Where to go
New London Superior Court, Geographical Area 10, is at 112 Broad Street in New London, CT 06320. It serves the New London Judicial District. Make sure you go to Broad Street: the Judicial District courthouse is a separate building at 70 Huntington Street, and criminal cases are heard here rather than there. The clerk's office number is 860-443-8343. The building is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Doors open at 8:30 a.m.
Everyone passes through security screening. Leave pocket knives, pepper spray, and anything that could be taken as a weapon in your car. Phones are allowed but must be silenced in the courtroom.
Parking
There is no public lot or garage at the courthouse. Parking is on the street, so arrive early and bring a way to pay the meters. Parking is the slow part of getting to this courthouse, not the security line, and circling for a space is the most common reason people are late for their own arraignment here.
What happens at arraignment here
Your first court date is called an arraignment. If you were released from the police station on a bond or a promise to appear, the date is printed on the paperwork you were given. If you were held overnight, you will be brought to court the next business day.
Arraignments at GA 10 are on the morning docket. When you arrive, you or your attorney check in with the State's Attorney's office, not the clerk, so the prosecutor knows you are present. Then wait to be called. On a family violence arrest, a Family Relations officer will usually meet with you before the judge takes the bench, and a protective order is typically issued at this first appearance. Read more on the arraignment and protective orders pages.
Bring the paperwork from your arrest, a photo ID, and the name of your attorney if you have one. If you cannot afford a lawyer, go to the public defender's office in the courthouse and apply before your case is called. Leave children at home if you can, and do not discuss your case with anyone in the hallway.
Common charges heard at GA 10 include DUI, domestic violence and family violence, assault, drug possession, and shoplifting and larceny.
Which police departments bring cases here
New London, Groton town and Groton city, Waterford, East Lyme, Ledyard, and Stonington have their own police departments, and arrests by any of them come to GA 10. Interstate 95 runs through every one of these towns, and state police stops along it are heard here rather than at the court nearest the exit.
Foxwoods is in Ledyard, so a case arising there is normally a GA 10 case. Arrests on the Mashantucket Pequot reservation involve tribal police and can raise questions about which authority had jurisdiction over the arrest. That is worth raising with an attorney early rather than assuming either way.
Not every case from this corner of the state is heard here. The towns north and west of these go to GA 21 Norwich, Windham County goes to GA 11 Danielson, Middlesex County goes to GA 9 Middletown, and Hartford and Tolland County cases go to GA 12 Manchester, GA 14 Hartford, GA 15 New Britain, or GA 19 Rockville.