CT SB00444

Courts must order hearings within three months for defendants granted diversionary program participation for cannabis-related offenses and dismiss charges if good cause is shown and the cannabis offense was the sole reason for program participation.

Any defendant sentenced prior to the bill's effective date for cannabis-related offenses that are no longer chargeable as of July 1, 2021 must be discharged as soon as practicable.

Courts must order hearings within three months for defendants previously sentenced for cannabis-related offenses and may discharge them or modify sentences if good cause is shown, with cannabis offense commission constituting good cause.

Defendants may not file subsequent motions for relief for five years after a full denial or three years after a partial sentence reduction is granted.

Court clerks must forward copies of sentence modification orders to the Connecticut Sentencing Commission, Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division, and relevant correctional facilities within ten days, and courts must provide written explanations for denials.