Pursuant to Title 45, Chapter 2, Section 32 of the General Laws
of the State of Rhode Island, 1956, as amended, there is established
a Municipal Court for the Town of Charlestown. The Court shall commence on April 1, 2010.
The Court shall have the power to issue writs or summonses for
witnesses, and compel their attendance, and to punish for contempt
by fine or imprisonment. The Court may also issue writs of habeas
corpus and testificandum, upon continuance of any complaint or proceeding
before it, may take recognizance to the state, with surety or sureties
in such sum as the Court shall deem proper, with the condition to
appear before the Court and make further answer to such complaint
or proceeding, and in the meantime to keep the peace, and, in want
thereof, may commit the same to the state adult correctional institutions
until such recognizance shall be given, or the parties lawfully discharged
therefrom.
It shall be lawful for the Judge of the Municipal Court to prescribe
and vary the form of all complaints, warrants, writs or other process,
as to make the same consistent with the organization, style and jurisdiction
of said Court; and such complaints, warrants, writs and other process
shall have the same effect, validity, and extent, and be served, obeyed,
enforced and returned, in the same manner and by the same officers,
as if issued from the District Courts; and they may be served by any
Constables of the Town who are authorized to serve process in civil
or criminal cases.
A Town Sergeant shall be the bailiff for the Municipal Court
and shall be present during all Court sessions to maintain order and
supervise the orderly business of the Court.
The Municipal Court may punish any contempt of its authority by fine or imprisonment as provided in Chapter
1, Article
II, General Penalty.
[Amended 8-20-2012 by Ord. No. 352]
Subject to any other provisions of law relative to the filing
of complaints for particular violations, any Judge of the Municipal
Court may place on file any complaint in a case other than a complaint
against a person who has been convicted of a felony or a private complaint.
The Court may, in its discretion, require as a condition of such filing
the performance of services for the public good or may attach such
other conditions thereto as such Court shall determine. If no action
is taken on such complaint for a period not to exceed one year following
such filing, such complaint shall be automatically quashed and destroyed.
Failure to appear in answer to a summons, subpoena or complaint
may be punished by a fine not over $50 or imprisonment for not more
than 15 days, or both.