Rhode Island Superior Court
The Rhode Island Superior Court is the state trial court of general jurisdiction in Rhode Island.Jurisdiction
The Superior Court has original jurisdiction in all felony proceedings, civil matters with an amount in controversy in excess of $10,000, and all matters of equity. The Superior Court exercises concurrent jurisdiction in civil matters with an amount in controversy between $5,000 and $10,000 with the lower District Court, and also has concurrent jurisdiction with the Rhode Island Supreme Court in the issuance of writs of habeas corpus and mandamus.
The Superior Court is the trial court of record in Rhode Island and is the only Rhode Island court for hearing jury trials. The lower District Courts hear trials of misdemeanor cases, and the decisions of the District Court may be appealed to the Superior Court for a trial de novo.
Since Rhode Island has no intermediate appellate court, appeals from the Superior Court go directly to the Supreme Court.Organization
The chief administrative judge of the court is the Presiding Justice of the Superior Court. He or she establishes calendars, assigns judges, appoints the Superior Court administrator, jury commissioner, and other staff, and makes rules for court business. The Presiding Justice manages the Central Registry, Arbitration Office, and Clerk's Office. There are 21 Associate Justices and five Magistrates of the Superior Court.
Rhode Island's five counties each have separate jurisdictions of Superior Court: One in Kent County, one in Washington County, one in Newport County, and a combined jurisdiction for Providence and Bristol counties.
