Rhode Island Court Information

The RI court system is responsible for the acquirement, conservation, and timely retrieval of important vital records pertaining to each and every resident of Rhode Island. More importantly however, the work of the court ensures that the public can get the legal intervention needed quickly and fairly.

Rhode Island Court System: Methods of Communication

There can be several reasons why you might have a need to make contact with the authorities. First, you might need to know and understand the local laws and the regulations. In fact, this becomes necessary if you are considering approaching the court regarding some legal issue. There are various courts in the state with different jurisdictions, so you must know which one is ideal for your specific need. You will also need to approach the RI courts when you have to access the court records.

For any help you need, you can always visit the official state website which is at http://www.courts.ri.gov/.

The Rhode Island court authorities place great importance on the preservation of the integrity of the court records. Only the properly authorized requests for online access to such valuable information are entertained. Anyone found to be damaging or tampering with these records may be punished by law.

Legal Hierarchy in Rhode Island

The state's judicial system is headed by the Supreme Court. In terms of authoritative powers, it is followed by the Superior Courts, the Family Courts (for cases involving domestic violence), the District Courts, the Court for Workers' Compensation, and the Traffic Tribunal Courts.

Here are the various state courts in Rhode Island:

•    The Supreme Court
•    The Superior Courts
•    The District Courts
•    The Family Courts
•    The Court for Workers' Compensation
•    The Traffic Tribunals

The Supreme Court was set up in 1747 and now it has 4 Associate Justices and a Chief Justice who heads them. It is also often referred to as the ‘last resort’ court.

The Superior Courts are trial courts that hear cases of a civil nature (the amount involved should not exceed $10,000), felonies and those related to equities. Appeals from the District Court come here. If you are not happy with the ruling of the Superior Court, you will need to take your case to the state Supreme Court.

Legal Services Offered by the Courts of Rhode Island

The court system of Rhode Island has been designed to satisfy any probable legal needs of the people residing within the state. Let us now look at a brief outline of the chief functions that these state courts perform:

i)    Provision of justice
ii)    Maintenance of court records
iii)    Providing legal education to the entire community
iv)    Suppliance of separate jury service
v)    Settling legal issues of current interest
vi)    Helping people search for specific criminal lawsuit records

The Administrative Office of the State Courts has been specially assigned to deal with all tasks delegated to the courts of Rhode Island.