Where to go
Norwich Superior Court, Geographical Area 21, is at 1 Courthouse Square in downtown Norwich, CT 06360. It serves the New London Judicial District. The number at Courthouse Square is 860-887-3515; ask for the Geographical Area 21 criminal clerk when you call. 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
Parking is downtown public parking near Courthouse Square, and it is mostly paid. Bring a way to pay and arrive with time to find a space, because the walk from wherever you end up is part of the trip. Do not leave anything on the seat of a car parked on the street downtown.
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 21 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 21 include DUI, domestic violence and family violence, assault, drug possession, and shoplifting and larceny.
Which police departments bring cases here
Norwich and Montville have their own police departments, and arrests by either come to GA 21. Most of the smaller towns on this list are covered by Connecticut State Police, and a trooper arrest in any of them comes here too. Interstate 395 runs through several of these towns, and stops along it are heard at GA 21 rather than at the court nearest the exit.
Mohegan Sun is in Montville, so a case arising there is normally a GA 21 case. Arrests at the casino involve the 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.
Go by the town where the arrest happened, not by the courthouse nearest your home. Colchester is a GA 21 town even though GA 9 Middletown is often the shorter drive. The shoreline and Groton area go to GA 10 New London, Windham County goes to GA 11 Danielson, and Hartford and Tolland County cases go to GA 12 Manchester, GA 14 Hartford, GA 15 New Britain, or GA 19 Rockville.