition, the court shall consider any information or statements provided
by the victim. The court may order the Department of Public Safety to restrict the dissemination of the registration information to law enforcement purposes only and to not make
such information available for public access, provided the court finds that dissemination
of the registration information is not required for public safety.
(P.A. 98-111, S. 6; P.A. 99-183, S. 6, 13; P.A. 01-211, S. 2; P.A. 02-89, S. 87; P.A. 05-146, S. 6.)
History: P.A. 99-183 entirely replaced existing provisions that had authorized a person registered under Sec. 54-252
to apply to the court after 10 years for release from the obligation to register, that had required the court to grant such
application if the person proved by clear and convincing evidence that he does not suffer from a mental abnormality or
personality disorder that makes him likely to engage in sexually violent offenses and that had specified the procedure for
the court to follow in acting on such application with new provisions authorizing the court under certain circumstances to
order the Department of Public Safety to restrict the dissemination of registration information with respect to certain
offenders to law enforcement purposes only and not make such information available for public access, effective July 1,
1999; P.A. 01-211 amended Subsec. (c) to add provisions requiring any person who files a petition to notify the Office of
Victim Services and the Department of Correction of the filing of such petition, requiring said office or department, or
both, to notify any victim who has requested notification of the filing of such petition and requiring the court to consider
any information or statements provided by the victim prior to granting or denying such petition; P.A. 02-89 amended
Subsec. (c) to replace references to Sec. 54-259 with Sec. 54-258a, reflecting repeal of Sec. 54-259 by the same public
act; P.A. 05-146 amended Subsec. (c) to specify that it is the "Victim Services Unit" within the Department of Correction
to which a person gives notice of the filing of a petition and which notifies any victim who requested notification of the
filing of the petition.