Cost and Fees

Defendant filed a motion in District Court for costs and fees associated with defendant’s successful appeal of a speeding ticket. Defendant argued that three Rhode Island Statutes justified attorney’s fees: R.I.G.L. § 9-22 (“costs”), R.I.G.L. § 9-29-21 (“attorney or unrepresented party must sign papers—sanctions for frivolous suits”) and R.I.G.L. § 42-92 (“equal access to justice for small businesses and individuals”). The court held that none of these laws gave legal justification for awarding costs and fees in Traffic Tribunal cases. Accordingly, the defendant’s motion was denied. 

Town of Middletown v. Thomas Oliver, A.A. No. 13-26 (August 31, 2016).pdf