§ 8-8-1 District Court established – Chief and associate justices
§ 8-8-1.1 Veterans’ treatment calendar
§ 8-8-1.2 Mental health treatment calendar
§ 8-8-2 Divisions
§ 8-8-3 Jurisdiction
§ 8-8-3.1 Equitable powers as to housing matters
§ 8-8-3.2 Record and appeal of housing matters
§ 8-8-3.3 Equitable powers in residential landlord and tenant matters
§ 8-8-4 Habeas corpus
§ 8-8-5 Contempt of court
§ 8-8-6 Special service of process
§ 8-8-7 Judges – Temporary service in other courts
§ 8-8-8 Engagement and acceptance of appointment
§ 8-8-8.1 Administrator/clerk – Magistrate
§ 8-8-9 Vacancies
§ 8-8-10 Repealed
§ 8-8-10.1 Retirement contribution
§ 8-8-10.2 State contributions
§ 8-8-11 Repealed
§ 8-8-12 Duties of chief judge
§ 8-8-12.1 Constable regulation program
§ 8-8-13 Sessions of the court
§ 8-8-14
§ 8-8-15 Chief, deputy, and assistant clerks
§ 8-8-16 Duties of district court clerks
§ 8-8-16.1 Office of clerk/magistrate – Purpose
§ 8-8-16.2 District court clerk/magistrate
§ 8-8-17 Duties of division clerks
§ 8-8-18 Failure of clerk to account for fines and costs
§ 8-8-19 Duties of chief clerk
§ 8-8-20 Sale of blank writs prohibited
§ 8-8-21 District court conference
§ 8-8-22 Statutory references to earlier courts
§ 8-8-23 Savings clause
§ 8-8-24 Tax proceedings to be without jury and de novo – Precedence on calendar
§ 8-8-25 Time for commencement of proceeding against the division of taxation
§ 8-8-26 Prepayment as condition precedent to review of tax case
§ 8-8-27 Refund suits
§ 8-8-28 Burden of proof in tax cases
§ 8-8-29 Court stenographer in tax cases
§ 8-8-30 Decision of the court – Form and contents
§ 8-8-31 Frivolous appeals
§ 8-8-32 Review by supreme court
§ 8-8-33 Severability

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws > Chapter 8-8 - District Court

  • Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
  • Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
  • Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
  • Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. Source:
  • Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
  • 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.
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • Habeas corpus: A writ that is usually used to bring a prisoner before the court to determine the legality of his imprisonment. It may also be used to bring a person in custody before the court to give testimony, or to be prosecuted.
  • in writing: include printing, engraving, lithographing, and photo-lithographing, and all other representations of words in letters of the usual form. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-16
  • 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.
  • Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
  • Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
  • 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
  • Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
  • oath: includes affirmation; the word "sworn" includes affirmed; and the word "engaged" includes either sworn or affirmed. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-11
  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
  • Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
  • Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
  • Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
  • seal: shall be construed to include an impression of the seal made with or without the use of wax or wafer on the paper. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-15
  • Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
  • Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
  • Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
  • town: may be construed to include city; the words "town council" include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9
  • Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
  • United States: include the several states and the territories of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-8
  • Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
  • Writ of certiorari: An order issued by the Supreme Court directing the lower court to transmit records for a case for which it will hear on appeal.