Tom O'Brien, Assistant Attorney General, Unit Chief

The District Court Unit is responsible for the prosecution of all criminal misdemeanor complaints filed by the departments and agencies of the State of Rhode Island, including: the Rhode Island State Police, the Department of Environmental Management and the Contractor's Registration Board. Criminal misdemeanor complaints filed by city or town police departments are handled by the city solicitor for that particular municipality.

The District Court Unit also handles all matters pertaining to individuals who are released on bail through the District Court. This includes presenting cases where an individual is alleged to be in violation of the terms and conditions of his or her bail, as well as, arguing motions for reconsideration of bail conditions.

Further, when an individual is on probation stemming from a District Court case, the District Court Unit prosecutes any alleged violations of the terms and conditions of the probation. This includes technical violations of probation and allegations that the individual failed to keep the peace and be of good behavior. In the event that the violation of probation stems from the commission of a misdemeanor offense, the District Court Unit also handles the new charge whether brought by a State agency or local police department.

When an individual is charged with a capital or non-bailable offense as defined by the Rhode Island Constitution, the State may object to bail at the time of arraignment. In these instances, the District Court Unit handles the subsequent bail hearing. The majority of these cases include: murder, robbery, sexual assault and narcotics distribution.

Other matters handled by the District Court Unit include: extradition proceedings, post-conviction relief, motions to expunge and/or seal criminal records and probable cause hearings.

By statute, the Department of Attorney General also is responsible for the prosecution of the breathalyzer refusal hearings at the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal. The District Court Unit handles all of these civil violations whether brought by a State agency or local police department.