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.

Browse Opinions From the Rhode Island Supreme Court
Recent Decisions From the Rhode Island Supreme Court
In re CVS Health Corporation Securities Litigation  
Date: January 14, 2025
 Docket Number: 23-115

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiffs, City of Warren Police and Fire Retirement System and David Freundlich, filed a consolidated securities action against CVS Health Corporation. They alleged that CVS's offering documents related to its 2018…

Smith v. State  
Date: December 20, 2024
 Docket Number: 22-76

Justia Opinion Summary: The petitioner was found guilty of first-degree murder for the brutal stabbing of his then-wife's sixteen-year-old daughter and was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, plus an additional…

Gray v. City of Providence  
Date: December 19, 2024
 Docket Number: 23-339

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Willie Gray, filed a complaint for personal injuries sustained in a fire at a multifamily residential property in Providence on January 12, 2018. The property was allegedly owned by Dexter Jackson, whose…

Mill Road Realty Associates, LLC v. Town of Foster  
Date: December 13, 2024
 Docket Number: 23-186

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiffs, Mill Road Realty Associates, LLC, Morris Maglioli, and William L. Ricci, Jr., d/b/a Wright’s Auto Parts, operated a junkyard in Foster, Rhode Island. They violated the conditions of their municipal…

Karasuk v. Puchalski  
Date: December 11, 2024
 Docket Number: 23-93

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a partition action concerning two properties in Charlestown, Rhode Island, owned by Peter Karasuk, Lee Karasuk Ingley, and Sandra Karasuk Puchalski as joint tenants with a right of survivorship. The…

Bronhard v. Thayer Street District Management Authority  
Date: November 27, 2024
 Docket Number: 23-270

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Walter L. Bronhard, doing business as Walter L. Bronhard Real Estate, filed a lawsuit against the Thayer Street District Management Authority (TSDMA). The dispute arose after TSDMA allegedly sent an email…

Gabriel v. Willis  
Date: November 27, 2024
 Docket Number: 23-349

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Noah Gabriel, owns an undeveloped parcel of real estate in Narragansett, Rhode Island. The Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) received a notification of potential wetland violations on the…

Plaintiff v. Defendant  
Date: October 18, 2024
 Docket Number: 23-91

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute over a real estate transaction between Francesco Scotti and Matthew Mimiaga concerning a property at 300 Benefit Street in Providence, Rhode Island. In 2015, Scotti sold the property to…

State v. Mosley  
Date: August 28, 2024
 Docket Number: 22-13

Justia Opinion Summary: In August 2014, a gunman entered a barbershop in East Providence, Rhode Island, resulting in the fatal shooting of Yusef A’Vant. Thomas Mosley was implicated in the crime, with key testimony from Evan Watson, who…

In re B.M.  
Date: August 28, 2024
 Docket Number: 22-142

Justia Opinion Summary: The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) filed petitions to terminate the parental rights of a father to his three sons, B.M., A.M., and N.M., based on allegations of unfitness. The petitions cited that the…

Blouin v. Koster  
Date: August 20, 2024
 Docket Number: 22-282

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiffs, Jason Blouin and Heather Blouin, filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against several healthcare providers, alleging negligence in the births of their children, X.B. and D.B., who were born with cystic…

DeJesus v. Saldana  
Date: August 8, 2024
 Docket Number: 23-234

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the divorce of Jose A. Saldana and Daisy M. DeJesus, who married in 2004 and separated in 2009. During their marriage, Saldana purchased a home on Whitmarsh Street, which was later transferred to…

De Vries v. Gaudiana  
Date: August 1, 2024
 Docket Number: 23-98

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a petitioner who filed a miscellaneous petition in Family Court concerning a child whose parents are the respondent and the late Christine Hasselbrock. The petitioner, who had a long-standing platonic…

In re A.N.  
Date: July 31, 2024
 Docket Number: 22-226

Justia Opinion Summary: The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) became involved with A.N.'s family after the Rhode Island State Police informed them that A.N.'s father, Francis N., had been arrested on felony charges, including…

State v. Seignious  
Date: July 25, 2024
 Docket Number: 23-124

Justia Opinion Summary: Louis Seignious was convicted of first-degree murder, carrying a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, and domestic breaking and entering. The incident occurred in Westerly, Rhode Island, where Seignious…

The opinions published on Justia State Caselaw are sourced from individual state court sites. These court opinions may not be the official published versions, and you should check your local court rules before citing to them. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site, or the information linked to on the state site.

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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