Conn. Gen. Stat. » Title 54 — CRIMINAL PROCEDURE · Chapter 961 — Trial and Proceedings after Conviction
Connecticut General Statutes

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-88 (2025)

State to open and close arguments

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In any criminal trial, the counsel for the state shall be entitled to open and close the argument.

(1949 Rev., S. 8804.)

There is no rigid requirement that prosecutor's final summation must be limited solely to rebuttal of matters raised in defendant's argument. 170 C. 417. Cited. 230 C. 351.

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Notes of Decisions
Cited in 7 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1971–2021 · leading case: State v. Deleon, 645 A.2d 518 (Conn. 1994).
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State v. Deleon, 645 A.2d 518 (Conn. 1994). · cites it 4× “General Statutes § 54-88 and Practice Book § 874 (4) establish a general rule that in a criminal prosecution, the state is entitled to open and close the argument.”
State v. Kellman, 742 A.2d 423 (Conn. App. Ct. 2000). · cites it 4× “Practice Book § 42-35; see also General Statutes § 54-88. 6 The federal constitution requires a strong showing to upset a settled practice on constitutional grounds.”
State v. Gonzalez, 204 A.3d 1183 (Conn. App. Ct. 2019). · cites it 2× “See General Statutes § 54-88. Following the conclusion of the prosecutor's rebuttal argument, defense counsel objected to three statements the prosecutor made regarding the facts.”
State v. Gonzalez, 257 A.3d 283 (Conn. 2021). · cites it 2× “15 General Statutes § 54-88, the only statutory provision relating to closing arguments, provides: ‘‘In any criminal trial, the counsel for the state shall be entitled to open and close the argument.’’ As stated previously, Practice Book § 42-35 likewise provides in relevant…”
State v. Rosa, 365 A.2d 1135 (Conn. 1976). “Defense counsel did, however, acknowledge that the state had argued the issue of flight in its opening argument.”
United States Ex Rel. Parsons v. Adams, 336 F. Supp. 340 (D. Conn. 1971). · cites it 3× “§ 54-88 1 and Connecticut Practice Book § 479, 2 the state’s attorney was permitted to, and did, open and close the final argument to *342 the jury.”
State v. Stephanie U., 261 A.3d 748 (Conn. App. Ct. 2021). · cites it 2× “’’ Practice Book § 42-35; see also General Statutes § 54-88. Accordingly, for a defendant to exercise his or her rights to be present at trial and to confront that state’s witnesses, he or she necessarily must sit through the state’s case before exercising the right to testify.”
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