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A Newport DUI arrest is a misdemeanor case arraigned at Second Division District Court, 45 Washington Square, in the Murray Judicial Complex. Summer is when Newport Police enforcement peaks, and a chemical test refusal creates a second case at the Traffic Tribunal in Cranston. Attorney Rory Munns handles Newport cases from his Providence office.
A college student DUI in Providence is prosecuted like any other adult DUI at Sixth Division District Court, but a student also faces a separate school conduct process, questions about aid and housing, and a parent who wants answers the lawyer cannot always give. Drivers 18 to 20 who test between .02 and .08 fall under a non-criminal tier; .08 or higher is a standard misdemeanor DUI at any age.
A chemical test refusal hearing in Rhode Island is a civil hearing at the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal in Cranston where the officer testifies and the magistrate must make 4 findings under § 31-27-2.1(d). The driver has to request it in writing within 15 days, and the magistrate has to rule within 7 days of the hearing.
An under 21 DUI in Rhode Island splits into 2 tracks by test result. A .02 to under .08 result is a non-criminal driving while impaired violation with a short license suspension, and a .08 or higher result is a regular misdemeanor DUI. Drivers 18 to 20 go to District Court; drivers under 18 go to Family Court.
A DUI with an accident in Rhode Island stays a misdemeanor under § 31-27-2 if there is only property damage, but becomes a felony under § 31-27-2.6 when someone else suffers serious bodily injury (1 to 10 years) and under § 31-27-2.2 when someone dies (5 to 15 years). Felonies move from District Court to Superior Court, blood replaces breath as the key evidence, and the state must prove the impairment caused the harm.
A CDL DUI in Rhode Island triggers two cases: a criminal DUI charge and a separate commercial license disqualification under § 31-10.3-31. The commercial limit is .04, a first offense costs the CDL for at least 1 year (3 years with hazmat), and a second offense means lifetime revocation. Refusing the test and a DUI in a personal vehicle both disqualify.
An out-of-state license DUI in Rhode Island is prosecuted in Rhode Island District Court under Rhode Island law, and Rhode Island can suspend your privilege to drive here even though it cannot take a Massachusetts or Connecticut license. Your home state typically learns of a conviction through interstate reporting and applies its own penalties. You will need to appear in Rhode Island, and a refusal carries its own case at the Traffic Tribunal.
The first 72 hours after a Rhode Island DUI arrest are when evidence is either captured or lost. Write down everything you remember, save receipts and phone location data, stay off social media, and get a lawyer working on preservation letters and discovery requests before video and paperwork disappear.
A Providence DUI arraignment for a misdemeanor first or second offense is held in the Sixth Division District Court at the Garrahy Judicial Complex, One Dorrance Plaza. The charge is read, the defendant pleads not guilty, the judge sets release conditions, and a pretrial conference date is assigned. A chemical test refusal is a separate case at the Traffic Tribunal in Cranston.
DUI checkpoints in Rhode Island are illegal. The Rhode Island Supreme Court struck them down in Pimental v. Department of Transportation, 561 A.2d 1348 (R.I. 1989), under article I, section 6 of the state constitution, and the federal Sitz decision in 1990 did not change that. Police use saturation patrols and individual stops that require reasonable suspicion instead.
Driving under the influence laws in Rhode Island treat alcohol and marijuana differently, and the differences matter for anyone facing a charge. Alcohol has a clear blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit of 0.08 percent. Marijuana operates under a zero-tolerance standard with no specific nanogram-per-milliliter cutoff. Penalties, legal defenses, and the way impairment is proven also […]
Losing your driver's license after a DUI makes everyday life much harder. Getting it back means following a specific process set by the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles. The steps depend on why your license was suspended, but the general path involves paying reinstatement fees, completing any required court actions, and meeting with DMV […]
A DUI arrest in Rhode Island starts a complex legal process with serious immediate penalties. Your license can be suspended before you even see a judge. Understanding the specific laws and defense options for 2026 is the first step to protecting yourself. This article explains the current landscape for Rhode Island DUI defense. We will […]
Providence DWI Lawyer Rory Munns Being charged with DWI in Rhode Island can be one of the most traumatizing experiences in your entire life. You may be confused and stressed when you imagine the hefty fines or even a possible jail term. The feeling can be frightening and a significant drain on both your resources […]
Boating Under The Influence in Rhode Island Like driving while drunk, boating under the influence in Rhode Island is a serious crime that can have fatal consequences. According to Operation Dry Water, a nationwide campaign devoted to raising awareness of BUI, alcohol use is the leading factor contributing to deadly boating accidents; it was involved […]