Carpino Supports Stricter Penalties for ‘Knockout Game’ Perpetrators

HARTFORD- State Rep. Christie Carpino (Cromwell & Portland) voted with the legislature’s Judiciary committee to support a bill that would increase criminal penalties for sucker-punch attacks, as known as the Knockout Game.

The bill, which passed the Judiciary Committee on a 31-10 vote April 14^th, would impose a mandatory minimum two-year prison sentence for those who intentionally cause serious physical injury, and without provocation, knock someone unconscious by striking a victim in the head.

“As incidents of this knockout game continue to occur in our state, we need to send potential offenders a strong message that this behavior will not be tolerated. If you commit this crime you will be punished,“ said Carpino.

The “knockout” crimes assault as a 2^nd degree assault, which is a class D felony and to transfer children of age sixteen to be charged with such assault to the regular criminal docket of the Superior Court. Committing such a crime would establish a two year mandatory minimum sentence and treat them as adults in the Superior Court.

The knockout game is a disturbing and dangerous new trend is spreading across the country where innocent unsuspecting people are getting attacked for no apparent reason while walking the streets. One such incident happened in New Haven late last fall.

A person commits 2^nd degree assault when he or she does any of the following to another person:

1.  Intentionally causes serious physical injury;
2. Intentionally causes physical injury by using a deadly weapon or a dangerous instrument other than by discharging a firearm;
3. Recklessly causes serious physical injury by using a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument; or
4. For a purpose other than lawful medical or therapeutic treatment, intentionally causes stupor, unconsciousness, or other physical impairment or injury by administering, without the victim’s consent, a drug, substance, or preparation capable of producing the same.
5. A person also commits this crime if he or she is a parolee and intentionally causes physical injury to an employee or member of the Board of Pardons and Paroles.