Intoxication due to a defendant’s voluntary consumption of drugs or alcohol isn’t usually a defense to criminal charges—but if the intoxication was involuntary, it may be a defense on the basis that the defendant did not understand what he was doing or that what he was doing was wrong. And some states allow a defendant to assert a defense that his voluntary intoxication prevented him from forming the specific intent to commit the crime (attempted murder, for example). But this is a question of fact that the jury will usually determine.

The availability and definition of any defense to criminal charges based on the defendant’s voluntary or involuntary intoxication is usually located in a state’s statutes—often in the penal or criminal code.

In Connecticut, voluntary intoxication is generally not a defense to criminal charges. However, under Connecticut law, a defendant may claim involuntary intoxication as a defense if they can prove that they were involuntarily drugged or did not know the intoxicating nature of a substance they consumed, which resulted in an inability to understand the wrongfulness of their actions or to control their actions. Regarding voluntary intoxication, Connecticut does recognize that in very limited circumstances, such as specific intent crimes, a defendant may argue that their intoxication prevented them from forming the specific intent necessary to commit the crime. This is a complex area of law, and whether intoxication can be used as a defense is ultimately a question of fact for the jury to determine, based on the evidence presented at trial. The relevant statutes and case law would provide the specific legal framework and limitations for asserting such a defense in Connecticut.