§ 16-12. View by Jury of Place or Thing Involved in Case

Codes > Connecticut Rules for the Superior Court > Procedure in > Chapter 16. > 16-12. View

§ 16-12. View by Jury of Place or Thing Involved in Case

When the judicial authority is of the opinion that a viewing by the jury of the place or thing involved in the case will be helpful to the jury in determining any material factual issue, it may in its discretion, at any time before the closing arguments, order that the jury be conducted to such place or location of such thing. During the viewing the jury must be kept together under the supervision of a proper officer appointed by the judicial authority. The judicial authority and a court reporter must be present, and, with the judicial authority's permission, any other person may be present. Counsel and pro se parties may as a matter of right be present, but the right may be waived. The purpose of viewing shall be solely to permit visual observation by the jury of the place or thing in question and to permit a brief description of the site or thing being viewed by the judicial authority or by any witness or witnesses as allowed by the judicial authority. Any proceedings at the location, including examination of witnesses, shall be at the discretion of the judicial authority. Neither the parties nor counsel nor the jurors while viewing the place or thing may engage in discussion of the significance or the implications of anything under observation or of any issue in the case.