Rhode Island Supreme Court
Encyclopedia
The Rhode Island Supreme Court, founded in 1747, is the court of last resort
in the U.S. State
of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The Court consists of a chief justice and four associate justices. The current Justices of the Rhode Island Supreme Court are:
authorized the creation of a Superior Court of Judicature, Court of Assize, and General Gaol Delivery, consisting of one chief justice and four associates, all serving one year terms. Most of the judges during the 18th century were laymen, merchants or farmers and did not possess formal legal training, and therefore the court did not explicitly follow British common law. Parties, however, could still appeal to either the British monarch, English courts or the General Assembly until independence in 1776.
In 1747 the Assembly appointed the first Chief Justice, Gideon Cowell
, who was not a lawyer and the second, Joshua Babcock
, a Yale
educated physician. Stephen Hopkins
served as Chief Justice from 1747 to 1755 and was the first trained lawyer to serve in this position.
In 1798, the Assembly renamed the Superior Court "The Supreme Judicial Court," and in 1843, "The Supreme Court." The first officially recorded decision was Stoddard v. Martin
(1828), a case involving gambling on an election. Until 1994 the General Assembly sitting with both houses in "Grand Committee" chose the Supreme Court justices without the governor's consent. In 1994 after a wave of corruption scandals, citizens amended the Rhode Island Constitution to allow the governor to choose Supreme Court nominees from a list of candidates approved by a non-partisan nominating committee. Both houses of the General Assembly still must approve any nominees.
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
in the U.S. State
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The Court consists of a chief justice and four associate justices. The current Justices of the Rhode Island Supreme Court are:
- Chief Justice Paul A. Suttell (appointed 2003, elevated to Chief 2009)
- Justice Maureen McKenna GoldbergMaureen McKenna GoldbergMaureen McKenna Goldberg is a justice on the Rhode Island Supreme Court.Goldberg is a 1978 graduate of Suffolk University Law School in Boston. Previously she graduated from St. Mary Academy – Bay View, in 1969 and Providence College in 1973. Goldberg was an Assistant Attorney General in the...
(appointed 1997) - Justice Francis X. Flaherty (appointed 2003)
- Justice William P. Robinson IIIWilliam P. Robinson IIIWilliam P. Robinson III is a Rhode Island Supreme Court justice.William Robinson graduated from the University of Louvain, University of Rhode Island, University of Connecticut, and Boston College Law School. He served on the East Greenwich School Committee from 1988 to 1996 and the Board of...
(appointed 2004) - Justice Gilbert V. IndegliaGilbert V. IndegliaGilbert V. Indeglia is a justice on the Rhode Island Supreme Court.Gilbert Indeglia was born into a family of attorneys and is a grandson of Rhode Island's first official public defender. Indeglia is a 1959 graduate of Providence's Classical High School, a 1963 graduate of Boston College, and a...
(appointed 2010)
History
In 1747, the Rhode Island General AssemblyRhode Island General Assembly
The State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the lower Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 representatives, and the upper Rhode Island Senate with 38 senators...
authorized the creation of a Superior Court of Judicature, Court of Assize, and General Gaol Delivery, consisting of one chief justice and four associates, all serving one year terms. Most of the judges during the 18th century were laymen, merchants or farmers and did not possess formal legal training, and therefore the court did not explicitly follow British common law. Parties, however, could still appeal to either the British monarch, English courts or the General Assembly until independence in 1776.
In 1747 the Assembly appointed the first Chief Justice, Gideon Cowell
Gideon Cowell
Gideon Cowell was a farmer and first justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court in 1747.Cowell was untrained in the common law. In the early days of the court, the legislature was distrustful of an independent judiciary and non-lawyer farmers were appointed as justices as late as 1819....
, who was not a lawyer and the second, Joshua Babcock
Joshua Babcock
Joshua Babcock was a physician, American Revolution general, Rhode Island Supreme Court justice, and postmaster from Westerly, Rhode Island.-Biography:...
, a Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
educated physician. Stephen Hopkins
Stephen Hopkins (politician)
Stephen Hopkins was an American political leader from Rhode Island who signed the Declaration of Independence. He served as the Chief Justice and Governor of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and was a Delegate to the Colonial Congress in Albany in 1754 and to the...
served as Chief Justice from 1747 to 1755 and was the first trained lawyer to serve in this position.
In 1798, the Assembly renamed the Superior Court "The Supreme Judicial Court," and in 1843, "The Supreme Court." The first officially recorded decision was Stoddard v. Martin
Stoddard v. Martin
Stoddard v. Martin 1 R.I. 1 was the first case recorded in the official reports of the Rhode Island Supreme Court.-Holding:In the Court's first officially recorded decision, Chief Justice Samuel Eddy held that a bet on the outcome of the 1826 U.S...
(1828), a case involving gambling on an election. Until 1994 the General Assembly sitting with both houses in "Grand Committee" chose the Supreme Court justices without the governor's consent. In 1994 after a wave of corruption scandals, citizens amended the Rhode Island Constitution to allow the governor to choose Supreme Court nominees from a list of candidates approved by a non-partisan nominating committee. Both houses of the General Assembly still must approve any nominees.
Notable Cases
- Trevett v. WeedenTrevett v. WeedenTrevett v. Weeden was a Rhode Island Supreme Court decision finding state legislation regarding paper currency was violative of the state constitution. The decision set precedent for Marbury v...
(1786), (involving the legitimacy of paper money) was one of the first cases where a state court held a legislative act unconstitutional, setting precedent for Marbury v. MadisonMarbury v. MadisonMarbury v. Madison, is a landmark case in United States law and in the history of law worldwide. It formed the basis for the exercise of judicial review in the United States under Article III of the Constitution. It was also the first time in Western history a court invalidated a law by declaring...
. - Picard v. Barry Pontiac-Buick, Inc.Picard v. Barry Pontiac-Buick, Inc.Picard v. Barry Pontiac-Buick, Inc. is a 1995 Rhode Island Supreme Court case often cited in tort law text books to explain the legal concept of battery....
(1995), tort case, often used as an example of battery in Tort textbooks - Angel v. MurrayAngel v. MurrayAngel v. Murray, 322 A.2d 630 , was a case decided by the Rhode Island Supreme Court that first accepted the rule articulated in the Uniform Commercial Code §2-209 and the Restatement Second of Contracts §89 that the modification of a contract does not require its own consideration if the...
(1974) first articulation of the UCC rule that a contract does not always need additional consideration for modification.
Prominent Rhode Island Supreme Court Justices
- Peleg ArnoldPeleg ArnoldPeleg Arnold was a lawyer, tavern-keeper, jurist, and statesman from Smithfield, Rhode Island . He represented Rhode Island as a delegate to the Continental Congress in the 1787–1788 session...
, Delegate to the Continental Congress - Joshua BabcockJoshua BabcockJoshua Babcock was a physician, American Revolution general, Rhode Island Supreme Court justice, and postmaster from Westerly, Rhode Island.-Biography:...
, physician, friend of Benjamin FranklinBenjamin FranklinDr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat... - Charles S. BradleyCharles S. BradleyCharles Smith Bradley was a lawyer and legal scholar. He served as chief justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court between 1866 and 1868.-Biography:...
, former partner at Tillinghast & Bradley - William Ellery, Signatory of the Declaration of Independence
- Stephen HopkinsStephen Hopkins (politician)Stephen Hopkins was an American political leader from Rhode Island who signed the Declaration of Independence. He served as the Chief Justice and Governor of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and was a Delegate to the Colonial Congress in Albany in 1754 and to the...
, Signatory of the Declaration of Independence, Governor of Rhode Island - David HowellDavid Howell (jurist)David Howell was an American jurist and statesman from Providence, Rhode Island.Born in Morristown, New Jersey, Howell graduated from Princeton University in 1766, and received an A.M. from Brown University in 1769. He was in private practice in Providence, Rhode Island from 1768 to 1779...
, Delegate to the Continental Congress, federalist leader, U.S. District Judge - Christopher LippittChristopher LippittChristopher Lippitt was a prominent Revolutionary War officer and founder one of the earliest textile mills in Rhode Island.-Early life:...
, American revolution officer under George Washington - Daniel LymanDaniel LymanDaniel Lyman was a New England soldier, Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court and member of the secessionist Hartford Convention....
, member of the secessionist Hartford ConventionHartford ConventionThe Hartford Convention was an event spanning from December 15, 1814–January 4, 1815 in the United States during the War of 1812 in which New England's opposition to the war reached the point where secession from the United States was discussed...
of 1814 - Samuel Ward, Delegate to the Continental Congress, Governor
- William West, 1787-1789, American Revolution general, Deputy Governor, anti-federalist rebellion leader
Chief Justices of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
- Stephen HopkinsStephen Hopkins (politician)Stephen Hopkins was an American political leader from Rhode Island who signed the Declaration of Independence. He served as the Chief Justice and Governor of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and was a Delegate to the Colonial Congress in Albany in 1754 and to the...
, - Daniel LymanDaniel LymanDaniel Lyman was a New England soldier, Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court and member of the secessionist Hartford Convention....
, - Paul A. Suttell
External references
- Rhode Island Supreme Court
- Irving Berdine Richman, Rhode Island: A Study in Separatism, (Houghton, Mifflic & Co, Rhode Island: 1907), 191.
- Thomas Durfee, Gleanings from the Judicial History of Rhode Island, (Providence: Sidney S. Rider, 1883), p. 164
- Amasa M. Eaton, The Development of the Judicial System in Rhode Island, Yale Law Journal14 (Jan. 1905), 148-170.
- John T. Farrell, The Early History of Rhode Island’s Court System, Rhode Island History 9 (July 1950), 65-71; 9 (Oct. 1950), 103-117; 10 (Jan. 1951), 14-25
- Link to article describing various RI Court primary sources
- Gail I. Winson, "Researching the Laws of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations: From Lively Experiment1to Statehoodby," (Roger Williams School of Law).