Crime-Victim and Witness Court-Attendance Leave Request Packet - Connecticut

CRIME-VICTIM, FAMILY-VIOLENCE, OR CRIMINAL-WITNESS ATTENDANCE REQUEST PACKET

Connecticut — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-85b

1. EMPLOYEE AND EMPLOYER

2. SELECT ONE ATTENDANCE ROUTE

Route A — subpoenaed criminal witness

• ☐ Employee is obeying a legal subpoena to appear before a Connecticut court.
• ☐ The employee will be a witness in a criminal proceeding.

Route B — crime victim

• ☐ Employee is a crime victim under § 54-85b.
• ☐ Employee will attend a court proceeding related to the criminal case; or
• ☐ Employee will participate in a police investigation related to the criminal case.

For this section, “crime victim” includes an employee suffering direct or threatened physical, emotional, or financial harm from a crime. It also includes an employee who is an immediate-family member or guardian of a harmed minor, physically disabled person, or incompetent person, or of a homicide victim.

Route C — family-violence victim in a civil case

• ☐ Employee is a victim of family violence as defined in Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-38a.
• ☐ Employee will attend or participate in a court proceeding related to the civil case.

Coverage confirmed by prosecutor, advocate, or counsel: [NAME / OFFICE / DATE]

3. PROCEEDING AND ABSENCE

Court, police agency, or location: [________________________________]

Case or incident identifier, using the minimum information needed: [________________________________]

Date and time: [________________________________]

Expected work absence: [DATE / START / END]

Operational notice date, method, and recipient: [________________________________]

Section 54-85b states no fixed advance-notice deadline for these attendance routes.

Employee signature: __________________________ Date: ______________

4. MINIMUM SUPPORTING RECORD

• ☐ Criminal subpoena
• ☐ Court scheduling notice
• ☐ Police-investigation participation request
• ☐ Prosecutor, advocate, or counsel confirmation
• ☐ Other minimally necessary record: [________________________________]

Do not attach police reports, medical records, victim addresses, or detailed offense narratives unless current law or counsel requires them.

5. PAY AND SCHEDULING

Section 54-85b protects employment but does not specify paid leave.

• ☐ Unpaid time
• ☐ Accrued paid leave: [TYPE / HOURS]
• ☐ Schedule adjustment: [________________________________]
• ☐ Other treatment under policy, agreement, or separate law: [________________________________]

6. EMPLOYER RESPONSE

• ☐ Route A, B, or C confirmed
• ☐ Minimum support received or not requested
• ☐ Absence recorded: [________________________________]
• ☐ Pay treatment recorded
• ☐ Counsel review required

The employer may not deprive the employee of employment, penalize, threaten, or otherwise coerce the employee with respect to employment because of covered conduct.

Employer representative: _____________________ Date: ______________

Decision delivered to employee: [DATE / METHOD]

7. COMPLIANCE RECORD

An employer's violation of Route A is criminal contempt under § 54-85b(b), punishable by a fine of up to $500, imprisonment for up to 30 days, or both. Subsection (b) does not extend that criminal penalty to Routes B or C. An employee alleging discharge, penalty, threat, or coercion under subsection (a) has 180 days from the occurrence to bring the civil action described in subsection (c), which allows damages, reinstatement or rescission, and a reasonable attorney fee for a prevailing employee.

Issue and counsel referral: [________________________________]

8. CHANGE LOG

OFFICIAL SOURCE VERIFIED

• Connecticut General Assembly — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-85b