(a) An offense for which a person may be sentenced to a term of imprisonment in excess of one year is a felony.
(b) Felonies are classified for the purposes of sentence as follows: (1) Class A, (2) class B, (3) class C, (4) class D, (5) class E, (6) unclassified, and (7) capital felonies under the provisions of section 53a-54b in effect prior to April 25, 2012.
(c) The particular classification of each felony defined in this chapter is expressly designated in the section defining it.
(d) Any offense defined in any section of the general statutes which, by virtue of an expressly specified sentence, is within the definition set forth in subsection (a) of this section, but for which a particular classification is not expressly designated, shall be deemed: (1) A class E felony if the maximum term of imprisonment specified is in excess of one year but not more than three years; or (2) an unclassified felony if the maximum term of imprisonment is otherwise within the definition set forth in subsection (a) of this section.
(1969, P.A. 828, S. 25; P.A. 73-137, S. 6; P.A. 92-260, S. 9; P.A. 12-5, S. 17; P.A. 13-258, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 73-137 added capital felonies classification in Subsec. (b); P.A. 92-260 made a technical change in Subsecs. (a) and (c) and amended Subsec. (b)(6) to delete “for which the sentence of death may be imposed as provided in sections 53a-46a and 53a-54b”; P.A. 12-5 amended Subsec. (b)(6) to add reference to provisions of Sec. 53a-54b in effect prior to April 25, 2012, re capital felonies, effective April 25, 2012; P.A. 13-258 amended Subsec. (b) to add new Subdiv. (5) re class E felony and redesignate existing Subdivs. (5) and (6) as Subdivs. (6) and (7), designated provision of Subsec. (c) re unclassified felony as Subsec. (d) and amended same to make applicable to any felony offense defined in any section of the general statutes for which a particular classification is not expressly designated, add Subdiv. (1) re class E felony, and designate existing reference to unclassified felony as Subdiv. (2) and amend same by adding provision re felony offense where maximum term of imprisonment is otherwise within definition in Subsec. (a).
See Secs. 53a-35 and 53a-35a re sentences for felonies.
See Sec. 53a-41 re fines for felonies.
Cited. 170 C. 601. Police officer may arrest without previous complaint or warrant any person who he has reasonable grounds to believe has committed or is committing a felony. 171 C. 105. Cited. 196 C. 305.
Cited. 9 CA 686; 11 CA 11; 28 CA 91.
Cited. 36 CS 527; Id., 551.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
25
cases (
2 in the last 5 years), 1974–2025 · leading case:
State v. Reynolds, 836 A.2d 224 (Conn. 2003).
State v. Reynolds, 836 A.2d 224 (Conn. 2003).
· cites it 13× “General Statutes § 53a-25 (a) 58 defines the term “felony” as “[a]n offense for which a person may be sentenced to a term of imprisonment in excess of one year .”
McCoy v. Comm'r of Pub. Saf., 12 A.3d 948 (Conn. 2011).
· cites it 26× “General Statutes § 53a-25 [9] provides in relevant part: "(a) An offense for which a person may be sentenced to a term of imprisonment in excess of one year is a felony.”
State v. Kluttz, 521 A.2d 178 (Conn. App. Ct. 1987).
· cites it 7× “Relating back to the commission’s reference to its explanation of an “unclassified felony,” I find the following analysis in its comment to General Statutes § 53a-25: “The concept of an ‘unclassified felony’ like that of ‘unclassified misdemeanor’ referred to in section 53a-26,…”
State v. Angel C., 715 A.2d 652 (Conn. 1998).
· cites it 2× “” General Statutes § 53a-25 provides: “(a) An offense for which a person may be sentenced to a term of imprisonment in excess of one year is a felony.”
State v. Middleton, 368 A.2d 66 (Conn. 1976).
· cites it 2× “From this judgment the defendant has appealed, assigning and briefing *603 error in the court’s denial of his motion to dismiss the information for lack of probable cause for his arrest and in admitting testimony regarding the identification of the defendant by the victim of the…”
State v. Dupree, 495 A.2d 691 (Conn. 1985).
· cites it 2× “That expressly specified sentence contained in General Statutes § 53a-54d removed the arson murder statute from the ambit of General Statutes § 53a-54a (c), which punishes murder as a class A felony, and placed it squarely within the definition of an unclassified felony in…”
State v. Matos, 694 A.2d 775 (Conn. 1997).
· cites it 2× “” General Statutes § 53a-216 provides: “(a) A person is guilty of criminal use of a firearm or electronic defense weapon when he commits any class A, B or C or unclassified felony as defined in section 53a-25 and in the commission of such felony he uses or threatens the use of a…”
In re Sheldon G., 583 A.2d 112 (Conn. 1990).
· cites it 2× “The delinquency records or any part thereof of any person who has not attained the age of twenty-one shall also be available to any judge of said court for consideration in sentencing such person if he has been convicted of a felony as defined in section 53a-25 or in deciding…”
State v. Parsons, 612 A.2d 73 (Conn. App. Ct. 1992).
· cites it 2× “The punishment for that offense may be imprisonment for more than one year; General Statutes § 53a-25; and therefore a prosecution must be commenced within five years from the date of its occurrence to satisfy § 54-193 (b).”
State v. Dash, 698 A.2d 297 (Conn. 1997).
“General Statutes § 53a-216 provides: “Criminal use of firearm or electronic defense weapon: Class D felony, (a) A person is guilty of criminal use of a firearm or electronic defense weapon when he commits any class A, B or C or unclassified felony as defined in section 53a-25…”
State v. Lizotte, 525 A.2d 971 (Conn. App. Ct. 1987).
· cites it 2× “See General Statutes § 53a-25 (a), (c). We also note that the observation of the gun belt and ammunition did not constitute a search of the defendant’s vehicle, as they were in plain view of Tischofer.”
Ham v. Greene, 729 A.2d 740 (Conn. 1999).
“” General Statutes § 53a-216 provides: “Criminal use of firearm or electronic defense weapon: Class D felony, (a) A person is guilty of criminal use of a firearm or electronic defense weapon when he commits any class A, B or C or unclassified felony as defined in section 53a-25…”
— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-25(a) — 3 cases
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