§ 12-3-4 - Venue of offenses.
SECTION 12-3-4
§ 12-3-4 Venue of offenses. – (a) Every indictment or information for offenses committed on the waters ofNarragansett Bay may be tried in any county in the discretion of the attorneygeneral, unless otherwise ordered by the presiding justice.
(b) For the purpose of prosecuting and punishing criminaloffenses over which the superior court has jurisdiction, the state of RhodeIsland is declared to be a single district. The offenses shall be prosecutedand punished at the following locations unless otherwise ordered by thepresiding justice:
(1) For offenses committed in a city or town withinProvidence or Bristol counties, at the superior court in Providence;
(2) For offenses committed in the city of Warwick or a townwithin Kent county, at the superior court in Warwick;
(3) For offenses committed in a town within Washingtoncounty, at the superior court in South Kingstown; and
(4) For offenses committed in the city of Newport or a townwithin Newport county, at the superior court in Newport.
(c) For the purpose of prosecuting and punishing criminaloffenses over which the district court has jurisdiction, the offenses shall beprosecuted and punished at the following locations unless otherwise ordered tobe moved within the same county by the chief judge pursuant to this section orunless otherwise agreed to by the parties and the court: (1) for the offensescommitted in a town within the first division, at the district court locatedwithin Bristol county; (2) for offenses committed in the city of Newport or atown within the second division, at the district court located within Newportcounty; (3) for offenses committed in the cities of Warwick or Cranston or atown within the third division, at the district court within the thirddivision; (4) for offenses committed in a town within the fourth division, atthe district court located within Washington county; (5) for offenses committedin a city or town within the fifth division, at the district court locatedwithin the fifth division; and (6) for offenses committed in a city within thesixth division, at the district court in Providence. The chief judge may orderany criminal case or proceeding to be transferred to another division of thecourt within the same county. For purposes of this section, the first divisionshall be considered to be a part of Providence county.