Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly

13/08/2025

Opinion of the Day ⚖️ Where a defendant has argued on appeal that the trial judge erred by not allowing him to question a witness about whether her motive to testify was related to ... CONTINUE:

Where a defendant has argued on appeal that the trial judge erred by not allowing him to question a witness about whether her motive to testify was related to the dismissal of her own criminal charges, any error was harmless, so the defendant’s convictions should be affirmed.

12/08/2025

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12/08/2025

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court has upheld the dismissal of a Title VII s*x discrimination complaint brought against the U.S. Navy by a probationary employee.

The 1st Circuit upheld dismissal of a Navy employee’s Title VII s*x discrimination suit, finding no plausible link between gender and termination.

11/08/2025

Brown University could not be held liable under Title IX for reprimanding a student, as no tangible consequences resulted from the reprimand, a U.S. District Court judge has decided.

A federal judge ruled Brown University did not violate Title IX in a s*xual assault retaliation case, finding no tangible harm resulted from a student reprimand.

08/08/2025

Opinion of the Day ⚖️ Where a complaint has been filed by plaintiffs who were denied permits to openly carry a handgun in public, the state is entitled to summary judgment because ... CONTINUE:

Where a complaint has been filed by plaintiffs who were denied permits to openly carry a handgun in public, the state is entitled to summary judgment because its application of the Rhode Island Fi****ms Act’s permitting structure to the plaintiffs is consistent with the Second Amendment.

08/08/2025

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08/08/2025

A Superior Court judge has rejected a challenge to a decision by the Department of Business Regulation to stay the town of Narragansett’s grant of a class BV liquor license because the recipient, a casino, did not demonstrate exceptional circumstances to warrant judicial review.

A Superior Court judge denied Narragansett Casino’s bid for immediate review of a stayed liquor license, citing failure to exhaust admin remedies.

07/08/2025

Opinion of the Day ⚖️ Where plaintiffs have moved to amend their complaint to add a claim for acquiescence, their motion should be denied as futile given that ... CONTINUE:

Where plaintiffs have moved to amend their complaint to add a claim for acquiescence, their motion should be denied as futile given that they have affirmatively recognized the validity of the record boundaries.

07/08/2025

A decision by the Westerly Town Council to enact an ordinance allowing mini-storage operations should be upheld as valid despite a failure to comply with the Zoning Enabling Act’s requirement that the ordinance be consistent with the town’s comprehensive plan, a Superior Court judge has decided.

A judge ruled that Westerly’s mini-storage zoning ordinance is valid, despite not explicitly stating consistency with the town’s comprehensive plan.

06/08/2025

Opinion of the Day ⚖️ Where the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has certified a question asking whether a “relevant market area” in G.L. §31-5.1-4.2(a) can extend beyond Rhode Island’s borders ... CONTINUE:

Where the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has certified a question asking whether a “relevant market area” in G.L. §31-5.1-4.2(a) can extend beyond Rhode Island’s borders, that question should answered in the affirmative, as the statute’s plain and unambiguous language does not limit its ...

06/08/2025

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06/08/2025

The Westerly Zoning Board’s decision to grant a dimensional variance to expand a nonconforming structure should be upheld because the board applied the correct standard — more than a mere inconvenience — in finding that the applicant would not be able to enjoy a reasonable use of its property without approval of the dimensional variance, the Rhode Island Supreme Court has ruled.

The Rhode Island Supreme Court upheld a zoning variance in Westerly, clarifying the “more than a mere inconvenience” standard for dimensional relief.