Rhode Island Supreme Court Decisions 2024

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiffs, Louis Paolino and Marie E. Issa, own property in Cumberland, Rhode Island, adjacent to a site operated as an automobile recycling business. The neighboring property, owned by J.F. Realty, LLC and operated…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff and defendant were married in 1976 and divorced in 1999. Their marital settlement agreement (MSA) stipulated that their marital home would be sold, and the proceeds divided equally. The plaintiff was…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was convicted of second-degree murder and several firearm offenses after shooting the decedent, Joel Rosario, during a confrontation at a traffic light. The defendant claimed self-defense, stating he felt…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a landlord-tenant eviction action where the defendant, Jo-Ann Albanese, was ordered to vacate her apartment by August 1, 2021, by the plaintiff, Red Gate Motel, Inc. Ms. Albanese did not vacate the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant was convicted by a jury in the Superior Court on one count of first-degree child molestation, three counts of second-degree child molestation, and one count of simple assault and battery. The charges…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, Jason Ortiz, was charged with several criminal counts, including carrying a pistol without a license, domestic assault, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct. The charges stemmed from an incident in…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a dispute between the University of Rhode Island Board of Trustees and the University of Rhode Island (plaintiffs) and the Hellenic Society Paideia – Rhode Island Chapter (defendant). The dispute arose…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a dispute between a husband and wife, Norman and Shelley Carpenter, who are in the process of divorce. The primary issue revolves around the sale of marital property, specifically five jointly owned…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, Dari Garcia, was charged with fifteen counts related to a series of events that occurred on August 17, 2014, at a home in North Providence, Rhode Island. These events resulted in the death of Richard…

Justia Opinion Summary: Edward Mather, the defendant, was charged with multiple counts of domestic assault, vandalism, and violation of a no-contact order. Following his arraignment, he was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation to…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves four individuals, Joao Neves, Keith Nunes, Pablo Ortega, and Mario Monteiro, who were convicted of various crimes in Rhode Island and were serving multiple sentences, including life sentences. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Nicholas Finnigan, who was convicted of one count of second-degree child molestation following a jury-waived trial in the Superior Court. The incident allegedly occurred in February 2012, when the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, Lydia Alicea, was charged with violating a law between February 18, 2017, and August 1, 2017. On June 19, 2020, she pleaded nolo contendere and was given a two-year deferred sentence and ordered to pay…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the Newport School Committee and the Cumberland School Committee (collectively, plaintiffs) and the Rhode Island Department of Education and the Rhode Island Council on Elementary and Secondary…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a medical negligence claim brought by John Armour, individually and as personal representative of the Estate of Judith Armour, against David Bader, M.D., Neil Brandon, M.D., and South County Hospital…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a dispute over the Estate of Donelson C. Glassie. The plaintiff, Marcia Sallum Glassie, was married to Donelson C. Glassie, and they divorced in 1993. According to their property-settlement agreement,…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case revolves around the denial of a disability pension application by a former state trooper, James Donnelly-Taylor. The defendants are the State of Rhode Island, Division of the State Police, and the Colonel of…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a dispute over the will of the late Donelson C. Glassie. The plaintiff, Marcia Sallum Glassie, is the testator’s former wife. She appealed from a Superior Court judgment in favor of the defendant, Paul…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Napoleao Pires, who was convicted for carrying a firearm without a license and possession of a controlled substance. The conviction was based on evidence obtained when a police officer, responding to a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Miguel Tebalan Rivera who was convicted of second-degree murder and commission of a crime of violence while in possession of a knife with a blade longer than three inches. Rivera filed an application…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves North Farm Home Owners Association, Inc. (North Farm) and the Bristol County Water Authority (BCWA). North Farm, a multi-building condominium complex in Bristol, Rhode Island, had granted several…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Xavier T. Vidot, an inmate, filed a complaint against the Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC) and its officials, alleging that they failed to provide inmates with a daily minimum of 8.5 hours…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Gail M. McCormick, filed a personal injury lawsuit against Narragansett Improvement Company, Inc. (NICO) for injuries she sustained in a motorcycle accident on May 29, 2010. McCormick alleged that she lost…

Justia Opinion Summary: In early 2020, Josephson, LLC, doing business as The Moinian Group (Moinian), filed a lawsuit against its insurance company, Affiliated FM Insurance Company (AFM), seeking coverage for losses sustained due to the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, Anton Liverpool, was convicted for violating the terms of his probation following a hearing in the Superior Court of Rhode Island. The violation was based on an incident where Liverpool was accused of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a plaintiff, Carol Allen, who slipped and fell on the steps of Newport City Hall during a winter storm, resulting in severe injuries. Allen alleged that the city and its employees were negligent…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a plaintiff, Carol Allen, who slipped and fell on the steps of Newport City Hall while exiting the building after paying her property taxes. At the time of the incident, there was light to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Marklyn Brown, who was arrested and indicted for a shooting that resulted in the death of Ms. Berta Pereira-Roldan. During his seven-hour interrogation at the Providence Police Department, Brown…

Justia Opinion Summary: Danielle LeFebvre was convicted of first-degree child abuse after her seven-week-old son suffered life-threatening injuries. LeFebvre claimed that her son's injuries were accidental, resulting from a fall from her bed.…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a major land development project proposed for multiple parcels of real estate in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. The project was approved by the North Kingstown Planning Commission in 2012. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The City of Pawtucket petitioned the Supreme Court of Rhode Island to review a judgment in favor of the Rhode Island Department of Revenue (DOR) and other defendants. The case revolved around two properties owned by The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Fuller Mill Realty, LLC (Fuller Mill) and the Rhode Island Department of Revenue Division of Taxation (the Division). Fuller Mill was part of the Rhode Island Historic Preservation Tax Credits Program,…

Justia Opinion Summary: A fatal motor vehicle accident involving a juvenile driver led to a delinquency petition filed against the driver, who later pleaded nolo contendere to two charges of driving so as to endanger, resulting in death. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: In September 2019, Eleticia Garcia hired Ponagansett 2 LLC, doing business as Peter Bibby Heating & Air, to perform mechanical work on her property. The parties signed two contracts, one for the installation of gas…

Justia Opinion Summary: A group of developers, collectively referred to as "The Preserve," entered into an agreement in 2011 to purchase land in Richmond, Rhode Island, with the intention of operating an outdoor shooting range and gun club. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, Victor Tavares, was convicted by a jury on two counts of first-degree sexual assault and one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree sexual assault. The charges stemmed from an incident that occurred at…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) in Rhode Island, which was held in contempt by the Family Court for failing to place a minor, N.D., in a residential facility appropriate for her…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) in Rhode Island, which was held in contempt by the Family Court for failing to place a minor, N.B., in a specific facility, St. Mary’s Home for…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB DBA Christiana Trust as Trustee for HLSS Mortgage Master Trust, by PennyMac Loan Services, LLC (plaintiff), and Power Realty, RIGP a/k/a Power Realty Group, RIGP,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, PennyMac Loan Services, LLC, a mortgage company, held a mortgage interest in a property in Coventry, Rhode Island. The mortgagor, Domenico Companatico, failed to pay 2018 fire district taxes, leading to a…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case was brought before the Supreme Court of Rhode Island to resolve a dispute between neighbors over property views. The plaintiffs, Thomas Knudsen, Trustee, Ciara Ladnier, and Edward Knudsen, Trustees, own…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Dania Mateo, filed a case against Davidson Media Group Rhode Island Stations, LLC and several of its employees, which included 22 counts alleging violations of Rhode Island's Fair Employment Practices Act…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case decided by the Supreme Court of Rhode Island, the defendant, Mark Chez, appealed his conviction for carrying a pistol without a license. The case stemmed from an incident on May 30, 2020, when a police…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a dispute between Nancy Robayo and Luis Robayo, the Supreme Court of Rhode Island affirmed the judgment of the Family Court. The case focuses on a marital settlement agreement between the plaintiff, Nancy Robayo, and…

Justia Opinion Summary: The plaintiff, Lourenco DoCouto, appealed a decision by the Superior Court of Rhode Island that dismissed his case against defendants Blue Water Realty, LLC and Louis Bachetti. The dispute centered around a property…

Justia Opinion Summary: This Rhode Island Supreme Court case revolves around a dispute over an estate and a related legal fee. The plaintiff, Ambrose C. Mendes, Jr., challenged an order and judgment of the Superior Court that approved two…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a dispute among neighbors over the use and ownership of a private road in Rhode Island. The plaintiffs, Merlyn P. O’Keefe and Mary Ellen O’Keefe, who own the residential lot farthest from the main…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves plaintiff Angelo Riccitelli and defendant Town of North Providence, through its Finance Director, Maria Vallee. Riccitelli, a retired firefighter, filed a complaint against the town, alleging that it…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case concerns a child custody dispute between Kelly K. Fitzgerald and James W.A. Jackson. The parties have two minor children, who have dual citizenship of the United States and Australia. The children have lived in…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case concerns a foreclosure proceeding related to a property in Bristol, Rhode Island. The plaintiff, Steven Serenska, obtained a mortgage from Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and defaulted on his payments. Wells Fargo and…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the plaintiff, Andre Howell, acting as the treasurer of the Urban League of Rhode Island, Inc., initiated a receivership proceeding for the Urban League. Julie Longtin, the appellant, filed a proof of claim…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2006, Ronald A. Gosset borrowed $275,000 against his property, which he owned as a joint tenant with his daughters, Mellissa and Verity Gosset. Both daughters signed the mortgage but not the underlying note. When…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this appeal, the defendant, Laurie Cronan, challenged a divorce judgement entered by the general magistrate of the Family Court. She primarily disputed the magistrate's authority to preside over the contested divorce…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case arises from an automobile accident involving Lauren Barnes and Nancy Hodys, where both parties sustained serious injuries and neither has any memory of the accident. A syringe was found in Barnes' car and her…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves the appeal of a Superior Court judgment in favor of the intervenor, Isabel DaPina Costa, following the grant of her motion for summary judgment. The plaintiff, Clara Martins, is the mother of Orlando…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case heard by the Supreme Court of Rhode Island, Somayina Odiah, the defendant, was appealing his conviction for one count of indecent solicitation of a child. The defendant had been communicating online with a…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the plaintiff, Jordan Nissensohn, as the administrator of the Estate of Michael Nissensohn, filed a suit against University Medical Group (UMG), Dr. Alan Epstein, and Dr. Steven Sepe, alleging numerous…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a case before the Supreme Court of Rhode Island, plaintiffs Mark Quillen and Dawn Quillen entered into a Purchase and Sales Agreement (P & S Agreement) with defendant Clint Cox to purchase a property for a total sale…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Rhode Island heard an appeal by Kelly Maltais contesting the dismissal of her probate appeal by the Superior Court. Kelly challenged the last will and testament of her father, Laurent E. Maltais,…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involves a dispute between Griggs & Browne Pest Control Co., Inc. (plaintiff), and its former employee, Brian Walls (defendant). Upon hiring Walls in 2011, the parties entered into a noncompetition agreement,…