Where a Newport case was heard
A motion to expunge is filed in the court that entered the conviction, so the first thing to establish is which court that was. Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 8-8-2(a)(1), Newport sits in the Second Division of the District Court, which sits at the Murray Judicial Complex, 45 Washington Square, Newport. Appeals and transfers from that division go to Newport County Superior Court.
Felony cases are prosecuted in the Superior Court rather than the District Court, so which building your case ended in depends on how it was charged as well as where it happened. The public portal will tell you both, free, in about ten minutes — and reading your own file is the only way to answer the eligibility questions accurately.
Who has to be given ten days' notice
This is the step pro-se motions fail on. Notice of the hearing must go to the Attorney General and to the police department that made the arrest, at least ten days before the date.
For a Newport arrest that is usually the Newport Police Department, 120 Broadway, Newport, RI 02840. Not always, though: State Police, campus police and neighbouring departments all make arrests inside Newport, and the notice follows the department named on your paperwork rather than the city you happened to be standing in.
Which path applies to your record
Rhode Island does not have one expungement statute. Which one governs you depends on how the case ended and what else is on your record, not on how serious the charge sounded:
- First offender expungement: five years, or ten — one conviction and nothing before it
- Two to five misdemeanors: the path most people don't know exists — more than one misdemeanor
- Two to four felonies can now be expunged. That changed in June 2026. — two to four felonies, since June 2026
- If you were not convicted, you are looking at sealing — and it is easier — a case that ended without a conviction
- Traffic Tribunal violations clear themselves — and almost nobody knows — a Traffic Tribunal violation
- Marijuana possession records: automatic, free, and it overrides almost everything — marijuana possession
The eligibility checker walks the statute with you in about two minutes and names the section behind every answer.
You do not have to go to court
The firm drafts, files, and argues the motion for you. Attorney Thomasian appears in court on your behalf, so you don't have to.
The court charges no filing fee for a motion to expunge, and the certified copy of the order is free. Clients rate the firm 4.9 out of 5 across 186 Google reviews.
Common questions
Which court hears an expungement motion for a Newport case?
A motion to expunge is filed in the court that entered the conviction. For a Newport District Court case that is the Second Division, which sits at the Murray Judicial Complex, 45 Washington Square, Newport. Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 8-8-2(a)(1) the Second Division sends its appeals and transfers to Newport County Superior Court.
Is the courthouse in Newport itself?
Yes. The Second Division sits at the Murray Judicial Complex, 45 Washington Square, Newport — though it hears cases from well beyond Newport.
Who has to be given ten days' notice?
The Attorney General and the police department that made the arrest. For a Newport arrest that is usually the Newport Police Department at 120 Broadway, Newport, RI 02840 — but not always. State Police, campus police and neighbouring departments all make arrests in Newport, and the notice follows the department named on your paperwork rather than the city you were in.
Do I have to travel to Newport for the hearing?
Not if the firm handles it. The motion is drafted, filed and argued for you, and Attorney Thomasian appears at the hearing on your behalf.
