State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > Rhode-island > Title-17 > Chapter-17-24 > 17-24-1SECTION 17-24-1
§ 17-24-1 Mandamus by supreme court –Replacement of officer refusing to obey. – Whenever any person upon whom is imposed any duty connected with the calling,warning, or conducting of any town, ward, or district meeting, or with thecanvassing of the lists of voters for use at these meetings, or with thecounting of the votes cast at the meetings, or the declaring of the result ofthe votes, fails, neglects, or refuses to perform his or her duty within thetime specified by law for its performance, the supreme court shall immediately,upon the petition of any citizen of the city or town where the failure,neglect, or refusal occurred, issue its writ of mandamus ordering the personfailing, neglecting, or refusing to perform the duties in question withintwenty-four (24) hours from the time of the issuance of the writ; and if thefailure, neglect, or refusal continues beyond the twenty-four (24) hoursspecified in the writ, the court shall immediately appoint some suitable personto at once perform the duties, and the person refusing to obey the writ ofmandamus shall, in addition to the penalties by law for the failure, neglect,or refusal to perform his or her duties, be liable to those further penaltiesfor contempt of court that the court may impose for failure to obey the writ.
