Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-55

Current with legislation from the 2023 Regular and Special Sessions.

Section 53a-55 - Manslaughter in the first degree: Class B felony

(a) A person is guilty of manslaughter in the first degree when:

(1) With intent to cause serious physical injury to another person, he causes the death of such person or of a third person; or

(2) with intent to cause the death of another person, he causes the death of such person or of a third person under circumstances which do not constitute murder because he committed the proscribed act or acts under the influence of extreme emotional disturbance, as provided in subsection (a) of section 53a-54a, except that the fact that homicide was committed under the influence of extreme emotional disturbance constitutes a mitigating circumstance reducing murder to manslaughter in the first degree and need not be proved in any prosecution initiated under this subsection; or

(3) under circumstances evincing an extreme indifference to human life, he recklessly engages in conduct which creates a grave risk of death to another person, and thereby causes the death of another person.

(b) Manslaughter in the first degree is a class B felony.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-55

(1969, P.A. 828, S. 56; P.A. 73-137, S. 9; P.A. 83-486, S. 5.)

Cited. 168 C. 610; 169 C. 309; 170 C. 81; 180 Conn. 171; 181 Conn. 406; 182 Conn. 66; 188 Conn. 542; 190 Conn. 639; 192 C. 85; 193 Conn. 632; Id., 646; Id., 695. Manslaughter is not a lesser included offense of felony murder. 196 Conn. 421. Cited. 200 Conn. 553; 201 Conn. 174; 202 C. 429; 210 Conn. 78; Id., 652; 211 Conn. 591; 213 C. 38; 215 Conn. 695; 216 Conn. 699; 217 C. 498; 223 Conn. 273; 225 Conn. 559; 226 Conn. 237; 233 Conn. 174; 234 Conn. 139; 236 Conn. 342. A conviction of reckless manslaughter pursuant to a robbery conspiracy is permitted under the Pinkerton doctrine because the commission of a reckless crime may be a reasonably foreseeable consequence of such conspiracy. 292 C. 296. While manslaughter in the first degree under this section is a lesser included offense of murder under Sec. 53a-54a despite the fact that the elements of manslaughter are not included in the elements of murder, the states of minds required by the two offenses are mutually exclusive; a jury finding guilty verdicts on both offenses are inconsistent verdicts and both verdicts must be vacated. 325 Conn. 236. Cited. 7 Conn.App. 223; 8 Conn.App. 307; 15 CA 74; judgment reversed, see 211 Conn. 591; 16 CA 223; 24 Conn.App. 115; 37 Conn.App. 722; 40 Conn.App. 189; Id., 374; 41 Conn.App. 565; Id., 604; 42 Conn.App. 348; 44 Conn.App. 62; 46 Conn.App. 216. Cited. 33 Conn.Supp. 28. Subsec. (a): Subdiv. (1): It is incumbent upon the state to prove a specific intent to cause serious physical injury as intent to achieve a result is an element of the crime charged. 165 C. 400. Cited. 174 C. 89; 176 C. 107. Subdiv. (3): The conduct proscribed does not require infliction of a physical blow. Id., 227. Cited. 177 C. 538; 179 Conn. 381. Subdivs. (1) and (3): Manslaughter is a lesser included offense of murder although the state of mind required is different. 180 Conn. 382. Cited. 181 Conn. 187; 182 C. 403; 183 C. 394; 185 Conn. 63; 188 Conn. 237; Id., 653. Subdiv. (1): Attempt to commit is not cognizable. 189 Conn. 303. Cited. 190 Conn. 219; Id., 576; 194 C. 119; Id., 279; Id., 376; Id., 408; 196 Conn. 519; 198 Conn. 53; Id., 209; Id., 220; Id., 273; Id., 454; 199 Conn. 155; Id., 383; Id., 417; 200 Conn. 224; Id., 453; 201 C. 534; Id., 598; 202 Conn. 520; Id., 520. Subdiv. (3): Not unconstitutionally vague as applied to defendant. Id., 629. Cited. 203 Conn. 466; 204 Conn. 120; 205 Conn. 279; 206 Conn. 278; 207 Conn. 276; 209 Conn. 133; 211 Conn. 441; 212 C. 612; 213 C. 500; Id., 579; 214 Conn. 57; Id., 77; 216 Conn. 220; 218 C. 766; 219 Conn. 16; 220 Conn. 169; Id., 285; 222 Conn. 444; 224 C. 546; 225 Conn. 55; 227 Conn. 456; Id., 566; Id., 611; 228 C. 118; Id., 147; Id., 281; 229 C. 193; Id., 397; 230 Conn. 183; 231 Conn. 115; Id., 484; 233 C. 106; Id., 215; Id., 517; 235 Conn. 413; Id., 473; Id., 595; 236 Conn. 189; 238 Conn. 253; Id., 313; 240 Conn. 395; Id., 727; Id., 743; Id., 799; 241 C. 502. Motion to dismiss on grounds that Subdiv. (3) is unconstitutionally vague because legislature failed to define phrases "extreme indifference to human life" and "grave risk of death" and defendant was not given "fair warning" and statute is susceptible to "arbitrary enforcement" fails to meet burden of proof because person of ordinary intelligence would have had fair warning that defendant's actions were proscribed and was properly denied by trial court; based on established principles concerning how evidence is construed, and the inferences reasonably drawn therefrom, evidence was sufficient to support trial court's verdict of manslaughter in the first degree with a firearm. 257 C. 544. Defendant who was convicted of murder pursuant to Sec. 53a-54a(a) was entitled to a jury instruction on the lesser included offense of manslaughter as set forth in Subdiv. (1). 262 Conn. 453. Subdiv. (3): To be guilty of violating statute, a person must have the general intent to engage in the proscribed conduct. 5 CA 571. Cited. 7 CA 457; Id., 656; 8 CA 273; 9 CA 147; judgment reversed, see 206 Conn. 278; 11 CA 425; Id., 628; 13 CA 175; 17 Conn.App. 502; judgment reversed, see 213 Conn. 579; Id., 602; 18 CA 423; 19 Conn.App. 576; Id., 609; Id., 674; 20 Conn.App. 410; 21 Conn.App. 138; 22 CA 265; Id., 321; Id., 340; Id., 507; Id., 521; Id., 669; 23 CA 431; Id., 502; 24 CA 586; Id., 692; 25 Conn.App. 456; Id., 734; 26 CA 165; Id., 242; Id., 259; 27 CA 1; Id., 520; Id., 643; 28 Conn.App. 34; Id., 81; Id., 231; Id., 771; Id., 825; 29 CA 68; judgment reversed, see 227 C. 566; Id., 162; judgment reversed, see 229 C. 397; Id., 394; Id., 452; Id., 533; Id., 754; Id., 773; 30 Conn.App. 26; Id., 232; 31 Conn.App. 385; 32 Conn.App. 687; Id., 854; 33 CA 116; Id., 782; 34 CA 236; Id., 368, see also 233 Conn. 517; 35 Conn.App. 138; Id., 374; judgment reversed, see 235 Conn. 413; Id., 438; 37 Conn.App. 180; Id., 404; Id., 473; 38 CA 801; Id., 815; 39 Conn.App. 224; Id., 242; 40 Conn.App. 151; 41 CA 831; 42 CA 41; Id., 382; 43 Conn.App. 252; Id., 488; 44 CA 790; Id., 731. Evidence presented at trial concerning a healthy 1-year-old left in defendant's care was sufficient to support conviction. 47 CA 188. Subdiv. (1): Criminal liability as an accessory to manslaughter in the first degree has long been recognized under this state's jurisprudence. 49 Conn.App. 121. To be guilty under Subsec., it must be established that defendant must have had the general intent to engage in the proscribed conduct. 56 CA 742. Subdiv. (3): Action of defendant in entering house, after car chase, obtaining loaded shotgun, walking 100 feet to edge of driveway and shooting victim showed an extreme indifference to human life. 61 CA 463. Evidence insufficient to find that defendant demonstrated an extreme indifference to human life to support conviction of manslaughter in the first degree when defendant himself ingested fentanyl lollipops, there was no evidence that he or anyone to whom he had given the lollipops had an adverse reaction to them, risks associated with ingestion of methadose and fentanyl not commonly known by laypeople, and defendant immediately called 9-1-1 upon hearing the victim was unresponsive. 106 CA 467 Cited. 44 CS 417.