Sec. 51-46a. Statement of financial interests to be reported. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 51-46a. Statement of financial interests to be reported. (a) Each judge of the Superior Court, each judge of the Appellate Court, each judge of the Supreme Court and each family support magistrate shall file under penalty of false statement, a statement of financial interests for the preceding calendar year with the Office of the Chief Court Administrator on or before April fifteenth next for any year in which the judge or family support magistrate holds such position.

      (b) The statement, on a form provided by the Office of the Chief Court Administrator, shall include the following information for the preceding calendar year in regard to the judge or family support magistrate, his or her spouse and the dependent children living in his or her household: (1) With respect to the judge or family support magistrate, the statement shall include: (A) The date, place and nature of any activity for which the judge or family support magistrate received compensation other than judicial or magisterial compensation for services rendered and the name of the payor and the amount of the compensation received provided, if the compensation received was a fee for an appearance or the delivery of an address to any meeting of any organization, the report of the fee so received shall be filed within thirty days after receipt of the fee; (B) the name of each security in excess of five thousand dollars at fair market value owned by the judge or family support magistrate or held in the name of a corporation, partnership or trust for the benefit of the judge or family support magistrate, except in the case of a trust established by a judge or family support magistrate for the purpose of divesting himself or herself of all control and knowledge of his or her assets in order to avoid a conflict of interest during his or her term of office, only the existence of the trust and the name of the trustee shall be included, but the value need not be specified; (C) all real property and its location, whether owned by the judge or family support magistrate or held in the name of a corporation, partnership or trust for the benefit of the judge or family support magistrate; (2) with respect to his or her spouse and dependent children living in his or her household, the statement shall include: (A) The name of all businesses with which the spouse or child is associated; (B) the category or type of all sources of income of his or her spouse or each child in excess of one thousand dollars, but amounts of income need not be specified, and the names and addresses of specific clients and customers who provide more than five thousand dollars of income, and amounts of income need not be specified; (C) the name of each security in excess of five thousand dollars at fair market value owned by the spouse or each child or held in the name of a corporation, partnership or trust for the benefit of the spouse or child, except in the case of a trust established by the spouse or child for the purpose of divesting the spouse or child of all control and knowledge of his or her assets in order to avoid a conflict of interest during the judge's or family support magistrate's term of office, only the existence of the trust and the name of the trustee shall be included, but the value need not be specified; (D) all real property and its location, whether owned by the spouse or child or held in the name of a corporation, partnership or trust for the benefit of the spouse or child; (E) any fees or honorariums received for any appearance or the delivery of an address to any meeting of any organization by the spouse or child shall be disclosed within thirty days after receipt of the fee or honorarium.

      (c) The statement filed pursuant to this section shall be a matter of public information, except the list of names filed in accordance with subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section shall be sealed and confidential and for the use of the Judicial Review Council and the Supreme Court only if an investigation has been initiated under section 51-51j and the Judicial Review Council or the Supreme Court is of the opinion that disclosure of the list is germane to the investigation. The list may be subject to a subpoena in any criminal prosecution, impeachment proceedings or a hearing before the Supreme Court under section 51-51j.

      (d) The financial statement, except as provided in subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section shall be open to inspection at the Office of the Chief Court Administrator of the Judicial Department or at a place designated by the Chief Court Administrator.

      (e) The Chief Court Administrator shall report to the Judicial Review Council any judge or family support magistrate who fails to file any statement required by this section.

      (P.A. 78-281, S. 1; P.A. 82-248, S. 21; P.A. 85-140, S. 1; P.A. 89-360, S. 28, 45; P.A. 97-132, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1, S. 89.)

      History: P.A. 82-248 rephrased provisions of section and changed reference to "executive secretary" to "chief court administrator"; P.A. 85-140 amended Subsec. (a) to require that appellate court judges file financial interests statement; P.A. 89-360 added references to family support magistrates; P.A. 97-132 amended Subsec. (a) to provide filing of statement of financial interest with Office of Chief Court Administrator instead of Judicial Review Council, amended Subsec. (b) to require forms provided by Office of Chief Court Administrator, made a conforming change in Subsec. (c), and added new Subsec. (e) re report by Chief Court Administrator to Judicial Review Council re any judge or family support magistrate who fails to file statement; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1 made a technical change in Subsec. (c).