(a)  The officer in charge of any police station shall consider the release of any person in his or her station who has been arrested without a warrant:

(1)  Without requiring the person to appear in court, when the officer is satisfied that there is no ground for making criminal complaint against the person or when the person has been arrested for drunkenness but in the judgment of the officer need not be brought before a magistrate; or

(2)  If the arrest is for a misdemeanor, upon that person signing an agreement to appear in court at a designated time.

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Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 12-7-12

  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • magistrate: may be construed to mean a justice, or a clerk acting as a justice, of a district court. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-16
  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6

(b)  Any officer with custody of a person who has been arrested or detained without a warrant may recognize that the person suffers from a serious mental illness and may release and refer the person to the nearest appropriate inpatient mental health facility or outpatient treatment program.

History of Section.
G.L. 1909, ch. 354, § 75; P.L. 1915, ch. 1261, § 1; G.L. 1923, ch. 407, § 75; G.L. 1938, ch. 625, § 68; P.L. 1941, ch. 982, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 12-7-12; P.L. 2017, ch. 342, § 2; P.L. 2017, ch. 353, § 2.