The smallest of the New England states, Rhode Island nonetheless is home to almost 5,000 attorneys. Lawyers in Rhode Island practice in the state’s Supreme Court, Superior Court, and District Court. Rhode Island also has three special courts: a Worker’s Compensation Court, Family Court, and Traffic Court.
Although one the smallest state geographically, Rhode Island is the eighth largest state by population. It was also the second state in the Union to officially ban capital punishment, second only to Michigan. Rhode Island’s last execution was in 1840. Rhode Island is also the only other state besides Nevada to legalize prostitution.
Rhode Island has made its mark on Constitutional jurisprudence, particularly in the area of criminal procedure. In Rhode Island v. Innis, the Supreme Court ruled that any statements intended by police to elicit an incriminating response required strict adherence to a suspect’s Miranda rights. In Innis, the police tried to trick a suspect into revealing where a gun was hidden. They told him a fake story about handicapped children finding the weapon and shooting themselves. Although it worked, the suspect had invoked his Miranda rights earlier and the evidence was ruled inadmissible.
If you have a case in Rhode Island and are seeking the advice of an attorney, consider using LegalMatch.com’s attorney client matching service. Also, you may be interested in learning more about Rhode Island law and practice with the following external links: