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S3290ACivil Procedure

Courts and Civil Procedure - Courts - Superior Court

This bill creates a dedicated calendar and a new magistrate position in the Superior Court for domestic violence cases.

Introduced37 Yea0 Nay0 Not voting
Population
Affected
15
Email Legislator
Introduced May 15, 2026Committee Senate Judiciary

Plain-English Summary

This bill establishes a dedicated "domestic violence calendar" within the Rhode Island Superior Court to handle criminal cases related to domestic violence. It covers felony domestic violence offenses, violations of protective or no-contact orders, and weapon offenses tied to domestic violence. The bill requires these cases to be given scheduling priority. It allows the presiding justice to assign specific personnel to these cases for continuity and creates a new magistrate position, appointed for a ten-year term with Senate approval, to help oversee these proceedings.

For younger readers

This bill creates a special schedule, called a "calendar," in the state's trial court just for cases about domestic violence. Domestic violence is when people who live together or are in a family hurt each other. The bill says these cases must be handled first so they don't take too long. It also creates a new job for a judge, called a magistrate, who will help manage these cases for ten years at a time.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Domestic violence victimsCriminal defendantsSuperior Court judges and staffProsecutorsPublic defenders
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely. The bill primarily reorganizes the internal docketing and administrative processes of the Superior Court. While prioritizing domestic violence cases could potentially cause delays for defendants in other criminal matters, courts generally have broad constitutional authority to manage their own calendars and caseloads.

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Prioritizing domestic violence cases can provide faster resolutions for victims, reducing the time they spend in a potentially traumatizing legal process.
  • Assigning consistent personnel to a dedicated domestic violence calendar promotes trauma-informed care and better systemic understanding of abuse dynamics.
  • Creating a specialized magistrate position ensures dedicated judicial resources are allocated specifically to addressing and managing domestic violence offenses effectively.
  • Expediting domestic violence felony cases could pressure public defenders and lead to rushed proceedings that negatively impact the due process rights of the accused.
  • Creating a specialized court and a new magistrate position expands the carceral state and directs more funding toward prosecution rather than community-based prevention or social safety nets.
  • The broad inclusion of "any other criminal proceedings arising from the same act" gives judges wide discretion to sweep unrelated charges into the expedited and specialized calendar.
For Conservatives
  • Prioritizing domestic violence cases and protective order violations strengthens the rule of law and ensures swift justice against violent offenders.
  • Specifically targeting weapon offenses in connection with domestic violence helps strictly penalize criminals who misuse firearms in violent acts.
  • Establishing a dedicated magistrate with Senate confirmation ensures legislative oversight over the judicial appointment process for this new role.
  • Creating a new ten-year magistrate position expands the size and cost of the state government and judiciary bureaucracy.
  • Giving these cases scheduling priority could delay other important civil or criminal proceedings, disrupting the broader efficiency of the court system.
  • Singling out the use or possession of a weapon in these specific cases could be viewed as an incremental step toward broader restrictions on Second Amendment 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.