Vol. CXXXII · No. CLXXXIFRIDAY, JULY 10, 2026Ocean State Edition

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181 articles · page 6 of 16
JudiciaryFree press

Woman files lawsuit over deadly Portsmouth staircase collapse

Kathleen Magrath filed a lawsuit in late May against the Portuguese American Citizens Club and the town of Portsmouth over a June 2025 staircase collapse that killed 15-year-old Kelly Nevitt and injured four others. The lawsuit claims Magrath suffered "traumatic bodily injuries" when the Power Street building's entrance staircase collapsed during a graduation party. She alleges the club owners and town "knew or should have known of the unsafe condition" through reasonable inspection and maintenance.

wpri.comJUN 7, 2026
GovernanceJudiciaryFree press

Senate approves bills restricting ICE operations, allowing lawsuits against federal agents

The Rhode Island Senate approved two bills June 3 from Majority Leader Frank Ciccone restricting state participation in ICE operations and allowing lawsuits against federal immigration officials in state courts. The first bill, passed 31-7, permits three-year statute of limitations for constitutional violation claims with damages and attorneys' fees. Ciccone cited high-profile federal misconduct in Minneapolis as justification. Similar measures have passed in Illinois and New York.

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© 2026 RI Capitol · All rights reserved.Aggregated summaries linking out to original sources. XPoLL.
newsfromthestates.comJUN 5, 2026
JudiciaryGovernancePaywall

Rhode Island Ethics Commission votes to investigate Shekarchi Supreme Court bid

The Rhode Island Ethics Commission voted 6–1 to investigate whether former House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi violated the state's revolving-door ban by applying for a Supreme Court seat. The complaint argues Shekarchi's application breached the ethics code prohibiting state officials from seeking employment with another state agency while in office or for one year after. Shekarchi maintains the matter was settled in 2020 when the commission allowed then-Sen. Erin Lynch Prata's application.

bostonglobe.comJUN 4, 2026
JudiciaryFree press

Rhode Island Supreme Court vacates murder conviction denial over judicial errors

The Rhode Island Supreme Court vacated a trial judge's denial of a new-trial motion in a second-degree murder case after the judge incorrectly described defendant Audalis Garcia as a drug dealer and stated he fled the state. The high court ruled these factual misstatements undermined review of Garcia's self-defense and accident claims. The case was remanded for a new hearing on the motion for a new trial, with two justices dissenting.

rilawyersweekly.comJUN 4, 2026
JudiciaryPaywall

Rhode Island Supreme Court declines review of grandparents' visitation statute

The Rhode Island Supreme Court denied a petition from Portsmouth father Scott Naso challenging the constitutionality of the state's grandparents' visitation law. Naso had argued the statute violated his parental rights after his late wife's parents sued to visit his 4-year-old daughter. A Family Court judge had earlier dismissed the grandparents' case, finding they failed to prove Naso's decision was unreasonable under the clear-and-convincing standard.

bostonglobe.comJUN 4, 2026
JudiciaryPaywall

Newport County Superior Court lawsuit alleges negligence in Portsmouth building collapse

Kathleen Magrath filed a lawsuit in Newport County Superior Court alleging the Town of Portsmouth and the Portuguese American Citizens Club were negligent after a June 2025 partial building collapse killed 15-year-old Kelly Nevitt and injured three others. The complaint claims the club knew or should have known of the unsafe staircase condition, and that town officials failed to take reasonable steps. Portsmouth Town Council subsequently approved licenses for the club to host St. Anthony's Feast in July 2026.

bostonglobe.comJUN 4, 2026
GovernanceJudiciaryFree press

Ethics Commission votes 6-1 to investigate Shekarchi Supreme Court application

The Rhode Island Ethics Commission voted to investigate whether former House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi violated the state's one-year 'revolving door' rule by applying for a state Supreme Court seat while still serving as a legislator. The complaint was filed by Roger Williams University law professor Michael Yelnosky. The commission found the complaint sufficient to authorize a full investigation into potential ethics code violations.

rhodeislandcurrent.comJUN 3, 2026
GovernanceJudiciaryFree press

Senate committee to vote Wednesday on clergy sex abuse legislation reviving claims

The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote Wednesday on legislation extending the window for childhood sexual abuse victims to sue institutions. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Mark McKenney, allows retroactive claims up to 35 years with a two-year revival window beginning July 1, 2026. The amended version addresses constitutionality concerns and preserves prior court judgments. The House already passed similar legislation following Attorney General Neronha's report identifying 72 credibly accused priests in Rhode Island since 1950.

wpri.comJUN 2, 2026
JudiciaryPaywall

Dino Guilmette, 'Real Housewives of RI' guest, faces felony fraud and drug charges June 8

Dino Guilmette, a guest on Bravo's 'The Real Housewives of Rhode Island,' is scheduled for a June 8 pretrial conference in RI Superior Court on seven felony counts plus one misdemeanor. The charges include drug dealing (Lorazepam), conspiracy, and fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief funds. A 2021 state police affidavit alleged Guilmette has ties to the New England La Cosa Nostra; charges stem from incidents dating to 2021.

providencejournal.comMAY 31, 2026
JudiciaryCommercePaywall

CFTC intervenes in federal suit over RI prediction-market regulation

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed to intervene in Kalshi's federal lawsuit against Rhode Island, arguing only the CFTC has authority to regulate prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket. The move came after RI Attorney General Peter Neronha sued both platforms in state court, claiming their event contracts violate state gambling laws. The legal clash pits federal trading oversight against Rhode Island's state-run sports betting monopoly.

bostonglobe.comMAY 30, 2026
JudiciaryPaywall

Washington County jury convicts RI nurse of sexually assaulting two patients

A Washington County Superior Court jury found Scott Leski, 57, guilty of first- and second-degree sexual assault plus four counts of patient abuse. Prosecutors said Leski assaulted two elderly rehabilitation patients in 2020 and 2023 while working as an agency nurse at Bayview Rehabilitation Center in North Kingstown. Attorney General Peter Neronha called the crimes a betrayal of trust that will haunt victims and families.

bostonglobe.comMAY 30, 2026
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