Rhode Island General Laws 14-1-8. Jurisdiction over adults
The court shall, as set forth in this chapter, have exclusive original jurisdiction to determine all cases of adults involved in matters arising out of § 14-1-5(3) and all cases of adults charged with:
(1) Being responsible for or contributing to the delinquency, waywardness, or neglect of any child under sixteen (16) years of age;
(2) Desertion, abandonment, or failure to provide subsistence for any child dependent upon him or her for support; or
(3) Neglect to send any child to school as required by law.
History of Section.
P.L. 1944, ch. 1441, § 17; G.L. 1956, § 14-1-8.
Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 14-1-8
- Child: means a person under eighteen (18) years of age. See Rhode Island General Laws 14-1-3
- court: means the family court of the state of Rhode Island. See Rhode Island General Laws 14-1-3
- 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.
- Neglect: means a child who requires the protection and assistance of the court when his or her physical or mental health or welfare is harmed, or threatened with harm, when the parents or guardian:
(i) Fails to supply the child with adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical care, though financially able to do so or offered financial or other reasonable means to do so;
(ii) Fails to provide the child proper education as required by law; or
(iii) Abandons and/or deserts the child. See Rhode Island General Laws 14-1-3