RI District Court and Traffic Tribunal Case Law

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John Ferri v. State of Rhode Island, A.A. No. 08-83 Probable Cause

Defendant appealed the decision of the Appeals Panel sustaining the violations of R.I.G.L. § 31-27-2.1 (refusal to submit to a chemical test), R.I.G.L. 1956 § 31-15-1 (right half of road), and R.I.G.L. 1956 § 31-17-6 (yielding to emergency vehicles). The Court held that where the defendant was driving erratically, crossed over the double yellow line and then into the breakdown lane, had slurred speech and emitted a strong smell of alcohol on his breath, reasonable grounds to stop the defendant existed. Accordingly, the Court affirmed the decision of the trial court sustaining the charge against the defendant.

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