Where to go
Danielson Superior Court, Geographical Area 11, is at 120 School Street in Danielson, CT 06239. Danielson is a borough of Killingly, so the address says one name and the town is another; both mean the same place. It serves the Windham Judicial District, and the Geographical Area court and the Judicial District share the building, so read the daily docket when you arrive rather than assuming which courtroom is yours. The clerk's office number is 860-779-8480. The building is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
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 parking at the courthouse. Windham County is spread out and most people drive here, several of them a fair distance, so leave more time than the map suggests: an arraignment does not wait for the road.
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 11 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 11 include DUI, domestic violence and family violence, assault, drug possession, and shoplifting and larceny.
Which police departments bring cases here
Willimantic, which is part of the town of Windham, has its own police department, as do Putnam and Plainfield. Arrests by any of the three come to GA 11. Most of the county's rural towns are covered by Connecticut State Police Troop D in Danielson, and a trooper arrest in any town on this list comes here. Interstate 395 runs the length of the county, and stops along it in these towns are heard at GA 11 rather than at the court nearest the exit.
Two nearby places are not GA 11, and both are common mix-ups. Storrs and the University of Connecticut are in Mansfield, a Tolland County town, so those arrests go to GA 19 Rockville. Towns south and east of the county line go to GA 21 Norwich or GA 10 New London. Middlesex County goes to GA 9 Middletown, and the rest of the Hartford area to GA 12 Manchester, GA 14 Hartford, or GA 15 New Britain.