H8547ACivil Procedure

Courts and Civil Procedure - Courts - Superior Court

This bill creates a specialized domestic violence calendar in the Superior Court and adds a new magistrate position.

Introduced66 Yea0 Nay9 Not voting

Population
Affected

Introduced May 13, 2026Committee House Finance

Plain-English Summary

This bill creates a specific "domestic violence calendar" within the Rhode Island Superior Court to handle felony domestic violence cases, violations of protective orders, and related weapon offenses. It requires the court to give these cases priority when scheduling. The bill also creates a new magistrate position to help manage these cases. The magistrate will be appointed by the presiding justice for a ten-year term, subject to Senate approval. The goal is to provide consistent judicial oversight for serious domestic violence proceedings.

For younger readers

This bill changes how the state's main court handles serious cases involving violence between family members or people living together. It sets up a special schedule just for these cases so they can be heard faster and by the same judges. The bill also creates a new job for a "magistrate," which is like a judge, who will work for ten years at a time to help decide these cases.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Victims of domestic violenceIndividuals accused of domestic violenceSuperior Court judges and staffCriminal defense attorneys and prosecutorsTaxpayers

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely. The bill simply reorganizes court scheduling and creates a magistrate position. It explicitly states that priority scheduling must be "consistent with the rights of the parties," which protects defendants' constitutional rights to due process and a fair trial.

Estimated cost

Amount unknown

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Prioritizing and streamlining domestic violence cases helps protect victims, who are often women and from marginalized groups, advancing social justice.
Creating a dedicated court calendar and adding a magistrate increases the capacity and efficiency of public judicial services.
Consistent judicial oversight can lead to better, more trauma-informed outcomes for victims of domestic abuse, offering systemic reform.
Creating specialized courts for felonies could lead to harsher sentencing, which often disproportionately affects minority communities without addressing root causes.
Funding a new magistrate position diverts financial resources that could be spent on social safety nets and community-based violence prevention.
Requiring Senate consent for a magistrate could politicize the appointment process, potentially hindering judicial independence and progressive appointments.

For Conservatives

Streamlining the prosecution of violent felonies and protective order violations strengthens the justice system's ability to punish offenders and uphold the rule of law.
Creating a dedicated calendar can reduce court backlogs, leading to faster trials and a more efficient use of current judicial resources.
Prioritizing domestic violence cases helps protect individual rights and the physical safety of citizens from violent criminals.
Creating a new magistrate position and a specialized court calendar will increase government spending to fund salaries and administrative overhead.
Adding new roles and administrative layers within the judicial branch unnecessarily expands the size and scope of the state government.
Fast-tracking felony domestic violence cases might pressure defendants into plea deals or limit defense preparation time, potentially threatening due process rights.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

2 versions

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 39 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 8-2 of the General Laws entitled "Superior Court" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 8-2-15.2. Domestic violence calendar.

(a) Establishment. There is hereby established within the Rhode Island superior court a separate calendar to be known as the "domestic violence calendar" for the hearing and disposition of domestic violence cases within the jurisdiction of the superior court.

(b) Eligible cases. The domestic violence calendar shall include the following actions within the jurisdiction of the superior court:

(1) All criminal proceedings alleging the commission of a felony offense constituting domestic violence, as defined in § 12-29-2;

(2) All felony offenses involving violations of no-contact orders or protective orders arising from domestic violence matters;

(3) All felony offenses involving the use, possession, or discharge of a weapon in connection with a domestic violence offense; and

(4) Any other criminal proceedings arising from the same act or transaction or otherwise related to a domestic violence matter, as the presiding justice or the court deems appropriate for inclusion on the domestic violence calendar.

(c) Assignment of personnel. The presiding justice of the superior court shall assign personnel to the extent warranted to hear cases on the domestic violence calendar and may provide for the consistent assignment of such cases in order to promote continuity of judicial oversight. where practicable.

(d) Magistrate. There is hereby created within the superior court the position magistrate, who shall be appointed by the presiding justice of the superior court, with advice and consent of the senate, for a period of ten (10) years, and until a successor is appointed and qualified. Nothing contained herein shall be construed to prohibit the reappointment of a magistrate for one or more additional ten (10) year terms, subject to the advice and consent of the senate. The person appointed to serve as magistrate shall be a member of the bar of the State of Rhode Island. The magistrate shall have the duties, responsibilities, powers and benefits as authorized in § 8-2-11.1.

(e) Priority of proceedings. Cases assigned to the domestic violence calendar shall be given priority in scheduling and disposition, consistent with the rights of the parties.

(f) Concurrent jurisdiction. The "domestic violence calendar" shall have concurrent jurisdiction with any other calendar of the superior court to hear and decide all criminal actions brought pursuant to the violations of the chapters 5, 9, 29, 37, 47 and 68 of title 11 and any offense constituting domestic violence as provided pursuant to § 12-29-2, as long as the criminal action involves domestic violence as defined in § 15-15-1.

(g) Administration. The presiding justice may adopt administrative orders, rules, and protocols as are necessary to implement the provisions of this section, including coordination, where appropriate, with the Rhode Island district court and the Rhode Island family court.

(h) Construction. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the authority of the superior court to control its calendar, assign cases, or otherwise manage its docket as provided by law.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.