By ANDREW MARTIN
In only its second session on Friday, May 2, the Hopkinton Municipal Court and Judge Margaret L. Steele plowed through 14 traffic violation cases in a matter of 45 minutes. Steele greeted the courtroom with a “good morning” at a few minutes after 10 a.m. and got right into it.
She read everyone their constitutional rights: Entitlement to a trial, presumed innocent, no burden on the defendant, opportunity to confront and cross-examine town witnesses, opportunity to provide your own witnesses, and a right to appeal the decision within 10 days to the traffic tribunal. She added that if the matter remains unresolved, the defendant can have a trial on another day.
The judge said she wanted each and every defendant present to know they could ask questions. “I want all of you to make sure you understand,” Steele added.
The 14 traffic violators were also given the choice to pay their fines or tickets beforehand. On this particular rainy morning, no one went with that option.
Steele then read from the list of names, or calendar, and asked each person to step up to the podium.
Depending on the outcome, the defendant then sat on one of the two benches reserved for those waiting to speak with the clerk. This was a change from the first court session when the defendants stood in line.
“We sectioned off the front two benches, which was a recommendation from the Johnston clerk,” Steele said. “We had a logjam up front last time and [this has] alleviated that so it seems to be working very well.”
There were 34 total cases on the day’s calendar, but a low turnout was expected. “It’s par for the course from what I have heard to see a few of them not show up,” Steele said.
The 20 defendants who did not attend were dealt with at the end of the proceedings. They will be assessed the fine or sentence imposed on their tickets, ranging from $85 to a higher fine and license suspension, depending on the violation.
Most of the defendants who did show up were arraigned for speeding, with the majority caught doing 30 to 35 mph in a 25-mph zone. The most common plea was guilty with the defendant using his or her good driving record from the past three years to have the case dismissed. Each defendant was assessed an automatic $25 court cost per case.
While he still had to pay the court fee, resident Stephen Laudone, of Westerly, it was worth it to attend the court day to not pay the full $85. He then heralded the new court for its convenient location. “This is absolutely great because I live right down the street,” he said. Before the court opened, traffic violators had to drive over to Fourth Division District Court in Wakefield to have their cases heard.
Another resident agreed. “It’s fabulous since I work and live so close to town hall,” David Waldeck said.
After the session was over, Steele commented that the municipal court has been going very well so far. “It’s been going very smoothly,” she added. She continued to say that the court came about through the hard work of the town council, manager and solicitor. “It’s the culmination of a lot of work done by a lot of people,” she said.
Town Manager William A. DiLibero also praised the new court. “We have had people from the Westerly and Johnston municipal courts observing and helping us and both groups are pleased with the way ours is running,” he said.
The town began looking into setting up the court in the fall of 2006, according to DiLibero. “We put it together because it’s helpful to have local jurisdictional control for building and zoning issues as well as traffic,” he said. He explained that building violations used to go to Superior Court, where they would tend to not get resolved quickly.
Before opening up shop, the town had to receive approval from the Rhode Island General Assembly, which occurred in June 2007. The town council unanimously appointed Steele late last year to her current position. The next step was acquiring the software to record and collate traffic violations. With all of that finished, the town opened the court on April 4.
The court will also handle building violations related to housing ordinances, municipal codes and animal regulations.
Prior to her current stint as municipal judge, Steele was the Hopkinton Town Solicitor before leaving in 2006. She was the assistant solicitor for some time before that. She has also been a practicing attorney for 12 years with the Westerly-based firm Lenihan, Grady & Steele.
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