(a)  The summons and complaint to be issued to an offending operator shall contain any information, and be in any form that may be required by the rules of procedure promulgated by the chief magistrate of the traffic tribunal. Every summons shall provide notice of:

(1)  The charge or charges against the operator; and

(2)  A date to appear in the traffic tribunal and answer the charges against him or her.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 31-41.1-1

  • Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • magistrate: may be construed to mean a justice, or a clerk acting as a justice, of a district court. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-16
  • Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.

(b)  The form for the summons and complaint authorized by this section shall be used for all violations specified in §§ 8-8.2-2, 8-18-3 and 8-18-9. The summons may be the same as the summons provided for in § 31-27-12. The chief executive officer of each local police force which is required to use the summons and complaint provided for in this chapter shall prepare or cause to be prepared any records and reports that may be prescribed by the rules of the traffic tribunal.

History of Section.
P.L. 1999, ch. 218, art. 3, § 1; P.L. 2008, ch. 1, § 12; P.L. 2010, ch. 239, § 30.