Connecticut SB 502: AN ACT CONCERNING DISCRETIONARY TRANSFER FROM JUVENILE COURT TO ADULT COURT.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 502
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 3143

Referred to Committee on JUDICIARY

Introduced by:
(JUD)

AN ACT CONCERNING DISCRETIONARY TRANSFER FROM
JUVENILE COURT TO ADULT COURT.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 46b-127 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 2
(a) (1) The court shall automatically transfer from the docket for 3
juvenile matters to the regular criminal docket of the Superior Court the 4
case of any child charged with the commission of a capital felony under 5
the provisions of section 53a-54b in effect prior to April 25, 2012, a class 6
A felony, or a class B felony, except as provided in subdivision (3) of this 7
subsection, or a violation of section 53a-54d, provided such offense was 8
committed after such child attained the age of fifteen years and counsel 9
has been appointed for such child if such child is indigent. Such counsel 10
may appear with the child but shall not be permitted to make any 11
argument or file any motion in opposition to the transfer. The child shall 12
be arraigned in the regular criminal docket of the Superior Court at the 13
next court date following such transfer, provided any proceedings held 14
prior to the finalization of such transfer shall be private and shall be 15

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conducted in such parts of the courthouse or the building in which the 16
court is located that are separate and apart from the other parts of the 17
court which are then being used for proceedings pertaining to adults 18
charged with crimes. 19
(2) A state's attorney may, at any time after such arraignment, file a 20
motion to transfer the case of any child charged with the commission of 21
a class B felony or a violation of subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of 22
section 53a-70 to the docket for juvenile matters for proceedings in 23
accordance with the provisions of this chapter. 24
(3) No case of any child charged with the commission of a violation 25
of section 53a-55, 53a-59b, 53a-71 or 53a-94, subdivision (2) of subsection 26
(a) of section 53a-101, section 53a-112, 53a-122 or 53a-129b, subdivision 27
(1), (3) or (4) of subsection (a) of section 53a-134, section 53a-196c, 53a-28
196d or 53a-252 or subsection (a) of section 53a-301 shall be transferred 29
from the docket for juvenile matters to the regular criminal docket of the 30
Superior Court, except as provided in this subdivision. Upon motion of 31
a prosecutorial official, the superior court for juvenile matters shall 32
conduct a hearing to determine whether the case of any child charged 33
with the commission of any such offense shall be transferred from the 34
docket for juvenile matters to the regular criminal docket of the Superior 35
Court. The court shall not order that the case be transferred under this 36
subdivision unless the court finds that (A) such offense was committed 37
after such child attained the age of fifteen years, (B) there is probable 38
cause to believe the child has committed the act for which the child is 39
charged, and (C) the best interests of the child and the public will not be 40
served by maintaining the case in the superior court for juvenile matters. 41
In making such findings, the court shall consider (i) any prior criminal 42
or juvenile offenses committed by the child, (ii) the seriousness of such 43
offenses, (iii) any evidence that the child has intellectual disability or 44
mental illness, and (iv) the availability of services in the docket for 45
juvenile matters that can serve the child's needs. Any motion under this 46
subdivision shall be made, and any hearing under this subdivision shall 47
be held, not later than thirty days after the child is arraigned in the 48
superior court for juvenile matters. 49

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(b) Upon motion of a prosecutorial official, the superior court for 50
juvenile matters shall conduct a hearing to determine whether the case 51
of any child charged with the commission of a class C, D or E felony or 52
an unclassified felony or any other offense not subject to the provisions 53
of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section that is a serious firearm 54
offense, as defined in section 53a-3, shall be transferred from the docket 55
for juvenile matters to the regular criminal docket of the Superior Court. 56
The court shall not order that the case be transferred under this 57
subdivision unless the court finds that (1) such offense was committed 58
after such child attained the age of fifteen years, (2) there is probable 59
cause to believe the child has committed the act for which the child is 60
charged, and (3) the best interests of the child and the public will not be 61
served by maintaining the case in the superior court for juvenile matters. 62
In making such findings, the court shall co