Rhode Island Criminal Records

Rhode Island Criminal Records are legal papers detailing a person's interaction with the law. It includes information about individual arrests and convictions.

The Access to Public Records Act (APRA) makes Rhode Island Criminal Records available to the public. As a result, information on a person's detention, prosecution, and conviction is open to the public upon request to the law enforcement agencies, such as the Attorney General, who is responsible for keeping most criminal records in this state.

The information in criminal records depends on many aspects and varies by person. However, in a Rhode Island Criminal Record, a requester might expect to find the following information:

• Subject's personal information (name, date of birth, race)
• Any aliases
• Photograph
• Fingerprints
• Driver's license number
• Current and previous addresses
• Details about the crime
• Arrest history
• Parole eligibility
• Current and previous warrants
• Sex offender status
• Arresting Agency

If you committed a crime in Rhode Island and are curious about the details on your record, the following crime may appear in your Rhode Island Criminal Record.

Felonies

Unlike many other states, Rhode Island does not classify felony records for sentencing reasons. Instead, the state's criminal statutes spell out the maximum and sometimes the minimum sentence for each felony record.

Here are a few samples of felony records and the range of mandatory punishments in Rhode Island:

Felony Assault or Battery

This sort of felony entails a jail sentence if:

• The offender employed a lethal weapon, and the victim suffered only a little or no injuries (12 to18 months imprisonment)
• The offender used a deadly weapon, injuring the victim (4 to 5 years imprisonment)
• The defendant utilized a lethal weapon (6 years imprisonment)
• The crime caused severe physical harm (20 years imprisonment)

First-degree Sexual Assault

This type of felony has a minimum sentence of ten years in prison or life imprisonment. If no one got hurt due to the crime, the presumptive punishment is 10 to 15 years. However, if it results in aggravating circumstances, the presumptive sentence is 20 years.

Felony DUI That Caused Death

For the first offense of this type of felony, the punishment is 5 to 15 years imprisonment, a five-year license suspension, and a $5,000-$10,000 fine. This felony also carries a presumption penalty of 3 to 10 years.

Illegal Drug Possession

Those who commit this crime will go to jail for three years and have to pay a fine of $500 to $1,500.

In Rhode Island, a felony record will stay on your criminal history for life. However, if you are guilty of a non-violent felony, you can clear your record after ten years.

Misdemeanor

Rhode Island classifies its misdemeanor records as petty or "regular" misdemeanors. In this state, people who are guilty of a petty misdemeanor usually get less severe punishments than those who are guilty of an ordinary misdemeanor.

Misdemeanors (Regular)

Here are a few examples of misdemeanor records in Rhode Island, as well as their penalties:

• Ownership of over one ounce of marijuana for personal use (1-year imprisonment and less than $500 fine)
• Hazing (30 days to 1 year in jail and a fine of $500)
• Property theft of less than $1,500 (1 year in jail and a $500 fine)
• Simple battery or assault (1 year in prison and a fine of $1,000)

Petty Misdemeanors

The following are the most common petty misdemeanor records in Rhode Island:

• Abandonment or not taking care of a spouse or children (6 months imprisonment)
• Disruptive behavior (6 months imprisonment and a $500 fine)

How long does a misdemeanor remain on your criminal history? In Rhode Island, a record of a misdemeanor will stay on your criminal history for life unless expunged. Before you can get your record expunged, you must wait five years after your sentence is over.

Criminal Driving Violations

In Rhode Island, the most common types of criminal driving violation records are felony traffic violations and traffic misdemeanors.

Felony Traffic Violations

This traffic violation usually comes with longer jail time and more significant fines than any other traffic violation. Some of the most common felony traffic violations in Rhode Island are:

• Reckless driving
• Eluding a police officer
• Leaving the scene of a fatal or injured crash
• Street racing

Traffic Misdemeanors

In Rhode Island, a misdemeanor traffic violation usually gets a person up to a year in jail and less than $1000 in fines. Some common traffic misdemeanors in the state are:

• Driving with a suspended, revoked, or canceled license
• Chemical test refusal

A criminal driving violation record in Rhode Island will stay on your criminal history for three years. However, offenses related to drinking (DUI) can remain on your record for up to five years.

Sexual Offenses

Sexual offense records in Rhode Island may entail fines, imprisonment, and sex offender registration, among other consequences. The greater the severity of the offense in this state, the greater the penalty.

Rhode Island has a variety of sexual offense records, including:

First-degree Sexual Assault

The penalty for this kind of sexual offense is ten years to life imprisonment. A person commits this type of sexual offense when they participate in sexual contact with another person and if:

• They employ force, such as weapons, physical assault, death threats, or significant bodily injury during sexual intercourse.
• They sexually assault a physically or mentally weak person.

Second-degree Sexual Assault

This type of sexual offense carries a prison sentence of 3 to 15 years. An individual violates this sexual offense if they have sexual interaction with another individual and any of the following are true:

• The perpetrator employs force.
• The offender uses the victim for sexual pleasure.
• The perpetrator knows the victim is defenseless or mentally ill.

Third-degree Sexual Assault

The penalty for this kind of sexual crime is five years in prison. It includes sexual contact between a person over 18 and a child between the ages of 14 and 16.

In Rhode Island, other sexual offenses include:

• Bigamy ($1,000 fine)
• Adultery($500 fine)
• Child prostitution (5 years imprisonment)
• First-degree child molestation sexual assault (25 years to life imprisonment)
• Second-degree child molestation sexual assault (6 to 30 years imprisonment)

People guilty of sexual crimes in Rhode Island must register as sex offenders. There are three types of sex offenders in this state, which are:

• Level 1: these are low-risk sexual offenders, and information about them is not available to the public.
• Level 2: these offenders are also known as intermediate-level sex offenders, and their information is public. Also, they must register for ten years, and they need to verify their addresses for the first two years in the registry.
• Level 3: As high-risk offenders, these people need to be on the registry for the rest of their lives.

In Rhode Island, people can use the Rhode Island Sex Offender Registry to find sex offenders. This public database contains statistics on sex offenders in the state. This database also informs the community about individuals guilty of level 2 or 3 criminal sexual conduct.

Like many other states, the process for removing criminal charges from an individual record in Rhode Island is called expungement. Except for severe crimes, any criminal charge in this state is eligible for expungement.

Even though the expungement process can be complex and intrusive, having your criminal record expunged can help you in many ways in the future. In Rhode Island, there are particular requirements that an individual must complete to be eligible to have their criminal history record expunged.

Who Is Eligible for Expungement in Rhode Island?

In Rhode Island, it can be hard to figure out whether or not you are eligible to have your criminal record expunged. This determination entails looking at the initial charges, the sentencing or outcome of the case, and any other criminal charges you've faced.

However, if you want your record cleared and are unsure if you are eligible, the following are the three prerequisites to have your record expunged in Rhode Island:

• You must be a first-time offender.
• Your crime is not violent.
• Your waiting period has ended.

Rhode Island Expungement Process

If you can prove that you meet the requirements to have a criminal record expunged in Rhode Island, expect the following procedures:

• File a Motion for Expungement with the court system; the court will review the motion.
• Notify the arresting police and the attorney general of the court date.
• Attend the hearing.
• If authorized, the clerk will file the expungement motion.
• Mail the approval to the police and attorney general.
• Once the records got expunged, you will receive a notice.

Rhode Island Inmate Records provide details about individuals who have been found guilty by a court for criminal conduct and held in the jurisdiction of a detention facility in the state. This record also includes information on people on probation or who have served their time.

The Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC) records all state inmates. If interested, you can get inmate records by visiting the RIDOC website. This website offers publicly available data about inmates who were or are in correctional facilities and institutions run by the department.

People who want to start a search can enter the full name or ID number of the individual they want to find. They can also add the inmate's age, alias, and last known city to narrow the search.

Each state's inmate record can have different information. However, in Rhode Island, it has the following information:

• Inmate's personal information (name, birth date, sex, and race)
• Any aliases
• Booking photo
• DOC ID
• Weight and height
• Assigned place
• Sentence summary

Arrest records in Rhode Island are data obtained and maintained by law enforcement agencies on people legally placed in custody based on an accusation of a crime, awaiting trial, arrangement for bail, or discharge by law enforcement.

In this state, police can arrest a person with an arrest warrant. A judge issues this document when law enforcement asserts the person mentioned on the warrant has committed a crime or is part of a crime.

No matter what kind of arrest occurred in Rhode Island, the police officer will take the person to the police station for the booking process. During the booking process, the police will write down the person's name, take a picture, and take their fingerprints. Also, the police will offer the arrestee a phone call throughout this process.

In Rhode Island, requests for arrest records go to the arresting agency. However, if the requester doesn't know the arresting agency of an individual, the detention agency receives the request. Most agencies don't charge a fee to search for arrest records, but copying fees apply.

Rhode Island Arrest Records include the following information:

• Arrestee's personal information (full name, date of birth, gender, race)
• Photograph
• Fingerprints
• Residence at the time of the arrest
• Criminal charges
• Date and time of the arrest
• Name of arresting officer

Obtaining criminal records serves a variety of purposes, however, in Rhode Island, employers who seek a background check on a possible employee request most of the criminal records.

In Rhode Island, there are different methods to get criminal records. The first way is to use the database that the Rhode Island Judiciary keeps for the public. In this database, you can look up a person's criminal record by clicking on the "smart search" box and typing the person's name in the box that pops up.

Anyone interested in obtaining criminal records may also go to the Rhode Island Bureau of Criminal Identification (RIBCI). Here, they can make a request in person or by mail.

For mail requesters, the offender must sign a release. Requests must also include a valid form of identification, payment, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope, which they should mail to the RIBCI. On the other hand, people who want to request personally must go to the Customer Service Center with a valid photo ID from the government and pay the service fee.