Connecticut General Statutes 2-46 – Investigations by the General Assembly; powers; procedure. Witness’ rights
(a) The president of the Senate, the speaker of the House of Representatives, or a chairman of the whole, or of any committee of either house, of the General Assembly, shall have the power to compel the attendance and testimony of witnesses by subpoena and capias issued by any of them, require the production of any necessary books, papers or other documents and administer oaths to witnesses in any case under their examination. Any person, summoned as a witness by the authority of either house of the General Assembly to give testimony or to produce books, papers or other documents upon any matter under inquiry before either house, or any committee of either house, of the General Assembly, or a joint committee of both houses, who wilfully makes default or, having appeared, refuses to be sworn or to answer any question pertinent to the question under inquiry, shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
Attorney's Note
Under the Connecticut General Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class A misdemeanor | up to 1 year | up to $2,000 |
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 2-46
- Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
- Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
- Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
- Testify: Answer questions in court.
- Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
- Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
(b) Any individual who is subpoenaed to appear and testify before a committee of the General Assembly shall have the right to review a copy of the transcript of his or her testimony and a reasonable amount of time to question its accuracy prior to the public release of such transcript or its permanent filing.