(a) Upon application made under the provisions of sections 54-201 to 54-218, inclusive, the Office of Victim Services shall evaluate such application, make an appropriate determination in writing, and provide notice to the applicant of such determination. In order to make a determination on an application, the Office of Victim Services may administer oaths or affirmations, may subpoena any witness to appear or may issue a subpoena duces tecum, provided no subpoena shall be issued except under the signature of a victim compensation commissioner. Any application to any court for aid in enforcing such subpoena may be made in the name of the Office of Victim Services only by a victim compensation commissioner. Subpoenas shall be served by any person designated by a victim compensation commissioner.
(b) An applicant may request that a determination made pursuant to subsection (a) of this section be reviewed by a victim compensation commissioner by filing a request for review with the Office of Victim Services, on a form prescribed by the Office of the Chief Court Administrator, within thirty days from mailing of the notice of such determination.
(c) For the purposes of carrying out the provisions of sections 54-201 to 54-218, inclusive, a victim compensation commissioner shall hear any request for review filed by an applicant pursuant to sections 54-201 to 54-218, inclusive, to which such commissioner is assigned and shall make a written determination on such application for compensation. A victim compensation commissioner shall hold such hearings and take such testimony as such commissioner may deem advisable. A commissioner may administer oaths or affirmations to witnesses and shall have full power to subpoena any witness to appear and give testimony or to issue a subpoena duces tecum. Subpoenas shall be served by any person designated by a victim compensation commissioner.
(d) No witness under subpoena authorized to be issued by the provisions of this section shall be excused from testifying or from producing records, papers or documents. If any person disobeys such process or, having appeared in obedience thereto, refuses to answer any pertinent question put to him by the victim compensation commissioner or to produce any records, papers or documents and appears pursuant thereto, said commissioner may apply to the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford, setting forth such disobedience to process or refusal to answer. The court shall cite such person to appear before said court to answer such question or to produce such records, papers or documents or to show cause why a question put to him should not be answered or why such records, papers or documents should not be produced. Upon such person's refusal to answer or produce records, papers or documents or to show cause, the court may commit such person to a community correctional center until such person complies, but not for a longer period than sixty days. Notwithstanding any such commitment of such person, the victim compensation commissioner may proceed with the hearing as if such witness had testified adversely regarding his interest in the proceeding.
(e) The applicant and any other person having a substantial interest in a proceeding may appear before the victim compensation commissioner and be heard, produce evidence and cross-examine witnesses in person or by his attorney. The victim compensation commissioner also may hear such other persons as in the commissioner's judgment may have relevant evidence to submit.
(f) Any statement, document, information or matter may be considered by the Office of Victim Services or, on review, by a victim compensation commissioner, if in the opinion of said office or commissioner, it contributes to a determination of the claim, whether or not the same would be admissible in a court of law.
(g) If any person has been convicted of any offense with respect to an act on which a claim under sections 54-201 to 54-218, inclusive, is based, proof of that conviction shall be taken as conclusive evidence that the offense has been committed by such person, unless an appeal or any proceeding with regard thereto is pending.
(P.A. 78-261, S. 5, 17; P.A. 87-554, S. 4; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; 93-310, S. 4, 32; P.A. 95-220, S. 4–6; P.A. 96-97, S. 2; P.A. 03-189, S. 1; P.A. 17-99, S. 44.)
History: P.A. 87-554 changed “board” to “commission”; P.A. 93-310 revised section, changing “commission” to “office of victim services”, changing “hearing” to “determination”, providing revised procedure for determination of claims by office of victim services and upon request of applicant, review by a victim compensation commissioner and adding provision re witness under subpoena, effective July 1, 1993 (Revisor's note: P.A. 88-230, P.A. 90-98 and P.A. 93-142 authorized substitution of “judicial district of Hartford” for “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain” in public acts of the 1993 session of the general assembly, effective September 1, 1996); P.A. 95-220 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1996, to September 1, 1998, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-97 amended Subsec. (b) by increasing time for filing a request for review from 14 to 30 days from mailing notice of determination; P.A. 03-189 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “review such application” with “evaluate such application”; P.A. 17-99 amended Subsecs. (a), (c) and (g) by replacing references to Sec. 54-233 with references to Sec. 54-218.