In October of 2010, our Client was charged by the Tiverton Police Department with a domestic simple assault charge in violation of R.I.G.L. 11-5-3 /12-29-5. Domestic violence is defined as including, but is not limited to, any of the following offenses when committed by one family or household member against another: simple assault, felony assault, vandalism, disorderly conduct, trespass, kidnapping, child snatching, sexual assault, homicide, violation of a protective order or a no contact order, stalking, refusal to relinquish, damage or obstruction of a telephone. The definition of "family or household member" is broadly written to reflect the diverse nature of the modern American family and includes persons who are or have been in substantive dating or engagement relationships. An assault consists of a threat of physical violence. A battery occurs when actual physical violence or non-consensual touching occurs. Rhode Island takes a very strict stance on domestic assault and battery cases.
As a result of his experiences, both as a defense attorney and former Municipal Prosecutor for the Towns of Little Compton and Portsmouth, Attorney Humphrey has published two (2) articles on the topic of domestic violence in the Rhode Island Bar Journal. Attorney Humphrey is also a frequent lecturer for the Rhode Island Bar Association and other educational programs on the successful resolution of domestic violence cases.