Rhode Island General Laws 14-1-7.3. Certification – Effect
(a) Upon a finding by the court that the child is subject to certification pursuant to § 14-1-7.2, the court shall afford the child a right to a jury trial, and upon conviction for the offense charged, the court shall sentence the child in accordance with one of the following alternatives:
(1) Impose a sentence upon the child to the training school for youth until the time that the child attains the age of nineteen (19) years;
(2) Impose a sentence upon the child for a period in excess of the child’s nineteenth birthday to the adult correctional institutions, with the period of the child’s minority to be served in the training school for youth in a facility to be designated by the court. However, the sentence shall not exceed the maximum sentence provided for by statute for conviction of the offense.
Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 14-1-7.3
- Adult: means a person eighteen (18) years of age or older. See Rhode Island General Laws 14-1-3
- Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
- Child: means a person under eighteen (18) years of age. See Rhode Island General Laws 14-1-3
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- court: means the family court of the state of Rhode Island. See Rhode Island General Laws 14-1-3
- 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.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Justice: means a justice of the family court. See Rhode Island General Laws 14-1-3
- person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
- Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
- Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
(b) Any child who is certified shall not be eligible for release from the training school for youth unless, after hearing, the certifying judge, or the chief judge in his or her absence, or his or her designee, determines by clear and convincing evidence that the child will not pose a threat to the public during the term of the release.
(c) In the event that the court has modified the order of certification pursuant to § 14-1-42 by suspending the balance of the sentence imposed, any violation of the terms of the suspended sentence shall be referred to the appropriate adult court to be treated in accordance with the regular procedure of the court, unless the person is under the age of eighteen (18) years at the time of the violation, in which case, jurisdiction over the sentence shall continue in the family court.
(d) In the event that the court, after a hearing on modification of the order of certification pursuant to § 14-1-42, has determined that it has not been demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence that the person has been sufficiently rehabilitated and could be released in the community without posing a danger to the public should the order of certification be modified, the court shall deny the modification of the order of certification and direct the person to serve the balance of his or her sentence under the jurisdiction of the department of corrections in a facility under the control of the department. The sentence, including any term served in the training school for youth, shall be subject to the regulations and statutes governing the parole board.
(e) Any person who commits an offense which would be punishable as a felony if committed by an adult, after having been certified and adjudicated by the family court pursuant to § 14-1-7.2, may, after a hearing by a justice of the family court to determine that probable cause exists to believe that the child has committed the offense, have the jurisdiction over his or her sentence transferred to the department of corrections to be served in facilities under the control of the department.
(f) A finding that the child is subject to certification shall constitute presumptive evidence of the non-amenability of the person to further treatment in facilities available to the family court and the court shall transfer the jurisdiction over his or her sentence to the department of corrections to be served in facilities under the control of the department, unless the presumption is rebutted by clear and convincing evidence which demonstrates that the person is amenable to treatment in family court facilities.
(g)(1) A finding that the child is subject to certification shall also constitute presumptive evidence of the non-amenability of the person to further treatment in facilities available to the family court and the court shall waive jurisdiction over that offense and all subsequent offenses and the child shall be prosecuted for the offense by the court which would have jurisdiction if committed by an adult, unless the presumption is rebutted by clear and convincing evidence which demonstrates that the person is amenable to treatment in family court facilities.
(2) A waiver of jurisdiction over a child pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection shall constitute a waiver of jurisdiction over that child for that offense and for all subsequent offenses of whatever nature, and the child shall be referred to the court which would have had jurisdiction if the offense had been committed by an adult.
(h) The name of any person waived or certified and convicted shall be available to the general public.
History of Section.
P.L. 1990, ch. 15, § 2; P.L. 1990, ch. 18, § 2; P.L. 2007, ch. 73, art. 22, § 1.