(a)  Whenever any person who has been placed on probation pursuant to § 12-19-8 violates the terms and conditions of his or her probation as fixed by the court, the police or the probation authority shall inform the attorney general of the violation, and the attorney general shall cause the defendant to appear before the court. The department of corrections division of rehabilitative services shall promptly render a report relative to the conduct of the defendant, and the information contained in any report under § 12-13-24.1. The division of rehabilitative services may recommend that the time served up to that point is a sufficient response to a violation that is not a new alleged crime. The court may order the defendant held without bail for a period not exceeding ten (10) days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

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Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 12-19-9

  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.

(b)  The court shall conduct a hearing within thirty (30) days of arrest unless waived by the defendant to determine whether the defendant has violated the terms and conditions of his or her probation, at which hearing the defendant shall have the opportunity to be present and to respond. Upon a determination by a fair preponderance of the evidence that the defendant has violated the terms and conditions of his or her probation, the court, in open court and in the presence of the defendant, may:

(1)  Remove the suspension and order the defendant committed on the sentence previously imposed, or on a lesser sentence;

(2)  Impose a sentence if one has not been previously imposed;

(3)  Stay all or a portion of the sentence imposed after removal of the suspension;

(4)  Continue the suspension of a sentence previously imposed; or

(5)  Convert a sentence of probation without incarceration to a suspended sentence.

(c)  The court shall sentence for a violation under subsection (b) of this section in accordance with judicial sentencing benchmarks.

History of Section.
G.L. 1938, ch. 496, § 18A; P.L. 1950, ch. 2462, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 12-19-9; P.L. 1966, ch. 182, § 1; P.L. 1970, ch. 87, § 1; P.L. 1972, ch. 169, § 25; P.L. 1982, ch. 215, § 1; P.L. 2017, ch. 345, § 1; P.L. 2017, ch. 351, § 1; P.L. 2022, ch. 234, art. 2, § 5, effective June 28, 2022.