Case Title: State v. Berberian

Citation: 214 A.2d 465

Docket Number: 

State: rhode-island

Court: Rhode Island Supreme Court

Date: 1965-11-18T00:00:00Z

Document:
214 A.2d 465 (1965) STATE v. Aram K. BERBERIAN. Ex. No. 10606. Supreme Court of Rhode Island. November 18, 1965. J. Joseph Nugent, Attorney General, Corinne P. Grande, Special Counsel for State. Aram K. Berberian, pro se, defendant. PAOLINO, J. This is a complaint returnable to the police court of the city of Providence charging the defendant with operating an automobile upon the left half of a certain roadway in Providence, "against the statute, the ordinance of said City, and the peace and dignity of the State." After being adjudged guilty and sentenced to pay a fine of $3 and costs by the police court the defendant appealed to the superior court where he waived his right to trial by jury. The case was heard before a justice of that court on the defendant's plea in abatement and on the merits. The cause is before this court on defendant's exceptions to the ruling of the trial justice overruling the plea in abatement and to his decision finding the defendant guilty as charged. The defendant's plea in abatement alleges in substance that the ordinance which he is charged with violating is fully covered by G.L. 1956, §§ 31-15-1, 31-15-2, 31-15-5 and 31-15-6; that § 45-6-6 specifically negates the authority of the city of Providence to pass ordinances upon matters covered by the state motor vehicle code; and that the ordinance is therefore invalid. By agreement the superior court heard the plea in abatement and the case on the merits at the same time. The parties stipulated *466 that the hearing on the merits would rest on an agreed statement of facts. The specific offense with which defendant is charged is embodied in certain traffic regulations of the city of Providence, namely, TR-WO-2907, which were introduced into evidence without objection by defendant. For convenience TR-WO-2907 is attached as an appendix. A diagram of the area in which the alleged offense occurred was also introduced in evidence without objection and defendant testified briefly in his own behalf by sketching on it the path of his automobile and that of the police officer at the time and place involved in this case. The pertinent facts as they appear in the complaint and in the transcript are that on May 28, 1963, while driving in an easterly direction along Pocasset avenue, a two-way highway approximately 33 feet wide, defendant pulled out from a line of several vehicles, all pointed east, which were stopped at a red light at the intersection ahead; that he crossed the center of the highway, drove past the stopped vehicles, then pulled over to the right side of the highway, and stopped at the head of the line of traffic within the crosswalk at the intersection of Webster and Pocasset avenues; that a policeman in a police car came alongside defendant while he was stopped within the crosswalk; and that when the light turned green, he turned north (left) into Webster avenue and pulled over to the right-hand curb as directed by the officer. No traffic was approaching in the opposite direction and it is admitted that the right half of the highway was not closed to traffic while under construction or repair; nor does it appear that the roadway in this area was designated and posted for one-way traffic. Under his exception to the decision overruling the plea in abatement defendant contends that by virtue of §§ 31-15-1, 31-15-2, 31-15-5 and 31-15-6, the portions of the motor vehicle code act regulating certain rules of the road, the state has pre-empted the field of the mode of regulating vehicular traffic and local authorities have no right, therefore, to enact identical regulations. We shall assume, without deciding, that a plea in abatement is a proper plea to raise the instant issue. We hold that this exception is without merit. Before reaching the question of pre-emption, it may be helpful to point out that State v. Berberian, 80 R.I. 444, and State v. Pascale, 86 R.I. 182, are not germane to the issue before us here. In those cases local regulations were in conflict with state provisions. In the case at bar the local traffic regulations are exact duplications of specific state statutes prescribing rules of the road. There is no inconsistency between the pertinent provisions of the local traffic regulations and the statutory provisions. Section 45-6-6 provides as follows: "Offenses punishable by state law. No ordinance or regulation whatsoever, made by a town council, shall impose or at any time be construed to continue to impose, any penalty for the commission or omission of any act punishable as a crime, misdemeanor or offense, by the statute law of the state." This section applies to cities as well as to towns. See Petition of Baxter, 12 R.I. 13. But in our opinion § 45-6-6, insofar as it relates to ordinances involving traffic regulations, has become inoperative by virtue of the motor vehicle code act. The question whether there has been a pre-emption in a given field is always one of legislative intent. See Wood v. Peckham, 80 R.I. 479, 483, where the court stated the rule in very clear and precise language as follows: A careful reading of the motor vehicle code act clearly indicates a legislative intent and policy to create uniformity in applying the rules and regulations pertaining to the operation of motor vehicles throughout the state. See Anno. 147 A.L.R. 522. Indeed § 31-12-11, providing specifically for uniformity of application, reads as follows: There is nothing in the language of § 31-12-12 indicating a legislative intent to prohibit the enactment of local regulations which do not conflict with the motor vehicle code act. See State v. Berberian and State v. Pascale, both supra. Moreover the legislature also expressly authorized local authorities by § 31-12-12 to adopt "such other traffic regulations as are specifically authorized by chapters 12 to 27, inclusive, of this title." Public laws 1948, chap. 2067, a special act authorizing the city council of Providence to establish a traffic engineering department, is another guide-post indicating a lack of legislative intent to pre-empt this field. By sec. 3 (c) of that act the traffic engineer may be vested by the city council with authority, insofar as is pertinent here, to: We conclude that the state has not pre-empted this area of traffic regulation and we find no conflict between the local regulations and any section of the motor vehicle code act. Indeed the legislature has expressly authorized the enactment of the regulations upon which the instant complaint is predicated. Section 45-6-6 is not applicable here. We come now to defendant's exception to the decision finding him guilty as charged. We note again that the complaint charges him with operating an automobile upon the left half of a roadway in violation of the local traffic regulations. On this record we find no error in the decision of the trial justice finding the defendant guilty as charged. The defendant's exceptions are overruled, and the case is remitted to the superior court for further proceedings. CONDON, C. J., and POWERS, J., not participating. Dear Commissioner Lennon: In order to define more clearly the rules of the road which concern the proper manner of the use of the streets of Providence, the following traffic regulations are hereby established: 1. Right Half of Road Upon all roadways of sufficient width a vehicle shall be driven upon the right half of the roadway except as follows: 2. Streets Laned for Traffic Whenever any roadway has been divided into clearly marked lanes for traffic, drivers of vehicles shall obey the following regulations: 3. Passing of Vehicles Proceeding in Opposite Directions Drivers of vehicles proceeding in opposite directions shall pass each other to the right; and upon roadways having width for not more than one (1) line of traffic in *469 each direction, each driver shall give to the other at least one half of the main traveled portion of the roadway as nearly as possible. 4. Passing of Vehicles Proceeding in the Same Direction The driver of a vehicle overtaking another vehicle proceeding in the same direction shall pass to the left thereof at a safe distance and shall not again drive to the right side of the highway until safely clear of the overtaken vehicle, provided that: