Connecticut Case Commentaries

State v. Cooper: Connecticut Declines to Require Pre‑Waiver Adult Consultation for Juveniles; Totality of the Circumstances Governs Miranda Waivers

Date: Oct 8, 2025

State v. Cooper: Connecticut Declines to Require Pre‑Waiver Adult Consultation for Juveniles; Totality of the Circumstances Governs Miranda Waivers Introduction In State v. Cooper, SC 20865 (Conn....

No Per Se “Interested Adult” Rule for Juvenile Miranda Waivers: Connecticut Reaffirms Totality-of-the-Circumstances in State v. Cooper (2025)

Date: Oct 8, 2025

No Per Se “Interested Adult” Rule for Juvenile Miranda Waivers: Connecticut Reaffirms Totality-of-the-Circumstances in State v. Cooper (2025) Introduction In State v. Cooper, the Supreme Court of...

No Per Se “Interested-Adult Consultation” Rule for Juvenile Miranda Waivers in Connecticut: State v. Cooper (2025)

Date: Oct 1, 2025

No Per Se “Interested-Adult Consultation” Rule for Juvenile Miranda Waivers in Connecticut: State v. Cooper (2025) Introduction In State v. Cooper (Supreme Court of Connecticut, officially released...

"Exceptional Services" Fees May Include Equipment Charges: Connecticut Supreme Court Recasts § 14-63-36c(c) as a Posting Requirement, Not a Labor-Only Cap

Date: Sep 24, 2025

"Exceptional Services" Fees May Include Equipment Charges: Connecticut Supreme Court Recasts § 14-63-36c(c) as a Posting Requirement, Not a Labor-Only Cap Introduction In Modzelewski's Towing &...

State v. Henderson: No Per Se Extreme Emotional Disturbance Instruction in Intimate‑Partner Homicides; Loss of Self‑Control Must Be Shown and Postcrime Evasion Undercuts the Defense

Date: Sep 24, 2025

State v. Henderson: No Per Se Extreme Emotional Disturbance Instruction in Intimate‑Partner Homicides; Loss of Self‑Control Must Be Shown and Postcrime Evasion Undercuts the Defense Introduction In...

Reasserting the “Light Most Favorable” Mandate and Jury Primacy for Extreme Emotional Disturbance Instructions: Justice Ecker’s Dissent in State v. Henderson

Date: Sep 24, 2025

Reasserting the “Light Most Favorable” Mandate and Jury Primacy for Extreme Emotional Disturbance Instructions: Justice Ecker’s Dissent in State v. Henderson Introduction In State v. Henderson...

No “Neighborhood Expert” Workaround: Connecticut Treats Euphemistic Gang Testimony as Inadmissible Absent Foundation and Significant Probative Value — Commentary on State v. Dixon (Conn. 2025)

Date: Sep 17, 2025

No “Neighborhood Expert” Workaround: Connecticut Treats Euphemistic Gang Testimony as Inadmissible Absent Foundation and Significant Probative Value Case: State v. Dixon, Supreme Court of...

Neighborhood “Beef” Evidence Equals Gang-Affiliation Evidence: Admissibility, Scope-Limiting, and Harmless Error in Expert Testimony (State v. Dixon, Conn. 2025)

Date: Sep 17, 2025

Neighborhood “Beef” Evidence Equals Gang-Affiliation Evidence: Admissibility, Scope-Limiting, and Harmless Error in Expert Testimony (State v. Dixon, Conn. 2025) Introduction In State v. Dixon, the...

All Defendants in Hybrid Product Liability Suits Are “Parties” for Comparative Responsibility; the One‑Year Contribution Period Runs from Appellate Finality (HBWS v. Wang)

Date: Sep 10, 2025

All Defendants in Hybrid Product Liability Suits Are “Parties” for Comparative Responsibility; the One‑Year Contribution Period Runs from Appellate Finality Introduction In Health Body World Supply,...

Connecticut High Court Clarifies Broker’s Post‑Placement Duties: No Duty to Relay Nonrenewal Absent Undertaking; Longstanding Relationship Alone Is Insufficient

Date: Sep 8, 2025

Connecticut High Court Clarifies Broker’s Post‑Placement Duties: No Duty to Relay Nonrenewal Absent Undertaking; Longstanding Relationship Alone Is Insufficient Introduction In Deer v. National...

Connecticut Supreme Court Clarifies: No Post‑Procurement Common‑Law Duty for Insurance Agents To Warn of Impending Cancellation/Nonrenewal; Dissent Proposes a Continuing Duty To Inform

Date: Sep 8, 2025

Connecticut Supreme Court Clarifies: No Post‑Procurement Common‑Law Duty for Insurance Agents To Warn of Impending Cancellation/Nonrenewal; Dissent Proposes a Continuing Duty To Inform Note: This...

Connecticut Adopts a Balancing Test for Prearrest Delay Under the State Due Process Clauses: Commentary on State v. McFarland (2025)

Date: Sep 4, 2025

Connecticut Adopts a Balancing Test for Prearrest Delay Under the State Due Process Clauses: Commentary on State v. McFarland (2025) Introduction State v. McFarland is a landmark decision of the...

State v. McFarland: Connecticut Adopts a State Due Process Balancing Test for Pre‑Accusation Delay—Concurrence Urges Retaining Marion–Lovasco

Date: Sep 4, 2025

State v. McFarland: Connecticut Adopts a State Due Process Balancing Test for Pre‑Accusation Delay—Concurrence Urges Retaining Marion–Lovasco Introduction In State v. McFarland (Conn. Sept. 2, 2025),...

Balancing, Not Bad Faith: Connecticut Adopts a Barker-Style Test for Prearrest Delay Due Process Claims

Date: Sep 4, 2025

Balancing, Not Bad Faith: Connecticut Adopts a Barker-Style Test for Prearrest Delay Due Process Claims Introduction In State v. McFarland (Second Concurrence), Supreme Court of Connecticut (Sept. 2,...

Toward a Balancing Test for Prearrest Delay Under the Connecticut Constitution: Justice Alexander’s Concurrence in State v. McFarland

Date: Sep 4, 2025

Toward a Balancing Test for Prearrest Delay Under the Connecticut Constitution: Justice Alexander’s Concurrence in State v. McFarland Introduction In State v. McFarland (Supreme Court of Connecticut,...

State v. Jacques (Conn. 2025): No Second Probable Cause Hearing After Appellate Reversal; Medical Memory Loss Does Not Defeat Confrontation or Whelan; Clarified Reliability Gatekeeping for Jailhouse Informants

Date: Aug 31, 2025

State v. Jacques: Probable Cause Survives Appellate Suppression; Medical Memory Loss Does Not Bar Confrontation or Whelan; Reliability Threshold for Jailhouse Informants Affirmed Introduction In...

No Ineffective-Assistance Exception: Clue v. Commissioner of Correction and the Finality of Habeas Judgments under § 52-212a

Date: Aug 26, 2025

No Ineffective-Assistance Exception: Supreme Court of Connecticut Bars Late Opening of Habeas Judgments under § 52-212a 1. Introduction In Clue v. Commissioner of Correction, 348 Conn. ___ (2025),...

Distinct Constitutional Treatment of Insanity Acquittees Confirmed: Commentary on State v. Foster (Conn. 2025)

Date: Aug 25, 2025

“A Special Class that Should Be Treated Differently”: The Connecticut Supreme Court Re-aligns Equal-Protection Doctrine for Insanity Acquittees – State v. Foster, 353 Conn. 1 (2025) 1. Introduction...

Clarifying “Imminent Dangerousness”: State v. Foster Sets a Strict Evidentiary Compass for the Continued Commitment of Insanity Acquittees

Date: Aug 25, 2025

Clarifying “Imminent Dangerousness”: State v. Foster Sets a Strict Evidentiary Compass for the Continued Commitment of Insanity Acquittees 1. Introduction State v. Foster, --- Conn. --- (Aug. 19,...

Vacatur of Moot Commitment Orders for Insanity Acquittees: State v. Guild (Conn. 2025)

Date: Aug 25, 2025

Vacatur of Moot Commitment Orders for Insanity Acquittees: State v. Guild, 353 Conn. ____ (2025) Introduction State v. Guild confronts the Connecticut Supreme Court with an increasingly common...