Connecticut General Statutes

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 17a-503 (2026)

(Formerly Sec. 17-183a). Detention by police officer prior to commitment. Issuance of emergency certificates by psychologist, certain clinical social workers, advanced practice registered nurses, professional counselors and marital and family therapists and in correctional facilities

✓ current as of May 2026

Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section CT-CGAcga.ct.gov (official) JustiaTitle on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar

(a) Any police officer who has reasonable cause to believe that a person has psychiatric disabilities and is dangerous to himself or herself or others or gravely disabled, and in need of immediate care and treatment, may take such person into custody and take or cause such person to be taken to a general hospital for emergency examination under this section. The officer shall execute a written request for emergency examination detailing the circumstances under which the person was taken into custody, and such request shall be left with the facility. The person shall be examined within twenty-four hours and shall not be held for more than seventy-two hours unless committed under section 17a-502.

(b) Upon application by any person to the court of probate having jurisdiction in accordance with section 17a-497, alleging that any respondent has psychiatric disabilities and is dangerous to himself or herself or others or gravely disabled, and in need of immediate care and treatment in a hospital for psychiatric disabilities, such court may issue a warrant for the apprehension and bringing before it of such respondent and examine such respondent. If the court determines that there is probable cause to believe that such person has psychiatric disabilities and is dangerous to himself or herself or others or gravely disabled, the court shall order that such respondent be taken to a general hospital for examination. The person shall be examined within twenty-four hours and shall not be held for more than seventy-two hours unless committed under section 17a-502.

(c) Any psychologist licensed under chapter 383 who has reasonable cause to believe that a person has psychiatric disabilities and is dangerous to himself or herself or others or gravely disabled, and in need of immediate care and treatment, may issue an emergency certificate in writing that authorizes and directs that such person be taken to a general hospital for purposes of a medical examination. The person shall be examined within twenty-four hours and shall not be held for more than seventy-two hours unless committed under section 17a-502.

(d) Any clinical social worker licensed under chapter 383b, advanced practice registered nurse licensed under chapter 378, professional counselor licensed under chapter 383c or marital and family therapist licensed under chapter 383 who (1) has received a minimum of eight hours of specialized training in the conduct of direct evaluations as a member of (A) any mobile crisis team, jail diversion program, crisis intervention team, advanced supervision and intervention support team, or assertive case management program operated by or under contract with the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, or (B) a community support program certified by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and (2) based upon the direct evaluation of a person, has reasonable cause to believe that such person has psychiatric disabilities and is dangerous to himself or herself or others or gravely disabled, and in need of immediate care and treatment, may issue an emergency certificate in writing that authorizes and directs that such person be taken to a general hospital for purposes of a medical examination. The person shall be examined not later than twenty-four hours after arriving at the hospital and shall not be held at the hospital for more than seventy-two hours unless committed under section 17a-502. The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services shall collect and maintain statistical and demographic information pertaining to emergency certificates issued under this subsection.

(e) Each advanced practice registered nurse licensed under chapter 378 and employed by the Department of Correction to provide mental health care in a correctional facility who, based on direct evaluation of an inmate, has reasonable cause to believe that such inmate has psychiatric disabilities and is dangerous to himself or herself or others or is gravely disabled, and in need of immediate care and treatment, may issue an emergency certificate in writing that authorizes and directs that such inmate be taken to a general hospital for purposes of medical examination. The inmate shall be examined within twenty-four hours and shall not be held for more than seventy-two hours unless committed under section 17a-502. The Commissioner of Correction shall collect and maintain statistical and demographic information pertaining to emergency certificates issued under this subsection.

(P.A. 77-595, S. 7; P.A. 93-227; P.A. 95-257, S. 48, 58; P.A. 00-147; P.A. 08-21, S. 1; P.A. 10-60, S. 1; P.A. 19-117, S. 96; P.A. 22-92, S. 4.)

History: Sec. 17-183a transferred to Sec. 17a-503 in 1991; P.A. 93-227 amended Subsec. (b) by requiring examination within 24 hours rather than 48 hours and added Subsec. (c) re issuance of emergency certificate by psychologist; P.A. 95-257 replaced variants of “mental illness” and “mentally ill” with variants of “psychiatric disabilities”, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 00-147 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a) and (b) and added new Subsec. (d) re issuance of emergency certificates by certain clinical social workers and advanced practice registered nurses; P.A. 08-21 amended Subsec. (d)(1) by removing “under this subsection” and adding “crisis intervention team, advanced supervision and intervention support team” re permissible forms of specialized training in conducting direct evaluations, effective April 29, 2008; P.A. 10-60 amended Subsec. (d)(1) by designating existing provision re team or program membership as Subpara. (A) and adding Subpara. (B) re specialized training as member of community support program certified by department; P.A. 19-117 added Subsec. (e) re issuance of emergency certificate in correctional facilities by advanced practice registered nurse, effective July 1, 2019; P.A. 22-92 amended Subsec. (d) by adding reference to professional counselor and marital and family therapist and making technical changes.

Annotation to former section 17-183a:

Cited. 23 CA 447.

Annotations to present section:

Cited. 224 C. 29.

Subsec. (a):

Police officer's actions pursuant to section are sufficiently connected to a commitment proceeding to warrant absolute immunity; because a statement in police officer's incident report fell within scope of a judicial proceeding, defendant may be protected by absolute or qualified immunity for that statement, but not for officer's statement to persons at Department of Correction; it is appropriate to afford only a qualified immunity to persons acting pursuant to section if their conduct falls within the proscriptions against malicious conduct under Sec. 17a-504. 282 C. 821. Custody, as it is employed in Subsec., is merely a tool in affording the medical relief embodied in other provisions of section - not a Trojan horse to import criminal procedure jurisprudence into an unrelated statute. 327 C. 402.

(Return to Chapter
Table of Contents)

(Return to
List of Chapters)

(Return to
List of Titles)

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 29 cases (9 in the last 5 years), 1992–2026 · leading case: Hopkins v. O'CONNOR, 925 A.2d 1030 (Conn. 2007).

Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment

Hopkins v. O'CONNOR, 925 A.2d 1030 (Conn. 2007). · cites it 21× “On September 2, 2003, pursuant to General Statutes § 17a-503 (a), 1 the defendant took the plaintiff into involuntary custody and caused him to be transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation based on the defendant’s reasonable belief that the plaintiff…”

Brooks v. Powers, 178 A.3d 366 (Conn. 2018). · cites it 8× “fficers helping patients with mental illness has been codified *382 in General Statutes § 17a-503 (a), which provides in relevant part: "Any **281 police officer who has reasonable cause to believe that a person has psychiatric disabilities and is dangerous to himself or herself…”

Hull v. Town of Newtown, 174 A.3d 174 (Conn. 2017). · cites it 84× “I respectfully disagree with the majority conclusion that the arrest policy of the Newtown Police Department (department) ‘‘applies solely to the criminal context and therefore does not apply when the police take a person into custody pursu- ant to [General Statutes] § 17a-503…”

Waananen v. Barry, 343 F. Supp. 2d 161 (D. Conn. 2004). · cites it 7× “Since no Fourth Amendment violation could be found, the Court does not reach defendants’ claims of qualified immunity.”

Scholz v. Epstein, 341 Conn. 1 (Conn. 2021). · cites it 3× “, 837 (applying litigation privilege to defamation claim premised on police officer’s state- ments pursuant to General Statutes § 17a-503 (a) that resulted in plaintiff’s being detained in psychiatric hos- pital for evaluation because statements that plaintiff had psychiatric…”

Justin Lund v. Milford Hosp., Inc., 168 A.3d 479 (Conn. 2017). · cites it 2× “" The substitute complaint then specifically alleges that, "[b]ased upon the actions of Pariseau and the observations of [the injured police officers], an emergency committal was completed for Pariseau pursuant to [General Statutes] § 17a-503(a).”

Gallo v. Barile, 935 A.2d 103 (Conn. 2007). · cites it 2× “Specifically, we concluded that, although O’Connor’s statements ordinarily would be absolutely privileged because they had been made in the course of a judicial proceeding, namely, a commitment proceeding conducted pursuant to General Statutes § 17a-503 (a); id., 831, 837-38; a…”

Morgan v. Bubar, 975 A.2d 59 (Conn. App. Ct. 2009). · cites it 4× “O’Connor, supra, 837; General Statutes § 17a-503 (a). In its analysis of this issue, the court stated: “It would, in our view, make no sense to make the police officer’s immunity dependent on the outcome of that evaluation and whether the psychiatrist determines that commitment…”

Swanson v. City of Groton, 977 A.2d 738 (Conn. App. Ct. 2009). · cites it 2× “General Statutes § 17a-503,” which concerns persons who are a danger to themselves or others because of psychiatric disabilities, but that he clearly never received training as to people incapacitated by alcohol pursuant to § 17a-683 (b).”

Keeney v. City of New London, 196 F. Supp. 2d 190 (D. Conn. 2002). · cites it 4× “Conn. Gen.Stat. § 17a-503(a). The plaintiff challenges whether the defendants had reasonable cause to believe that Nolan posed a danger to himself or others, as required by the statute.”

State v. Samuolis, 344 Conn. 200 (Conn. 2022). · cites it 3× “10 General Statutes § 17a-503 (a) provides: ‘‘Any police officer who has reasonable cause to believe that a person has psychiatric disabilities and is dangerous to himself or herself or others or gravely disabled, and in need of immediate care and treatment, may take such person…”

Williams v. Lopes, 64 F. Supp. 2d 37 (D. Conn. 1999). · cites it 2× “Conn.Gen.Stat. § 17a-503(a). Thus, similar to Glass , defendants must show that, at the time they encountered plaintiff, it was objectively reasonable for them to believe that she was dangerous to herself or others, or gravely disabled, and in need of immediate care and…”

Show all 29 citing cases →

— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 17a-503(a) — 15 cases

Waananen v. Barry, 343 F. Supp. 2d 161 (D. Conn. 2004). “Since no Fourth Amendment violation could be found, the Court does not reach defendants’ claims of qualified immunity.”

Justin Lund v. Milford Hosp., Inc., 168 A.3d 479 (Conn. 2017). “" The substitute complaint then specifically alleges that, "[b]ased upon the actions of Pariseau and the observations of [the injured police officers], an emergency committal was completed for Pariseau pursuant to [General Statutes] § 17a-503(a).”

Keeney v. City of New London, 196 F. Supp. 2d 190 (D. Conn. 2002). “Conn. Gen.Stat. § 17a-503(a). The plaintiff challenges whether the defendants had reasonable cause to believe that Nolan posed a danger to himself or others, as required by the statute.”

Williams v. Lopes, 64 F. Supp. 2d 37 (D. Conn. 1999). “Conn.Gen.Stat. § 17a-503(a). Thus, similar to Glass , defendants must show that, at the time they encountered plaintiff, it was objectively reasonable for them to believe that she was dangerous to herself or others, or gravely disabled, and in need of immediate care and…”

Rzayeva v. Foster, 134 F. Supp. 2d 239 (D. Conn. 2001).

Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.