Press Releases05/06/2008 16:45 EDT
05/06/2008 16:30 EDT
Patrick C. Lynch: Department of the Attorney General
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Civil & Criminal Division
Civil Division Units
- Charitable Trust
- Consumer Protection
- Antitrust Unit
- Environmental Advocacy
- Insurance Advocacy
- Public Utilities Regulation
- Open Government
- Office of Health Care Advocate
Criminal Division Units
Civil Division
Division Heads
- Jim Lee, Assistant Attorney General, Division Chief
- Brenda Baum, Assistant Attorney General, Deputy Chief
- Rebecca Partington, Assistant Attorney General, Deputy Chief
The Attorney General of Rhode Island is the State's Chief legal officer for civil as well as criminal matters. The Civil Division is charged with conducting the State's legal affairs, and representing the State in legal proceedings. By law, the Attorney General represents the State in the Rhode Island Supreme Court and all lower state courts, institutes and defends actions in state and federal courts whenever warranted, ensures that representation is provided to state officers, employees and agencies in all courts, advises State officers and agencies on legal issues, gives written opinions on legal issues when requested by an appropriate governmental officer, sits as a member of a number of boards and commissions, and represents the interests of the people.
The Attorney General, through the department's Civil Division is responsible for defending and prosecuting hundreds of civil legal actions yearly in state and federal courts, including the Rhode Island and United States Supreme Courts. These responsibilities encompass not only acting as attorney at trial, but also conducting discovery, meeting with clients, researching and writing legal memoranda, and handling motions, administrative hearings and appeals in the Rhode Island Supreme Court and federal appellate courts.
Criminal Division
Division Heads
- Alan Goulart, Assistant Attorney General, Division Chief
- Stacey Veroni, Assistant Attorney General, Deputy Chief
- Randall White, Assistant Attorney General, Deputy Chief
- William Ferland, Assistant Attorney General, Deputy Chief
- Matthew Dawson, Assistant Attorney General, Deputy Chief
The Criminal Division staff is comprised of trial attorneys, support staff and paralegals. The Criminal Division is charged with the prosecution of felony cases and misdemeanor appeals. Felony cases enter the criminal system through pleadings filed by the Intake Unit.
The Criminal Division assists the Attorney General in carrying out his constitutional responsibility to prosecute all felony criminal offenses occurring in the State of Rhode Island, as well as all misdemeanor criminal cases brought by State law enforcement agencies or appealed to the Superior Court.
Specialized units focused on white-collar crime, narcotics and organized crime, firearms offenses, juvenile offenders, domestic violence and sexual assault, Medicaid fraud, District Court offenses, case intake, and a diversion program.
Victims of crimes and their families received a comprehensive program of services through the Victim Services Team. The team improved communication through outreach, assigning advocates to victims early on and establishing an "on call" system for after hours and weekends. The team also added a Spanish-speaking advocate to ensure that non English speaking victims and their families have equal access to the unit's services.