(a)  Upon a motion by the attorney general pursuant to § 14-1-7, the court shall conduct a hearing at which it shall be the duty of the attorney general to produce evidence to enable the court to determine:

(1)  That probable cause exists to believe that the offense charged has been committed and that the child charged has committed it, unless the proof has been elicited at a prior hearing on detention of the juvenile and the findings have been made by the same justice of the family court who is conducting the waiver proceeding; and

(2)  That the child’s past history of offenses, history of treatment, or the heinous or premeditated nature of the offense is such that the court finds that the interests of society or the protection of the public necessitate the waiver of jurisdiction of the court over the child.

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Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 14-1-7.1

  • Adult: means a person eighteen (18) years of age or older. See Rhode Island General Laws 14-1-3
  • Child: means a person under eighteen (18) years of age. See Rhode Island General Laws 14-1-3
  • court: means the family court of the state of Rhode Island. See Rhode Island General Laws 14-1-3
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Justice: means a justice of the family court. See Rhode Island General Laws 14-1-3
  • Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.

(b)  If the court finds that subdivisions (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this section have been proven by a preponderance of evidence, it may waive jurisdiction over the child and refer the child to the appropriate adult court to be tried for the offense as an adult.

(c)  A waiver of jurisdiction over a child pursuant to this section shall constitute a waiver of jurisdiction over that child for the offense upon which the motion is based as well as for all pending and subsequent offenses of whatever nature, and the child shall be referred to the court which would have had jurisdiction if the offense had been committed by an adult. In the event that the child is acquitted of the offense for which the waiver has been sought, the waiver shall be vacated.

History of Section.
P.L. 1990, ch. 15, § 2; P.L. 1990, ch. 18, § 2; P.L. 1995, ch. 132, § 1; P.L. 1996, ch. 261, § 1.