To the surprise of many, Chief Judge Smith announced on October 18 at the U.S. District Court 2019 Conference that he is passing the Chief Judgeship to Judge McConnell effective December 1, 2019, for the Rhode Island federal district court.…
Tag: Judicial assignments
Senate Finally Confirms Judge McElroy. Next Stop: FJC’s Self-Titled “Baby Judges School.”
Congratulations to Mary McElroy, who finally got confirmed as a federal district judge to the District of Rhode Island, bringing the court back to full strength with three active district judges and two magistrate judges. Originally nominated in 2015, the…
Decoding The Calls and Different Court Calendars in Rhode Island Superior Court
When I was more of a spring chicken than I am now, a senior associate invited me to tag along at a Superior Court motion calendar hearing. “It’s time you learn what formal, ready, and ready subject mean,” she said. …
Revisiting the Judicial Tenure & Discipline Decision on Judge Ovalles and What It Tells Us About Judging
Every once in a while, a case comes along that turns the sock inside out, like a motion to withdraw a guilty plea where the defendant’s former attorney testifies for the prosecution, or when attorneys sue their former law firms. …
It’s Musical Chairs At The District of Rhode Island – Courtroom Style!
Not long ago, you could predict the District of Rhode Island’s courtroom lineup like the Red Sox batting order. David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez batted 3 and 4, and Judge Lisi sat in Courtroom 1, Chief Judge Smith in Courtroom…
A Handy Guide to Superior Court Civil Standing Orders by County
Back in the day, you had to know a guy, who knew a guy, who might have heard from some other guy, if there were any standing orders floating around that remained in effect as the judges rotated through the…