Rhode Island Court Case Lookup

In Rhode Island, a court case is a matter that a party brings before a court so that the relevant rules of law may be applied to reach an enforceable conclusion. A court case may be filed to enforce a contract, a right, or to reach a settlement between parties in dispute. In a court case, the trial judge or jury is responsible for determining who is guilty and the liability of the parties involved in the legal proceedings.

A court case in Rhode Island may either be an administrative, civil, or criminal case. An administrative court case is related to the duties of government agencies or departments with regulatory duties. An administrative case also concerns the processes, procedures, and decisions of a government agency. For instance, a case filed against the government agency responsible for tax collection, the department of business regulation, or the police service is an administrative case. A civil case is a legal proceeding filed by a party (individual or business) to make a compensation claim from another party. Civil cases may include contract disputes, property disputes, tort, and Class Action Cases (e.g. a case of defective products that caused harm to multiple people). A criminal case is a legal proceeding initiated against an entity (individual or business) suspected to have committed an unlawful act that is defined, prohibited, and punishable by law. Criminal cases in Rhode Island are classified into:

Misdemeanor criminal offenses such as simple or domestic assault, and driving under the influence.
Non-Capital felony e.g. drug possession, drug delivery, possession of a stolen vehicle, second-degree robbery, child molestation, sexual assault.
Capital felony e.g. murder, kidnapping, burglary, arson, first-degree robbery, child molestation, sexual assault.

Interested individuals can conduct Rhode Island court case lookups in person at state courthouses or remotely through case lookup portals maintained by federal and state government agencies. Record seekers can conduct an in-person Rhode Island court case lookup by visiting the courthouse where the case they want to lookup was initially filed. Most Rhode Island courthouses provide computer terminals at their clerk’s offices that inquirers can use to lookup relevant court cases.

Alternatively, record seekers can remotely conduct court case lookup through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) for federal court cases. The Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal provides access to State courts cases records. Furthermore, record seekers can lookup semi-active, inactive, and archival court cases through the Rhode Island Supreme Court Judicial Record Center (JRC) portal.

Are Court Cases Public Record in Rhode Island?

Yes, according to R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-2, records generated from court cases are open for public inspection. However, interested individuals can only request records from public court cases. Court records that are sealed and records containing personally identifying information are not accessible to the public.

Can I Get Rhode Island Court Case Documents Online?

Yes, interested members of the public can obtain Rhode Island court case documents online. The Rhode Island’s Judiciary Rules of Practice Governing Access to Electronic Case Information mandates courts in the state to provide electronic access to court records. This may be through the computer terminals provided at the Courthouses or remotely through public portals the state’s judiciary provides. The Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal serves as the online portal records seekers can use for searching the electronic case documents. The public, self-represented litigants, and parties to a case are also allowed remote access to the court cases register of actions or dockets.

How to Conduct a Rhode Island Court Case Search by Name

Interested persons can conduct a Rhode Island court case search by name in person at the clerk's office of the courthouse where the case they wish to lookup was filed. As mentioned earlier, most state courthouses provide public access to computer terminals at their clerk's office record seekers can use to conduct court case searches using a litigant's name. Record seekers should note that computer terminals at state courthouses clerks’ offices are only available during regular business hours, excluding holidays. Furthermore, these computer terminals only provide access to public electronic case information. Additionally, records and information about sealed and confidential court cases are generally inaccessible to members of the public through public terminals.

Record seekers can also remotely conduct a court case search by name remotely through the e-service portal on the Rhode Island Judiciary’s website. Users can search court cases through the e-service portal by providing a record number or litigant’s name in last, first, and middle suffix format.

Remotely, self-represented litigants are allowed access to the register of actions or docket, while attorneys involved in the case are allowed access to all case documents and information. Meanwhile, federal or state agencies that require court case documents for their duties must make a request subject to Rhode Island Supreme Court’s approval. There is a dedicated e-service portal for attorneys and designated representatives (staff) of interested government agencies. To use this portal, users would must sign in using a preregister account detail (such as email and password). To register an account, eligible persons (such as attorneys and designated representatives of government agencies) must complete after Subscription Agreement and email it to HelpDesk@courts.ri.gov. After processing the subscription agreement, approved requseters would be sent a response containing the login details.

What is a Court Case Number?

A Rhode Island court case number is a unique identifying code provided to each court case filed in Rhode Island at any level of court. After receipt of the necessary court documents and filing fees for a case filing, the court clerk will typically assign a case number. Court case numbers are utilized as distinguishing characteristics. As a result, they typically occur on all court documents produced during the course of a case. Every document submitted in a case, whether electronically or physically, is typically marked with the case number of the court case to which it pertains.

How to Conduct a Case Number Search in Rhode Island

In Rhode Island, interested persons can conduct case number searches in person at state courthouses clerk’s offices using the computer terminals provided at these offices. Alternatively, a case number search in Rholde Island can be conducted through the Rhode Island Judiciary’s database. Interested individuals may search case numbers using the e-service portal on the state’s Judiciary database.

How to Remove Court Cases From Public Record in Rhode Island

Court cases can be removed from public records in Rhode Island by a process called “expungement”. Under Rhode Island General Laws, certain types of “records" and “records of conviction and probation” can be removed from public court records through expungement or sealing.

A first-time offender who has been convicted of a crime (misdemeanor or felony) with no past or pending criminal charges may have the case record sealed. A sealed records are generally removed from all active files, both physical and electronic. Conditions for expungement may include that

An offender who is convicted for the first time may file for expungement provided all court-imposed monetary obligations are fulfilled or a waiver obtained.
An offender must have less than six convictions for misdemeanor cases with no conviction for a felony to qualify for an expungement.
A first-time offender who's convicted and sentenced for a misdemeanor may file a motion for expungement of their case five (5) years after completing the sentence. If the offender was convicted for a felony offense or multiple misdemeanors, they can file a motion to expunge their conviction 10 years after completing their sentence.
An offender convicted for an offense may file a motion for the expungement of the case after the offense has been decriminalized by law.

Motion for expungement of a cases can only be filed at the court where the offender was convicted. After filing the motion for expungement, the applicant must notify the state attorney general office and the police department not later than ten (10) days before the hearing date. The motion may be granted if the testimonies and information available at the hearing confirmed that:

The petitioner must have not been arrested or convicted for a felony or misdemeanor five (5) years prior to filing the motion for expungement in the case of a misdemeanor conviction. Meanwhile, for a felony case the petitioner must not have been arrested or convicted for a felony or misdemeanor ten (10) years prior to filing the motion for expungement.
There are no ongoing criminal proceedings against the petitioner
The petitioner has fulfilled all imposed monetary obligations related to the case.
The petitioner has been of good moral behavior.

A person whose criminal record has been expunged can declare that they have no convictions when applying for a job. However, they would need to disclose their conviction when seeking empolyment at any law enforcement agency. Disclosure of any expunged conviction is also required when applying for admission to the state Bar, a teaching certificate, or early childhood education.

How to Check a Court Case Status in Rhode Island

To check a court case status in Rhode Island, interested persons can conduct a case search through the Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal. On this portal, an inquirer can search for a court case by providing the name of any party involved in case or the case record number. Looking up court cases through the portal would revivel the case’s information, which includes the case status.

A court case status can also be ascertained through the cases court docket. Interested persons can conduct a docket search in person through public terminals provided at courthouses or remotely on through Rhode Island Judiciary’s Public Portal.

How to Find Supreme Court Decisions in Rhode Island

Interested persons can find decisions issued by Rhode Island Supreme Court through the Rhode Island Judiciary Supreme Court opinion and order page. The page contains decisions issued by the state Supreme Court from 1999 to the present. The term “opinions” and “decisions” are used interchangeably to mean the same thing. Supreme Court decisions are the final resolutions of cases that were filed at the Rhode Island Supreme Court.

What Percentage of Court Cases Go to Trial in Rhode Island?

The Rhode Island judiciary does not provide statistics on the percentage of cases that are tried in the state's courts. The state judiciary only provides information on the amount of court cases that were filed and resolved each. According to the 2021 Rhode Island Court reports, a total of 157,787 cases were filed and 151,059 were resolved in 2021.

How Long Does a Court Case Last in Rhode Island?

There are no state laws that stipulates how long a court case should last in Rhode Island. Generally, how long a case last in Rhode Island depends on the type of case and the cases complexity. A court case involving a misdemeanor or civil matter are typically resolved faster than a felony cases that goes to trial. A case where the offender accepts the plea agreement may be resolved faster than a criminal case that goes to trial or appeals.

How to File a Case in Court in Rhode Island

“Filing” is the process of initiating an established legal procedure meant to settle a civil or criminal dispute at a Rhode Island court. A filing process is completed when the necessary paperwork are submitted electronically or manually to the court clerk and the filing fee is paid.

According to the Article X of the Rhode Island Supreme Court Rules, attorneys (representing the case parties) are required to file all cases electronically using the Electronic Filing System (EFS). Self-represented litigants (pro se) are not required to use the EFS except when they obtained a waiver to do so. Petitioners are typically required to register an account with the EFS before they can file a case electronically in Rhode Island.

Pro se litigants can file a case manually at a courthouse clerk’s office. The forms needed to file a court case maybe obtained from the website of the Rhode Island Judiciary website form page.

What Does It Mean if a Court Case Was Resolved Before the Trial Date?

A court case being resolved before the trial date implies that the dispute in the case has been settled without the need of a trial. It usually involves parties in the case reaching a compromise or the court issuing an order. The case parties may agree on alternative ways to settle their differences without the case proceeding to trial. This may require informing the court of their intention to withdraw the case having settled it out of court. A court may resolve a case before trial through a plea agreement or dismissal.