Highest Court
The highest court in Rhode Island is the Supreme Court of Rhode Island. The Supreme Court consists of 5 justices. It has jurisdiction over (1) Final civil and criminal appellate jurisdiction.
General Courts
Superior courts
The Superior Court consist of 22
justices; 4 magistrates. It has jurisdiction over (1) Civil actions
over $5,000,equity, condemnations, and naturalization.(2) All felonies
and misdemeanor appeals.(3) Zoning Board appeals and probate appeals.
No jury trials are overseen by this
court.
Limited Courts
District Court
The District Court consists of 13
judges;2 magistrates. It has jurisdiction over (1) Civil actions under
$10,000,small claims, and mental health.(2) Housing code violations.(3)
Violation offenses, misdemeanors, and felony arraignments.(4) administrative
agency appeals.
No Jury trials are overseen by this
court.
Family Court
The family courts consists of 12
judges and 7 magistrates. It has jurisdiction over (1) Domestic relations,
nonsupport, and paternity. (2) Adult crimes against juveniles.(3) Juvenile
delinquency, mental health, and traffic.
No jury trials are overseen by this
court.
Traffic Tribunal
The Traffic courts consists of 4
judges and 3 magistrates. It has jurisdiction over (1) All non-criminal
matters regarding traffic cases.
No jury trials are overseen by this
court.
Workers' Compensation Court
The Workers' Compensation Court
consists of 10 judges. It has jurisdiction over (1) All controversies regarding
workers' compensation claims.
No jury trials are overseen by this
court.
Additional Information
Written opinions
The supreme court shall issue written
opinions in all cases in which new points of law, pleading,or practice
occur or in which the opinion is of high importance. Three copies
shall be prepared and filed by the secretary of court with the clerk of
the court.The reporter , the plaintiffs, and teh defendants shall each
get a copy. Also the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the
house, majority leaders and minority leaders of both house, and the senate
and the chairperson of house and senate committees on judiciary should
receive a certified true copy. (Rhode Island General Laws § 8-1-3)
Printing of reports
The Rhode Island Reports shall be
prepaired and printed when at least 600 pages of information and material
has been compiled. (Rhode Island General Laws § 8-1-7)
Judicial conference of Rhode
Island
The judicial conference of Rhode
Island is composed of all the justices of the supreme, superior, district
courts, and family courts of Rhode Island and other such members as the
supreme court deems necessary. The judicial conference is created
for the consideration of matters relating to judicial buniness, the improvement
of the judicial system, and the administrationof justice.
(Rhode Island General Laws §
8-1-9)
Gun court calendar
Due to the significatn growth in
the use of firearms for violence, a separate calendar, known as the Gun
Court Calendar, is established within the jurisdiction of the superior
court for the counties of Providence and Bristol for hearing trial and
disposition of actions brought pursuant to § 11-47-3, 11-47-5, 11-47-5.1,11-47-8,
11-47-24, 12-13-1.2, and 12-19-21. (Rhode Island General Laws § 8-2-15.1
Powers of supreme court justice
in vacation
Any justice of the supreme court
may exercise in the vacation of the superior court all the powers which
may be exercised during such time by a justice of the superior court.
(Rhode Island General Laws § 8-2-25)
Filing and publication of rules
All rules shall be filed in the
office of the secretary of state and shall become effective upon the date
of filing, unless specified. The secretry of state shall include
all rules adopted since the last prior pulication thereof. (Rhode Island
General Laws § 8-6-3)
Supreme court sessions
The Supreme court shall convene
at Providence on the first Monday in October of each year and adjourn on
the second Monday in July in the succeeding year, with a recess from the
third Monday in February to the first Monday in March. The court
may hold sessions at other places as it deems possible. (Rhode Island General
Laws § 8-7-1)
