RI District Court and Traffic Tribunal Case Law

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Stephen Beauregard v. State of Rhode Island, A.A. No. 11-0104 Telephone Call

Defendant appealed the decision of the Appeals Panel sustaining the violation of R.I.G.L. 1956 § 31-27-2.1 (refusal to submit).  The Court held that the right to a confidential phone call does not apply to defendants charged with only a civil violation. However, the Court went on to note that even if the defendant did have the right to a confidential phone call, it was not violated because the defendant was awarded one phone call and the officer was a few feet away. Lastly, even if that was not considered a confidential phone call, the Court held that the violation of R.I.G.L. 1956 § 12-7-20 (Right to a Confidential Phone Call) does not warrant a dismissal in this case.

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