What are Connecticut Court Records?

Connecticut has over 3.6 million residents, ranking it 29th among the most populated states in the country. The state's court system has four tiers: probate court, superior court, appellate court, and supreme court.

Court records in the state refer to all documents created and maintained by the court and participants during court proceedings. They include:

Docket Sheets

A docket sheet is a chronological record of all actions taken in a case, including filings, court dates, and orders.

Pleadings

These are formal documents filed by parties outlining their legal positions, such as complaints, answers, and counterclaims.

Motions

Motions are formal requests made to the court seeking specific actions or rulings.

Orders

Orders are court decisions or directives instructing specific actions.

Judgments

Judgments are final court decisions resolving a case.

Transcripts

These are verbatim records of court proceedings, including testimony and arguments.

Exhibits

Exhibits are physical evidence presented in court.

Briefs

These are written legal arguments submitted to the court by attorneys.

Types of Court Cases

Although a wide range of cases are heard in Connecticut courts, they can be broadly separated into civil and criminal cases.

Civil Cases

Civil cases in Connecticut involve legal disputes between individuals, organizations, or government entities. These cases typically do not involve criminal charges but rather issues like:

Small claims
Family law cases
Landlord-tenant disputes
Probate cases

Criminal Cases

Criminal cases in Connecticut are prosecuted by the government and involve actions considered offenses against the state or the public. These cases include:

Infractions and Misdemeanors: These are less severe offenses, such as traffic violations, petty theft, or disorderly conduct.
Felonies: Serious crimes like robbery, assault, murder, and drug trafficking.

What Are the Different Courts in Connecticut?

There are two judicial systems in Connecticut: the state judicial system established under the state constitution and the federal judicial system established under the United States Constitution. The state courts are courts of general jurisdiction; they handle most criminal matters and various civil matters, such as personal injury cases, contracts, divorce, and other legal disputes. In certain instances, state court decisions may be appealed to the United States Supreme Court.

The following are the courts in the state judicial system established under the Connecticut constitution.

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is Connecticut's highest judicial authority, made of a single Chief Justice as well as six associate justices. Typically, cases are heard by a panel made of five total justices, but for particularly significant cases, the Chief Justice may convene the full court, or "en banc", with all seven justices.

The Supreme Court's main function is to review decisions made by the Superior Court in an effort to decide if any errors occurred legally and to review selected cases from the Appellate Court. Unlike lower courts, the Supreme Court doesn't work with witnesses and does not collect new evidence. Instead, it bases its decisions on lower court proceedings, written briefs submitted by attorneys, and oral arguments.

Some appeals, such as those involving the invalidation of state constitutional provisions or statutes by the Superior Court and capital felony convictions, go straight up to the Supreme Court, moving past the Appellate Court. The Supreme Court can also transfer cases from the Appellate Court to itself and review Appellate Court decisions through certification. Furthermore, except for cases under its jurisdiction, the Supreme Court may transfer any pending case to the Appellate Court.

The Appellate Court

The Appellate Court examines decisions from the Superior Court to check for legal errors, similar to the Supreme Court. It has nine judges, with one designated as the Chief Judge by the Chief Justice.

Typically, cases are heard and decided by a panel of three judges, but in some instances, the entire court may participate in a decision, a process known as sitting "en banc". Similarly to the Supreme Court, experts at the Appellate Court do not hear witnesses; instead, they make decisions based on the case record, oral arguments, and written briefs.

Probate Courts

Connecticut includes several Probate Courts that handle matters related to testamentary trusts, estates of deceased persons, conservatorships, adoptions, mentally ill commitments, guardianships, and estates for minors.

Each Probate Court is presided over by a judge elected for a term of four years by the voters of the probate district. There are 54 districts within the Probate Court and 6 Regional Children's Probate Courts. Probate judges must be licensed attorneys and are compensated according to a specific formula. These courts are typically located in municipal buildings like city halls.

Superior Court

The Superior Court handles all legal disputes except those under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Probate Court. However, decisions made by the Probate Court can be sent up to the Superior Court through the appeals process.

Connecticut has 13 judicial districts across a total of 20 geographical areas and it has 12 juvenile districts. Most civil matters, serious criminal cases, and family matters (except for juvenile cases) get represented at district courts. Most other criminal and civil cases are handled at geographical locations, while juvenile cases are heard at designated juvenile locations.

The Connecticut Superior Court is separated into four trial divisions: criminal, housing, family, and civil.

Civil Division: The Civil Division handles civil cases filed with the Superior Court. Most civil cases involve one party suing another to guard personal, property, or civil rights. Examples include personal injury claims from accidents, product or professional liability cases, landlord-tenant disputes, and contract disputes. In most civil cases, the plaintiff seeks monetary compensation from the defendant. Depending on the nature of the case and the parties' preferences, the case could be determined by either a judge or a jury.
Criminal Division: The Superior Court's Criminal Division hears criminal cases brought before the court. A criminal case involves a person known as the defendant being accused of violating the law. In such cases, the state prosecutes the defendant with help from a state's attorney since crimes are viewed as offenses against the entire community. The Criminal Division handles cases involving felonies, misdemeanors, violations, and infractions.
Family Division: In the Connecticut Superior Court, the Family Division handles the fair and prompt resolution of issues related to family relations and juvenile cases. Family matters include divorce, child custody, protection from abuse, and support payments. Juvenile cases involve issues like child neglect and abuse, delinquency, and the termination of any parental rights.
Housing Division: In the Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, Stamford-Norwalk, and Waterbury judicial districts, housing cases are handled in specialized housing sessions of the Superior Court. In all other judicial districts, these cases are included in the general civil docket, handled by the Civil Division of the Superior Court.

How Many Federal Courts Are in Connecticut?

Only one federal district court exists in Connecticut, the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. Six active judges serve in the court, and appeals of its decisions go to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

The federal court in Connecticut handles matters about federal law and:

Cases brought by the United States
Admiralty and maritime cases
Cases between two states or citizens of two separate states
Cases between a state and a foreign state or its citizens
Cases affecting ambassadors and other diplomatic personnel

How Many Court Cases Are Filed Each Year in Connecticut?

Superior Courts in the state handle the majority of cases filed in Connecticut courts. Approximately 250,000 cases are filed in the state's courts annually. In the fiscal year 2022, 233,055 cases were filed in the Superior Courts, according to the state judicial branch biennial report and statistics. The breakdown of the Superior Court filings for the 2022 fiscal year was:

Criminal:	57,128
Motor Vehicle:	39,100
Civil:	42,549
Small Claims:	35,066
Family:	26,625
Juvenile:	14,525
Housing Matters:	18,062

In the 2021 fiscal year, 224,569 cases were filed in the Superior Courts.

In the 2022 fiscal year, 198 new cases were filed in the Supreme Court, while 814 were filed in the Appellate Court in the same year. In the previous year, 210 and 1,044 cases were filed in the Supreme Court and the Appellate Court, respectively.

How Do I Look Up Court Cases in Connecticut?

The State of Connecticut Judicial Branch provides online access to searching and accessing case information for Supreme and Appellate Court, Superior Court, Civil, Family, Housing, and Small Claims, Criminal and Motor Vehicle, Housing Session, and Centralized Small Claims cases. The public may access case information via these portals using case name, docket number, party name, or attorney information.

Similarly, the Connecticut Probate Courts website provides a case lookup resource for the public to access case data for probate court records from January 5, 2011, to the present. While searches may yield cases before 2011, the database on the case lookup resource is incomplete before that time.

Alternatively, you may be able to use online commercial databases via third-party websites to access Connecticut court records for a fee. Note that case information accessed via third-party sites that are not approved by the state may be unreliable.

To obtain actual copies of court records in Connecticut, contact the office or the clerk of the court or visit the local courthouse where the case was filed. The clerk of the court offices are authorized to provide access to copies of public court records for a fee.

What Court Records Are Not Available to the Public in Connecticut?

While the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act provides access to government records, such as court records, some records or portions of court records may be redacted for specific reasons in line with a federal regulation, state law, or court order. This is typically done to maintain the privacy rights of the parties in a case. To access restricted records, you may need to obtain a court order. Examples of court records not open to the public in Connecticut are:

Juvenile Records: These are cases involving minors and are generally not accessible to the public to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.
Adoption Records: Information related to adoption proceedings is kept confidential to protect the privacy of the adoptive families and the children.
Certain Family Court Records: Some family court records, especially those involving sensitive matters like domestic violence or child custody disputes, may be restricted to protect the parties involved.
Mental Health Records: Records related to mental health commitments or conservatorships may be kept confidential to protect the privacy of individuals.
Sealed Records: Certain cases may be sealed by the court order for specific reasons, such as ongoing investigations or sensitive information that should not be publicly disclosed.