Rhode Island Supreme Court Decisions
Founded in 1747, the Rhode Island Supreme Court holds jurisdiction over appeals that involve any legal or constitutional questions. It also oversees the practice of law in Rhode Island, including admission to the state bar and discipline for attorneys and judges who engage in misconduct. Five justices serve on the Rhode Island Supreme Court, and their tenure lasts for life. This is similar to federal judges but different from most justices on state supreme courts. Rhode Island does not impose a mandatory retirement age on its judges. In 2012, a Stanford University study found that the Rhode Island Supreme Court was the eighth-most liberal state supreme court in the U.S.
When a vacancy arises on the Court, the Judicial Nominating Commission must develop a list of three to five candidates. It will present that list to the Governor of Rhode Island, who will appoint one of the candidates. Any appointments are subject to the approval of the Rhode Island House of Representatives and the Rhode Island Senate. A justice may face removal only if they are impeached by the House of Representatives and convicted in a trial in the Senate.
The Rhode Island Supreme Court has decided several cases that have influenced the evolution of key legal principles. For example, a 1786 decision on the validity of paper currency found that the actions of the legislature were unconstitutional. This helped lay the foundation for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that courts have the authority to strike down legislative actions on constitutional grounds. For another example, a 1974 decision shaped the development of contract law by ruling that a service contract does not require additional consideration to be modified. In 1995, the Rhode Island Supreme Court issued a decision in a tort case that set out an influential definition of battery.
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Recent Decisions From the Rhode Island Supreme Court
Date: April 17, 2025
Docket Number: 23-44
Date: April 10, 2025
Docket Number: 23-345
Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute over the possession of Touro Synagogue, the oldest active synagogue in the United States, located in Newport, Rhode Island. Congregation Shearith Israel (Shearith Israel) sought to evict…
Date: April 9, 2025
Docket Number: 22-285
Justia Opinion Summary: In 2019, the Rhode Island Department of Corrections (DOC) implemented changes to its Absenteeism Management Program (AMP), citing abuse of the existing sick-time policy. The changes included new discipline tracks,…
Date: April 8, 2025
Docket Number: 24-75
Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Sara Roman, filed a complaint in Providence County Superior Court alleging she sustained injuries from slipping on untreated snow and ice at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in Providence. She…
Date: April 1, 2025
Docket Number: 22-276
Justia Opinion Summary: In 1997, Christopher Thornton was convicted of multiple charges, including assault with a dangerous weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, violating a no-contact order, kidnapping, and witness intimidation.…
Date: March 24, 2025
Docket Number: 22-328
Justia Opinion Summary: Ms. Rajmonda Mile attended her daughter’s wedding at Kirkbrae Country Club on September 9, 2018, where she allegedly slipped and fell. She filed a lawsuit against Kirkbrae in Providence County Superior Court and…
Date: March 24, 2025
Docket Number: 23-310
Justia Opinion Summary: Judith Clinton filed a complaint in the Superior Court for Washington County against Chad Babcock, Lisa Nelson, Regina Foster Bartlett, and Caryn Sullivan, alleging defamation and other misconduct that caused her…
Date: March 24, 2025
Docket Number: 24-145
Justia Opinion Summary: Francisco Rosario filed a class action lawsuit against Nationstar Mortgage, LLC (Mr. Cooper) and The Bank of New York Mellon (BNYM), alleging that they collected illegal and unlicensed third-party loan servicing fees on…
Date: March 20, 2025
Docket Number: 23-335
Justia Opinion Summary: Vermont Mutual Insurance Company issued a homeowners insurance policy to Joanne St. Vil for property in Rumford, Rhode Island. St. Vil filed a claim for windstorm damage, which Vermont Mutual paid after an inspection.…
Date: March 14, 2025
Docket Number: 23-338
Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Alexandria Kazarian, filed a negligence lawsuit against New London County Mutual Insurance Company after a trip-and-fall accident near property owned by the defendant’s insured, Irene Swiney. Kazarian…
Date: March 11, 2025
Docket Number: 23-249
Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiffs, Michael R. and Christine O. McElroy, claimed an express or implied easement to access Seaweed Beach in Narragansett, Rhode Island, and to traverse certain private properties to reach the beach. The…
Date: March 10, 2025
Docket Number: 24-67
Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, New England Property Services Group, LLC, filed a claim under a homeowners’ insurance policy for wind damage to a property in Greenville, Rhode Island. The insurance company, Vermont Mutual Insurance…
Date: February 25, 2025
Docket Number: 23-311
Justia Opinion Summary: Warwick Wings, LLC, a Rhode Island limited liability company operating as Hooters of Warwick, faced significant damage to its building due to snow and ice in 2015. Odeh Engineers, Inc. evaluated the damage and concluded…
Date: February 25, 2025
Docket Number: 24-53
Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Richard Paiva, an inmate at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI), filed a suit against Lynne Corry, the warden of the maximum-security facility, in Providence County Superior Court. Paiva sought a…
Date: February 13, 2025
Docket Number: 23-54
Justia Opinion Summary: Brian Smith was charged with simple assault and second-degree child molestation in 2015 for an incident at a Newport Polo event where he allegedly touched two children inappropriately. He was found guilty of simple…
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
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