Vol. CXXXII · No. XCVMONDAY, MAY 25, 2026Ocean State Edition

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95 articles · page 7 of 8
JudiciaryFree press

Judge DuBose blocks Trump DOJ restrictions on domestic violence grants

U.S. District Judge Melissa R. DuBose issued a preliminary injunction Friday blocking the Department of Justice from enforcing immigration-related restrictions on grants for domestic violence and sexual assault services. The order, sought by 25 state domestic violence coalitions including the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, prevents DOJ from barring organizations from serving noncitizens or those unable to immediately prove citizenship. The injunction continues litigation that challenges DOJ funding conditions imposed in January under the Trump administration's policies on DEI and 'gender ideology.'

yahoo.comAPR 27, 2026
JudiciaryGovernancePaywall

Federal judge blocks DOJ demand for Rhode Island voter registration lists

U.S. District Judge Mary S. McElroy dismissed the Justice Department's lawsuit demanding Rhode Island's voter registration rolls, ruling that federal voter registration laws do not authorize a "fishing expedition" by the Trump administration. McElroy found that the Attorney General's stated purpose—to ensure compliance with voter registration laws—does not plausibly relate to individual voting rights. The ruling comes amid similar challenges to DOJ voter-roll demands in other states.

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© 2026 RI Capitol · All rights reserved.Aggregated summaries linking out to original sources. XPoLL.
news.bloomberglaw.comAPR 26, 2026
JudiciaryCommerceFree press

Federal court blocks cannabis licensing process in RI residency dispute

The Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission suspended its retail license lottery after U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose issued an April 8 order temporarily halting the process. Three federal lawsuits challenge the state's requirement that all cannabis license holders be majority owned by Rhode Island residents, arguing it violates the Dormant Commerce Clause. DuBose found plaintiffs likely to succeed on the merits. The commission is appealing and legal strategy remains confidential as litigation continues.

marijuanamoment.netAPR 26, 2026
JudiciaryGovernanceFree press

Federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit seeking unredacted Rhode Island voter data

U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy dismissed the Justice Department's lawsuit demanding detailed voter registration information from Rhode Island, ruling federal law does not permit 'the kind of fishing expedition it seeks here.' The Trump administration had sought unredacted voter rolls including partial Social Security numbers and driver's license data. The decision follows similar rejections in California, Michigan, Oregon, and Massachusetts, marking the fifth consecutive court loss for DOJ in its nationwide voter data collection campaign.

boston.comAPR 24, 2026
JudiciaryGovernanceFree press

Federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit demanding RI voter records

U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit seeking unredacted voter data from Rhode Island, calling the DOJ's effort a "fishing expedition" with no plausible factual basis. The ruling marks the fifth consecutive judicial defeat nationwide for the DOJ's voter-data demands. Secretary of State Gregg Amore, represented by AG Peter Neronha, said the decision reaffirms state authority over voter file privacy.

yahoo.comAPR 24, 2026
JudiciaryPaywall

Family Court judge excludes witness, upholds grandparents-visitation law as constitutional

Rhode Island Family Court Judge Felix Gill denied Scott Naso's motion to suspend a trial over grandparents' visitation rights, ruling the state statute is "narrowly tailored" and does not violate parental constitutional rights. Gill also excluded a key witness for the grandparents after she violated the court's sequestration order. The trial, which began in October, has now spanned 16 days in Kent County Family Court.

bostonglobe.comAPR 24, 2026
JudiciaryFree press

Federal judge blocks Trump administration funding restrictions on domestic-violence grants

U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose (D.R.I.) issued a preliminary injunction halting DOJ restrictions on Office of Justice Programs grants that would have barred domestic-violence organizations from serving undocumented immigrants. The Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence spearheaded a multi-state suit challenging the funding conditions imposed in January 2026. Plaintiff groups call the injunction a temporary victory pending permanent relief.

newenglandnewspress.comAPR 24, 2026
JudiciaryPrimary

Dominican national sentenced to 78 months for shipping cocaine, fentanyl to RI

Nelson Reyes Luciano, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mary S. McElroy to 78 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. Reyes Luciano shipped 10 parcels of narcotics from California to a Providence co-conspirator's home; law enforcement recovered drugs, scales, presses, and packaging materials during a search warrant execution.

dea.govAPR 24, 2026
JudiciaryGovernancePaywall

Providence agrees to pay former HR director $45K in wrongful-termination settlement

The City of Providence settled a lawsuit with Sybil Bailey, its former human resources director, paying $45,000 (plus legal fees) to resolve claims she was wrongfully terminated during Jorge Elorza's mayoral tenure. Bailey alleged age and sex discrimination after being fired in 2019; the city denies wrongdoing. A 2020 City Council dispute over an earlier $138,000 severance deal helped trigger the suit.

bostonglobe.comAPR 24, 2026
JudiciaryPaywall

Rhode Island Supreme Court considers emergency motion to suspend grandparents' visitation trial

The Rhode Island Supreme Court will hear arguments on widower Scott Naso's emergency motion to halt a Family Court trial over his in-laws' petition for visitation rights to his 4-year-old daughter. Naso argues that Rhode Island's grandparents-rights statute violates his parental rights as a fit parent, but Family Court Judge Felix Gill ruled the law is narrowly tailored and declined to dismiss or stay proceedings. The high court has not yet indicated whether it will review the statute's constitutionality.

bostonglobe.comAPR 23, 2026
JudiciaryPaywall

Judge acquits Providence teacher Joseph Gannon on all sexual assault charges

Rhode Island Superior Court Judge Luis Matos found former Nathanael Greene Middle School teacher Joseph Gannon, 51, not guilty of four counts of first-degree sexual assault and related charges. The judge ruled the state failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Gannon coerced the victim into a sexual relationship. Gannon, who had been accused of repeatedly assaulting a former student beginning when she was 15, was released following the bench trial.

bostonglobe.comAPR 23, 2026
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