(a)  Subject to subsection (b) of this section, jurisdiction over the adjudication of matters relating to violations enumerated in the following sections of the general laws is hereby conferred upon the municipal courts and the traffic tribunal:

31-13-4 31-13-9 31-13-11 31-14-3 31-14-9 31-15-1 31-15-3  
31-15-4 31-15-5 31-15-6 31-15-7 31-15-9 31-15-11 31-15-12  
31-15-13 31-16-1 31-16-2 31-16-4 31-16-5 31-16-7 31-16-9  
31-17-1 31-17-2 31-17-4 31-17-6 31-17-7 31-18-12 31-20-1  
31-20-2 31-20-9 31-21-4 31-22-2 31-22-4 31-22-5 31-22-6  
31-22-7 31-22-8 31-22-9 31-23-1 31-23-8 31-23-13 31-23-14  
31-23-15 31-24-1 31-24-4 31-24-5 31-24-7 31-24-12 31-38-4  
31-12-12 37-15-7 31-3-29 31-3-30 31-3-34 31-3-35 31-8-1  
31-10-32 31-10.1-1 31-10.1-4 31-10.1-5 31-10.1-6 31-13-6 31-15-8  
31-23-45 31-14-1 31-17-3 31-23-4 31-23-10 31-23-17 31-23-19  
31-23-20 31-23-26 31-23-27 31-23-40 31-23-42.1 31-3-18 31-10-27  
31-18-3 31-10.1-7 31-38-3 31-14-12 31-17-5 31-25-9 31-25-11  
31-25-12 31-25-12.1 31-25-10 31-22-1 31-24-34 31-27-9 31-3-9  
31-15-10 31-18-8 31-25-17 31-10.1-4 31-23-43 31-23-29 31-24-45  
31-17-8 31-24-10 31-23-47 31-12-9 31-15-16 24-10-18 31-19-5  
31-3-12 31-24-9 31-22-22 31-28-7 31-28-7.1 31-3-32 31-18-424-10-18
31-18-5 31-18-15 31-18-18 31-21-14 31-22-3 31-23-16 31-24-6  
31-24-8 31-24-31 31-27-16 31-22-23 31-10-30 31-10-10 31-19-3  
31-3-40 31-22-24 31-23-51 31-7-1 31-15-2 31-15-12.1 31-16-8  
31-20-17 31-24-16 31-24-17 31-24-20 31-24-22 31-24-23 31-24-24  
31-24-25 31-24-26 31-24-27 31-24-28 31-24-29 31-24-30 31-24-32  
31-24-33 31-24-36 31-24-38 31-24-39 31-24-40 31-24-41 31-24-42  
31-24-43 31-24-46 31-24-49 31-24-51 31-24-53 31-26-3.1 31-27-17  
31-27-19 31-33-2 31-45-1 4-1-26 31-10.1-2 31-20-10 31-22-13  
31-24-13 31-27-10 31-41.1-4 (Speeding (A)).        
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Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 8-18-3

  • 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.
  • Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
  • town: may be construed to include city; the words "town council" include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9

(b)  Except as provided in §§ 8-18-9, 8-18-10, and 31-41.1-11 jurisdiction over violations enumerated in subsection (a) shall be exercised as follows:

(1)  By the traffic tribunal over all violations for which the summons is issued by a state agency;

(2)  By the traffic tribunal over all violations for which the summons is issued by a city or town which has not established a municipal court; and

(3)  By the municipal court over all violations for which the summons is issued by a city or town which has established a municipal court.

History of Section.
P.L. 1992, ch. 488, § 1; P.L. 1999, ch. 218, art. 5, § 1; P.L. 2006, ch. 650, § 1.