RI H7360

Persons attending court proceedings as parties, potential witnesses, or accompanying family/household members are privileged from civil arrest while traveling to, at, and returning from court unless a judicial warrant authorizes the arrest

Willfully executing or assisting in a prohibited civil arrest constitutes contempt of court and false imprisonment

Affected individuals or the Rhode Island Attorney General may bring civil actions for equitable and declaratory relief, with successful plaintiffs able to recover costs and attorneys' fees

Law enforcement entering a courthouse must identify themselves to court security, state their purpose, and have any warrants reviewed by judicial personnel; no civil arrest may occur inside a courthouse without a judicial warrant

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court must promulgate rules requiring incident reports for all enforcement actions inside courthouses and prohibiting courtroom arrests without leave of court except in extraordinary circumstances