PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Attorney General Peter F. Neronha issued the statement below, following the passage of two bills in the Rhode Island House of Representatives after a floor vote on Thursday evening:
"My Office prosecutes thousands of criminal cases every year. In every one of those cases, our mission is to achieve justice on behalf of the people of Rhode Island. Our view of what justice is, from both the office's perspective as well as the public's, has developed over time, and as such, I believe that criminal law in our state should meet those expectations of what justice is today.
"Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed two critical pieces of legislation that work to further reform our criminal justice system for the benefit of all Rhode Islanders. I applaud the work of the House, and Representatives Slater and Knight, on these important bills."
Attorney General supported bills:
• H 6083A, sponsored by Representative Scott Slater, reclassifies the crime of simple drug possession from a felony to a misdemeanor.
• H 5084, sponsored by Representative Jason Knight, eliminates the $100 fee to effectuate an order for expungement of a criminal record under state law granted by the court.
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