This article is established under C.G.S. § 7-152c.
The Town Manager shall appoint up to five persons, as necessary,
who shall serve as citation hearings officers. Such persons shall
not be police officers, or employees or persons who issue citations
on behalf of the Town or any other municipality. Each citation hearing
officer is authorized to conduct the hearings set forth in this article.
If the person who is sent notice pursuant to §
215-3 of this article wishes to admit liability for any alleged violation, he may, without requesting a hearing, pay the full amount of the fines, penalties, costs or fees admitted to in person or by mail to an official designated by the Town. Such payment shall be inadmissible in any proceeding, civil or criminal, to establish the conduct of such person or other person making the payment. Any person who does not deliver or mail written demand for a hearing within 10 days of the date of the first notice provided for in §
215-3 of this article shall be deemed to have admitted liability, and the designated municipal officer shall certify such person's failure to respond to the hearing officer. The hearing officer shall thereupon enter and assess the fines, penalties, costs or fees provided for by the applicable ordinances and shall follow the procedures set forth in §
215-6 of this article.
If such assessment is not paid on the date of its entry, the
hearing officer shall send by first class mail a notice of the assessment
to the person found liable and shall file, not less than 30 days or
more than 12 months after such a mailing, a certified copy of the
notice of assessment with the Clerk of the Superior Court for the
geographical area in which the municipality is located, together with
an entry fee of $8. The certified copy of the notice of assessment
shall constitute a record of assessment. Within such twelve-month
period, assessments against the same person may be accrued and filed
as one record of assessment. The Clerk shall enter judgment, in the
amount of such record of assessment and court costs of $8, against
such person in favor of the Town. Notwithstanding any other provision
of the General Statutes, the hearing officer's assessment, when so
entered as a judgment, shall have the effect of a civil money judgement
and a levy of execution on such judgment may issue without further
notice to such person.
A person against whom an assessment has been entered pursuant
to this article is entitled to judicial review by way of appeal. An
appeal shall be instituted within 30 days of the mailing of notice
of such assessment by filing a petition to reopen assessment, together
with an entry fee in an amount equal to the entry fee for a small
claims case pursuant to C.G.S. § 52-259, in the Superior
Court for the geographical area in which the municipality is located,
which shall entitle such person to a hearing in accordance with the
rules of the judges of the Superior Court.