--- title: "Rhode Island Superior Court Trial Preparation: The Trial-Day Checklist" description: "Rhode Island Superior Court trial preparation is a discipline. By the time a felony case gets to the trial calendar, the defense strategy is set, the exhibits are in binders, and the witness list is..." url: https://duiattorneyrhodeisland.com/rhode-island-superior-court-trial-preparation/ date: 2026-07-03 modified: 2026-07-03 author: "Criminal Defense Attorney Rory Munns" image: https://duiattorneyrhodeisland.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/featured-37726678-2.webp categories: ["Uncategorized"] type: post lang: en --- # Rhode Island Superior Court Trial Preparation: The Trial-Day Checklist **Rhode Island Superior Court trial preparation** is a discipline. By the time a felony case gets to the trial calendar, the defense strategy is set, the exhibits are in binders, and the witness list is locked. What the defendant needs at that point is a practical checklist for the trial day itself. This page is that checklist. (/) uses a version of this list with every trial client, tailored to their specific case, and reviews it in the office at 127 Dorrance Street the week before trial. For the strategic side of felony defense and the full case path leading up to trial, see the pillar on (https://duiattorneyrhodeisland.com/rhode-island-superior-court/). ## What to Bring on Trial Day The defendant's job on trial day is to be present, composed, and ready to answer questions from counsel privately and quickly. The bag should be minimal because the courtroom is not the place for personal belongings. - Government-issued photo identification. - All court notices for the trial date. - A small notepad and two pens for passing written notes to counsel during testimony. - Reading glasses if needed to review exhibits at the counsel table. - Prescription medication for the day, in the original labeled bottle. - Cash or a debit card for lunch and parking. - The direct cell phone number for Attorney Munns and for one family contact. Do not bring weapons, sharp objects, large bags, laptops, or any recording device. Cell phones must be silenced or off before entering the courtroom. ## How to Dress Dress signals respect for the court and the jury. Attorney Munns advises defendants to dress as they would for a serious job interview. - Men: dress slacks, collared button-down shirt, closed-toe dress shoes. A tie and jacket if the client owns them. - Women: business slacks or a skirt at or below the knee with a modest blouse, closed-toe shoes, minimal jewelry. - Cover visible tattoos where practical. - Neutral colors. Avoid loud patterns, logos, and message clothing. - No jeans, shorts, t-shirts, tank tops, hats, or athletic wear. Jurors form impressions in the first ten seconds. Presentation cannot win a case, but poor presentation can lose one. ## Arrival Time Superior Court trials in Providence County are held at the Licht Judicial Complex at 250 Benefit Street. Plan to arrive at least forty-five minutes before the scheduled start. That window absorbs the security line, elevator delays, and any last-minute conference with counsel. Defendants who arrive late risk having bail revoked and a bench warrant issued. Attorney Munns typically meets clients at her office at 127 Dorrance Street thirty minutes before that, walks over together, and enters the courthouse as a unit. ## Security Screening Courthouse security is the same every day: bag through the scanner, belt off, phone in the bin, empty pockets. Anything sharp or metallic will be flagged. Anticipate a ten-to-fifteen-minute wait in the morning rush and factor that into the arrival buffer. Do not attempt to bring in any item that could be confused for a weapon. If a family member is bringing something like an exhibit copy for defense counsel, coordinate the hand-off outside the security perimeter. ## Witness Preparation Before Trial Day Witness preparation is not something that happens on trial morning. Attorney Munns meets with every defense witness at least twice before trial. The first meeting covers the witness's version of events and the topics counsel will cover on direct. The second meeting is a mock direct and cross so the witness understands what the prosecutor will ask and how to stay composed under pressure. On trial day itself, the defense witnesses are told to arrive together, sit in the witness room, and avoid discussing the case in any area of the courthouse where they might be overheard. Under R.I. Superior Court Rules of Evidence, witnesses may be sequestered on request, which means they cannot listen to other witnesses testify. ## Exhibit Management Defense exhibits are pre-marked and organized in a trial binder before trial day. Attorney Munns brings duplicate copies for the court, for the state, and for defense use at counsel table. Digital exhibits, including video and photographs, are pre-loaded on a laptop that meets the courthouse's approved-equipment guidelines and pre-tested in the assigned courtroom the day before trial when the courtroom is available. The defendant does not handle exhibits. The defendant's job during the exhibit phase is to watch the jury and pass notes to counsel about anything that looks off. ## Courtroom Decorum How the defendant sits and reacts during trial is under constant observation by the jury. - Sit up. Feet on the floor. Hands on the table or in the lap. - Do not make faces during witness testimony, especially during hostile testimony from state witnesses. - Do not shake the head, sigh, or roll the eyes. The jury notices. - Do not speak unless directly addressed by the justice or by defense counsel. - Stand when the justice enters or exits the courtroom. - Address the justice as "Your Honor" if directly asked a question. - Do not make eye contact with the complaining witness or the complaining witness's family. - Communicate with counsel only through written notes or brief whispered questions. ## Breaks, Lunch, and Recesses Trials run in blocks with breaks roughly every ninety minutes and a lunch recess around noon. During breaks the defendant stays with defense counsel or, if counsel is meeting with the prosecutor, waits in the assigned area. Do not discuss testimony in the hallway. Do not discuss the case with family in a public area of the courthouse. Attorney Munns typically walks clients back to her office at 127 Dorrance Street for the lunch break because it is a five-minute walk and offers a private space to regroup. ## Communication with Family in the Gallery Family members in the gallery cannot communicate with the defendant during the trial. Do not turn to look at family during testimony. Do not signal from the gallery. If a family member becomes emotional and disrupts the courtroom, the justice can order the person removed. Brief family members on this rule before trial day. ## If the Defendant Testifies Whether the defendant takes the stand is a strategic decision made by defense counsel and the defendant together, usually not until after the state has rested. If the decision is to testify, Attorney Munns spends dedicated preparation time going over direct examination and, more importantly, cross-examination. On the stand, the defendant should answer only the question asked, avoid volunteering information, and take a beat before answering to give counsel time to object. ## End of Day and Overnight Rules At the end of each trial day the defendant is either released on the same bail conditions that applied during pretrial, remanded, or given specific overnight instructions by the justice. Follow those instructions exactly. Do not discuss the day's testimony with anyone other than defense counsel. Do not post about the trial on social media. Do not communicate with jurors in any form. Attorney Munns debriefs each trial day with the client either at the courthouse or at her office before the client goes home. ## Retaining Trial Counsel Trial preparation of this kind starts weeks before the trial date and requires an attorney who has actually tried felony cases in Providence County Superior Court. Attorney Rory Munns takes cases to trial when the state's offer does not reflect the strength of the defense. Her office is at 127 Dorrance Street across from the courthouse, and her direct line is **401-573-2265**. ## Related Pages - (/) - (https://duiattorneyrhodeisland.com/rhode-island-superior-court/) - (https://duiattorneyrhodeisland.com/rhode-island-district-court/) - (https://duiattorneyrhodeisland.com/rhode-island-criminal-defense-lawyer/) - (https://duiattorneyrhodeisland.com/providence-criminal-defense-attorney/) - (https://duiattorneyrhodeisland.com/providence-felony-defense-lawyer/) - (https://duiattorneyrhodeisland.com/rhode-island-domestic-assault-lawyer/) - (https://duiattorneyrhodeisland.com/what-to-do-after-being-arrested-in-rhode-island/)