Skip to main content
H 7777Cities & Towns

Towns and Cities - General Powers - Warwick Municipal Court

Expands Warwick Municipal Court's jurisdiction over zoning and building codes, removes jail sentencing, and allows vehicle destruction orders.

Signed into law65 Yea0 Nay10 Not voting
Population
Affected
15
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 12, 2026Committee House Municipal Government & Housing

Plain-English Summary

This legislation updates the powers and jurisdiction of the Municipal Court in the City of Warwick. It expands the court's authority to hear cases regarding zoning violations, land subdivision, and various State Building Code violations (such as plumbing, electrical, and fire codes). It grants the court the power to issue orders to fix, vacate, or demolish unsafe buildings. Notably, the bill removes the court's ability to sentence individuals to jail, limiting penalties to fines up to $500, but it adds the authority to order the destruction of certain impounded vehicles.

For younger readers

This bill changes the rules for the local court in the city of Warwick. It gives the judge permission to handle more types of problems, like rules about how houses are built or used. It also says the judge can order people to fix broken or dangerous buildings. Importantly, the bill stops the judge from sending people to jail for breaking these local rules, but they can still be made to pay money. It also lets the judge order that certain cars or dirt bikes taken by the police be destroyed.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Warwick residentsProperty ownersLandlordsVehicle ownersReal estate developers
Impacted communities
Warwick

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
Amount unknown

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Eliminates the power of the municipal court to impose jail sentences, aligning with criminal justice reform goals to reduce incarceration for minor offenses and non-violent code violations.
  • Empowers the court to enforce building and housing codes more effectively, helping to hold landlords accountable for maintaining safe and habitable living conditions for tenants.
  • Provides legal tools to address abandoned properties, which can help revitalize neglected neighborhoods and improve the quality of life for the surrounding community.
  • Allows the court to order the destruction of impounded vehicles, which may disproportionately punish lower-income individuals or youth who rely on these vehicles or cannot afford to recover them.
  • Expands zoning and code enforcement powers that could potentially be used to target low-income homeowners who lack the funds to make immediate, expensive repairs or code updates.
  • Maintains a system of monetary fines up to $500 per violation, which can create a financial burden and cycle of debt for residents who are already struggling economically.
For Conservatives
  • Strengthens the ability of the local government to enforce zoning and building codes, protecting property values and maintaining the character of neighborhoods.
  • Authorizes the destruction of impounded vehicles, providing a strong deterrent against the illegal operation of dirt bikes and ATVs on city streets, which is a common quality-of-life complaint.
  • Streamlines the judicial process by keeping code violations in municipal court, ensuring quicker resolution of local disputes without burdening higher state courts.
  • Removes the threat of jail time for violators, potentially weakening the deterrent effect of local ordinances and undermining the rule of law for repeat offenders.
  • Expands the jurisdiction of the municipal court to enforce a wide array of state regulations, potentially increasing government interference in private property rights.
  • Grants the government broad equitable powers to order the demolition of private property, which could be viewed as an excessive infringement on property ownership rights.

Votes

Loading votes...

Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 26 additions · 7 deletions

SECTION 1. Section 45-2-19 of the General Laws in Chapter 45-2 entitled "General Powers" is hereby amended to read as follows: 45-2-19. City of Warwick — Municipal court.

(a) The city council of the city of Warwick may establish a municipal court and confer upon the court original jurisdiction, notwithstanding any other provisions of the general laws, to hear and determine causes involving the violation of any ordinance, including minimum housing ordinances, of the city and any violation of the provisions of chapter 24.3 of this title, entitled the Rhode Island Housing Maintenance and Occupancy Code; provided, that any defendant found guilty of any offense, excluding violations of the minimum housing ordinances or chapter 24.3 within the jurisdiction of the court, may, within five (5) days of the conviction, file an appeal from the conviction to the superior court and be entitled in the latter court to a trial de novo; and provided further, that any defendant found guilty of any violation of a minimum housing ordinance, or of chapter 24.3, may, within five (5) days of the conviction, file an appeal from the conviction to the third division of the district court and be entitled to a trial de novo in accordance with §§ 8-8-3(a)(4) and 8-8-3.2.

(b) In addition to the jurisdiction conferred in subsection (a) of this section, the municipal court shall have original jurisdiction, notwithstanding any other provisions of the general laws to the contrary, to hear and determine causes involving the violation of the zoning ordinances of the city and any violation of the provisions of chapter 24 of this title ("zoning ordinances"); any violation of chapter 24.1 of this title ("historical area zoning"); any violation of chapter 24.2 of this title ("minimum housing standards"); any violation of chapter 24.3 of this title ("housing maintenance and occupancy code"); any violation of chapter 23 of this title ("subdivision of land"): any violation of any local Warwick ordinance or regulation enacted pursuant to these chapters: and any violation of the provisions of chapter 27.3 of title 23 ("state building code"); and any violation of the provisions of those regulations promulgated by the state building code commission including, without limitation, SBC-1 Rhode Island state building code; SBC-2 Rhode Island state one and two

(2) family dwelling code; SBC-3 Rhode Island state plumbing code; SBC-4 Rhode Island state mechanical code; SBC-5 Rhode Island state electrical code; SBC-6 state property maintenance code; SBC-8 Rhode Island state energy conservation code; and SBC-20 Rhode Island state fuel and gas code; and provided, further, that any party aggrieved by a final judgment, decree, or order of the municipal court in any of these matters may file an appeal in the same manner and timeframe as set forth in subsection (a) of this section to the superior court and be entitled in the latter court to a trial de novo. (b)(c) With respect to violations of either municipal ordinances dealing with minimum housing or chapter 24.3 of this title dealing with housing maintenance and occupancy matters within the jurisdiction of the municipal court, the city council may also confer upon the municipal court, in furtherance of the court’s jurisdiction, the power to proceed according to equity:

(1) To restrain, prevent, enjoin, abate, or correct a violation;

(2) To order the repair, vacation, or demolition of any dwelling existing in violation;

(3) To otherwise compel compliance with all of the provisions of the ordinances and statutes; or

(4) To utilize and apply the provisions set forth in chapter 44 of title 34 (Abandoned Property). (c)(d) The mayor of the city is authorized and empowered to appoint a judge of the municipal court with the advice and consent of the city or town council. The city council is authorized and empowered to enact ordinances governing the operation and procedure to be followed in the court and to establish a schedule of fees and costs. The municipal court may impose a sentence not to exceed thirty (30) days in jail and impose a fine of not in excess of more than five hundred dollars ($500), or both for each violation. The municipal court may also order the destruction of any vehicle impounded in accordance with any ordinance enacted pursuant to § 31- 12-12(c). The court is empowered to administer oaths, compel the attendance of witnesses, and punish persons for contempt.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.