2016 -- S 2546

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LC004515

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - PRELIMINARY PROCEEDINGS IN DISTRICT

COURTS

     

     Introduced By: Senators Conley, Lombardi, Lombardo, Archambault, and Lynch Prata

     Date Introduced: February 25, 2016

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     (Attorney General)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 12-10-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 12-10 entitled "Preliminary

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Proceedings in District Courts" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     12-10-2. Powers of justices of the peace. -- (a) (1) The chief judge of the district court

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shall from time to time appoint, with power to revoke the appointments, from those qualified

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justices of the peace who shall be members of the bar of the state of Rhode Island within the

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cities and towns and divisions of the district court, as many justices of the peace as he or she may

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deem necessary, who shall be authorized to set and take bail in all complaints bailable before a

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division of the district court except those offenses punishable by life imprisonment and, in default

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of bail, to commit to the adult correctional institutions all respondents arrested on those

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complaints. The chief judge shall authorize the justices of the peace, so appointed by him or her,

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to issue warrants and complaints returnable to the division of the district court for any offense for

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which by law a judge of the district court may issue a warrant and complaint, and all warrants so

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issued, and all warrants and complaints upon which bail is taken or commitments are made, shall

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be immediately returned to the divisions; provided, that the justices of the peace shall not in any

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case or for any purpose have the power to issue search warrants. The justices of the peace may

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also set and take bail, as provided in this section, commit and issue warrants (except search

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warrants) in any division where the defendant is being held by the state police, the metropolitan

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park police, conservation officers of the department of environmental management, a sheriff or

 

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deputy sheriff, the capitol police, the campus security forces of the state colleges and universities,

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or city or town police forces.

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      (2) Whenever probable cause exists that a defendant is a violator of bail and/or probation

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in the district court or superior court, upon being presented with a violation report by an the

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attorney general for the state or the attorney general's transmission of a violation report to the

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arresting agency or place of presentment, and upon making a finding that the defendant is subject

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to violation of bail and/or probation and that probable cause exists on the new charge being

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brought, the justice of the peace shall issue his or her writ of mittimus confining the defendant

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without bail and issue a writ of habeas corpus returnable to the next sitting of the district court

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and make a finding of probable violation in writing. If the attorney general transmits the violation

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report to the arresting agency or place of presentment, the law enforcement agency shall ensure

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that the defendant is presented with the violation report and the justice of the peace shall ensure

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the violation report is attached to their writs and other documentation of a district court violation

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or a superior court violation. The justice of the peace shall proceed to arraign the defendant on the

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new charge pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection. The justice of the peace shall return his

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or her writs and other documentation of a district court violation to the clerk of the district court;

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regarding any superior court violation the attorney for the state shall notify the clerk of the

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superior court for the county where the case originated for which a finding of probable violation

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was made of the finding of probable violation and the attorney for the state shall, on the same

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date, request a judge or magistrate of the superior court to issue a writ of habeas corpus for the

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purpose of a violation presentation before the superior court returnable to the next sitting of the

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superior court in the county.

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      (b) In misdemeanor cases a justice of the peace may accept pleas of not guilty in which

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case the justice of the peace may schedule a pre-trial conference date before a judge of the district

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court.

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      (c) In non-capital felony cases the justices of the peace may also schedule felony

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screening dates.

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      (d) The fee for the justices of the peace shall be fifty dollars ($50.00) paid by each

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individual who appears before him or her; provided, that when a special session is requested

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between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., the fee shall be arranged between the defendant

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and the justice of the peace but shall not exceed two hundred dollars ($200). Justices of the peace

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shall have immunity for any actions taken pursuant to the provisions of this section.

 

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on September 1, 2016.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - PRELIMINARY PROCEEDINGS IN DISTRICT

COURTS

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     This act would empower a justice of the peace or bail commissioner (JP) to receive from

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an arresting agency, notice of violation of probation or bail that has been received by the arresting

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agency from the attorney general or transmitted by the attorney general to said agency, and

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present the notice to the arrestee. The JP would also ensure that said notice of violations be

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attached to any writs presented to the court.

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     This act would take effect on September 1, 2016.

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