State Of Connecticut
Table On Fines And Penalties

Crimes
The law authorizes courts to impose fines, imprisonment, or both when sentencing a convicted criminal. They must specify the period of incarceration for anyone so sentenced. The prison terms below represent the range within which a judge must set the sentence. The judge also sets the exact amount of a fine, up to the limits listed below. Some crimes have a mandatory minimum sentence or a minimum sentence higher than the minimum term specified in the table. Repeated or persistent offenses may result in a higher maximum than specified here.

Classification of crime	Imprisonment	Fine
Capital felony	Execution or life	-
Class A felony (murder)	25 to 60 years	Up to $20,000
Class A felony	10 to 25 years	Up to $20,000
Class B felony	1 to 20 years	Up to $15,000
Class C felony	1 to 10 years	Up to $10,000
Class D felony	1 to 5 years	Up to $5,000
Class A misdemeanor	Up to 1 year	Up to $2,000
Class B misdemeanor	Up to 6 months	Up to $1,000
Class C misdemeanor	Up to 3 months	Up to $500

Violations
CGS § 53a-43 authorizes the Superior Court to fix fines for violations up to a maximum of $500 unless the amount of the fine is specified in the statute establishing the violation. CGS § 54-195 requires the court to impose a fine of up to $100 on anyone convicted of violating any statute without a specified penalty.

A violation is not a crime.  Most statutory violations are subject to Infractions Bureau procedures which allow the accused to pay the fine by mail without making a court appearance. As with an infraction, the bureau will enter a nolo contendere (no contest) plea on behalf on anyone who pays a fine in this way. The plea is inadmissible in any criminal or civil court proceeding against the accused.

Infractions
Infractions are punishable by fines, usually set by Superior Court judges, of between $35 and $90, plus a $20 or $35 surcharge and an additional fee based on the amount of the fine. There may be other added charges depending upon the type of infraction. For example, certain motor vehicle infractions trigger a Transportation Fund surcharge of 50% of the fine. With the various additional charges the total amount due can be over $300 but often is less than $100.

An infraction is not a crime; and violators can pay the fine by mail without making a court appearance.

Larceny
There are six different classifications of larceny, generally depending on the value of the property illegally obtained.

Degree of larceny	Amount of property involved	Classification
First Degree	Over $10,000	Class B felony
Second Degree	Over $5,000	Class C felony
Third Degree	Over $1,000	Class D felony
Fourth Degree	Over $500	Class A misdemeanor
Fifth Degree	Over $250	Class B misdemeanor
Sixth Degree	$250 or less	Class C misdemeanor

Source: Connecticut General Assembly, Office of Legislative Research.
2008 OLR PA Summary Book

Reproduced with permission.

Page revised January, 2009