Criminal Law; Criminal Lawyer; Providence, Rhode Island
The Providence Journal reports that fewer prisoners are being held at the A.C.I. as a result of a 'good behavior' program. According to the article, the prison population dropped by 87 inmates.
Criminal Law; Criminal Lawyer; Providence Island
In a recent article, the Providence Journal reports an interesting (and disturbing) aspect of RI criminal legal system. The article describes the trajectory of a man out on probation, who was found to be in violation of its terms when arrested for a robbery he said he did not commit. Under the low standard "reasonably satisfied" (much lower than the stringent beyond a reasonable doubt criminal trial standard), the Court found it was reasonably satisfied that the peace had been disturbed and a crime committed, in violation of the man's terms of probation. He was thus sent back to jail. A few years later, under the beyond a reasonable doubt standard, he was fully acquitted of the robbery charge, but in Rhode Island, a clearing of guilt on the underlying charge does not mean automatic reversal of the probation violation decision. A person, despite the acquittal, can remain in prison for violating probation.
Professors and academics writing in an open letter believe that indoor prostitution should not be banned as R.I. state legislators have proposed because it is less likely that "sex workers" who operate behind closed doors are abused physically or use drugs. Apparently, research shows that indoor prostitutes are older on the whole and less likely to be assaulted or raped, as compared with outdoor counterparts. R.I. legislators who sponsored the bill seemed unswayed by the letter and are pushing for a vote banning the legality of indoor prostitution in September 2009.
A R.I. man was sentenced on Thursday August 13, 2009 to two consecutive life terms for the murder of a man he believed was involved with his girlfriend, as reported by the Providence Journal. The court rejected any claim that the killing should be classified as manslaughter, or in the heat of passion; instead it stood by the position that the crime was one of first-degree murder. The sentence also included concurrent twenty (20) and ten (10) year terms for kidnapping and a firearms offense, respectively. The defendant is Miguel Avila, sentenced by Superior Court Justice Robert Krause.
