Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-155

Current with legislation from the 2024 Regular and Special Sessions.

Section 53a-155 - Tampering with or fabricating physical evidence: Class D felony

(a) A person is guilty of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence if, believing that a criminal investigation conducted by a law enforcement agency or an official proceeding is pending, or about to be instituted, such person:

(1) Alters, destroys, conceals or removes any record, document or thing with purpose to impair its verity or availability in such criminal investigation or official proceeding; or

(2) makes, presents or uses any record, document or thing knowing it to be false and with purpose to mislead a public servant who is or may be engaged in such criminal investigation or official proceeding.

(b) Tampering with or fabricating physical evidence is a class D felony.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-155

(1969, P.A. 828, S. 157; P.A. 15-211, S. 9.)

Amended by P.A. 15-0211, S. 9 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2015 Regular Session, eff. 10/1/2015.

Cited. 214 Conn. 540; 236 Conn. 514; 237 C. 339. Section applies, no matter what stage the police have actually reached in their investigation, provided defendant believes it is probable that an official proceeding will arise; omission of the term "investigation" from section excludes situations in which defendant believes only an investigation, but not an official proceeding, is likely to take place. 314 C. 354. Cited. 1 CA 540; 6 Conn.App. 394; 25 CA 624. Section does not require a temporal proximity between the alleged act and the subsequent official proceeding; element re pending or about to be instituted official proceeding was satisfied when defendant reasonably could have contemplated that an official proceeding was likely to arise. 147 Conn.App. 53.