I hear it from clients all the time: “We just had an argument… nobody wanted to press charges. So why did I end up in handcuffs?” The answer is one statute that catches people off guard every single day: Connecticut’s mandatory arrest law for domestic violence cases. Once 911 is dialed and police arrive, you lose control over what happens next. In other situations, clients who were being abused called 911, and they wind up getting arrested, also, and don’t understand why the police would arrest the victim.
At a glance
Probable cause = arrest. In CT domestic calls, if officers believe a crime occurred, they must arrest.