Newport Legal Blog

After facing criminal charges, going through the Rhode Island criminal trial process and ultimately being convicted, you may feel pretty down and out. It is understandable. Believe it or not, your fight may not be over just yet. If you haven't been through it already, you may still have the appeals process on your side.

What is the appeals process? How do I start it? Do I have to do it alone?

A Rhode Island man allegedly crashed into a police cruiser that was patrolling for drunk drivers. According to Turnto10.com, the Smithfield officer was part of Operation Rhode Island Blue Riptide, a group of law enforcement agencies working to decrease the number of drunk driving instances in the state.

The officer was on the side of the road on Douglas Pike sitting in his cruiser writing a ticket to a different motorist when he was struck by the allegedly drunk driver. His emergency lights were flashing when the cruiser was hit from behind by the other vehicle. Both vehicles sustained damage. The driver was unharmed in the crash, and the officer was treated for minor injuries. In addition to a DUI, the driver was cited with a number of other violations, including having expired vehicle registration, lacking car insurance, and refusing both a breathalyzer and a blood alcohol test. 

As America has recently seen a shift in views toward marijuana, views regarding cocaine remain largely the same. Although common and easily accessible in the state of Rhode Island, cocaine generally has a negative reputation, with its high connection to other crimes. However, it is important to know the variety of factors that can determine the severity of a case, including the quantity of the drug, the type of cocaine and past criminal records.

On top of the severe penalties that can take place as a result of cocaine possession or distribution, recent news from the Providence Journal warns the public of fentanyl-laced cocaine. A powerful synthetic opioid that has gripped the country, fentanyl has found its way into cocaine in large amounts. Rhode Island law enforcement has found large amounts of this laced drug during recent drug arrests, and officials report that fentanyl is the second most common drug detected in drug samples seized by law enforcement in 2017. It appears that such drastic measures have forced change regarding social perspective on illegal drugs, wherein health experts and law enforcement have recently had to prioritize helping and saving users in danger over arresting them.  

Rhode Island residents who are arrested for and charged with drug crimes understandably may be concerned about the penalties they may face if they are ultimately convicted of the offenses. In addition to criminal or legal consequences, however, many people must also struggle with the problems associated with serious addictions to substances. In recent years, there has been a growing amount of pressure across the country to tackle the issues relating to opioid addiction.

Opioids are pain medications that require prescriptions to obtain. However, many street drugs have emerged as some efforts to curb the prescribing of these medications increased once the addiction problem became obvious. The President of the United States has a Committee on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. This committee published a report that is urging for the President to declare a national state of emergency to give the country more ability to provide help to people who are addicted to these drugs.