(a)  The summonses and related records shall be in a form approved by the chief magistrate of the traffic tribunal and subject to the approval of the supreme court. Summonses and related records shall be numbered consecutively with each summons and its related records bearing the same number, and each summons and its related records shall consist of five (5) parts:

(1)  The summons to be given the alleged offender;

(2)  A copy of the summons to be retained by the issuing police officer;

(3)  A request for complaint which shall be a copy of the original and which, when completed and signed shall direct the application for a complaint to the appropriate court or to a justice of the peace authorized to issue complaints;

(4)  A division of motor vehicles record which shall be a copy of the request for complaint and which shall also include an abstract of the court record;

(5)  The police record which shall also provide space for the recording of the disposition of the charge and which will be retained by the issuing police department or organization.

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Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 31-27-12.1

  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • justice of the peace: include warden of the peace and the words "district court" include warden's court. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-14
  • 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
  • Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.

(b)  The summons and related record shall include, when completed, the signature of the officer observing the alleged violation, the name and address of the alleged offender, the number of his or her license, if any, to operate a motor vehicle, the registration number of the vehicle involved, the time and place of the alleged violation, and the substance of the offense charged.

(c)  The administrative clerk of the judicial department, upon the approval of the content and form of the summonses and related records by the chief magistrate of the traffic tribunal and subject to the approval of the supreme court, shall provide for the printing of them in books or pads, each of which shall contain an original and copy of a summary sheet to be used, providing space for a record of the use of the consecutively numbered summonses and related records contained in the book or pad.

History of Section.
P.L. 1970, ch. 66, § 2; P.L. 2008, ch. 1, § 10.