State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > Rhode-island > Title-31 > Chapter-31-27 > 31-27-12SECTION 31-27-12
§ 31-27-12 Service of notice –Summons. – (a) Any police officer observing the violation of any statute or ordinancerelating to the operation, control, or maintenance of a motor vehicle shall atthe time or place of the violation or, if it is not possible to halt thealleged offender, as soon as possible after observing the violation, issue awritten notice, of a form and content provided for in § 31-27-12.1, signedby the police officer and constituting a summons to appear before the courthaving jurisdiction at a time and place designated in the notice.
(b) Nothing in this chapter shall preclude a police officerfrom exercising in the alternative his or her statutory powers of arrest, norshall anything contained in this chapter preclude the making of additionalcomplaints against the alleged offender arising out of the violation of anystatute or ordinance relating to the operation, control, or maintenance of amotor vehicle observed by the police officer. Nothing in this chapter shallprevent a person other than a police officer from applying for a criminalcomplaint for the violation of any statute or ordinance relating to theoperation, control, or maintenance of a motor vehicle, and the person need notshow that the alleged offender has been issued a summons in connection with thealleged violation.
