Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal
If you have been pulled over and were given a traffic citation, had citations mailed to you, or received multiple citations- call the Law Offices of Tanya M. Gravel. Tanya is an experienced traffic tribunal attorney and will get you the best possible outcome for your case.
The Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal, located in Cranston and Wakefield, has original jurisdiction over civil traffic offenses committed in the ocean state such as:
- Breathalyzer refusals
- Speeding- 1st, 2nd, and 3rd offenses
- Texting and driving- 1st, 2nd, and 3rd offenses
- Headphone violations
- Lane roadway violations
- Driving on a suspended license
- Driving with no license
- Driving an unregistered motor vehicle
- Driving an uninsured motor vehicle
- Driving without insurance
- Colin Foote Law
Below, please find a couple common questions relating to the above-named offenses:
What is a breathalyzer refusal?
In Rhode Island, when a driver has been pulled over for a DUI, and they do not submit to the breathalyzer, they will be automatically charged with a refusal. This is because under the theory of implied consent, when a Rhode Island driver obtains their license, they are consenting to submitting to a breathalyzer if they were asked to do so by an officer.
What is the Colin Foote Act and how can Colin Foote affect me?
In 2010, the Rhode Island state legislature passed what is known as the Colin Foote Act in an effort to increase driver safety by preventing habitual traffic violators from putting others in danger by suspending their licenses after four moving violations within an 18 month period. The Colin Foote Act. Rhode Island General Laws 31-27-24 specifically provides that:
“Every person convicted of moving violations on four (4) separate and distinct occasions within an eighteen (18) month period may be fined up to one thousand dollars ($1,000), and shall be ordered to attend sixty (60) hours of driver retraining, shall be ordered to perform sixty (60) hours of public community service, and the person's operators license in this state may be suspended up to one year or revoked by the court for a period of up to two (2) years.”
In the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal, as well as municipal courts across the state, the prosecutor must prove each moving traffic offense by clear and convincing evidence. These moving traffic violations include:
31-13-4. Obedience to devices
31-14-1. Reasonable and prudent speeds
31-14-2. Prima facie limits
31-14-3. Conditions requiring reduced speeds
31-15-5. Overtaking on the right
31-15-11. Laned roadways
31-15-12. Interval between vehicles
31-15-16. Use of emergency break-down lane for travel
31-17-4. Vehicle entering stop or yield intersection
31-20-9. Obedience to stop signs
31-27.1-3. Aggressive driving
If you, or someone you know, has been charged with any of the above offenses, you want an experienced traffic tribunal attorney to work for you. Contact the Law Offices of Tanya M. Gravel, today.
