Case Name: State v. Thomas Firth
Court: Supreme Court of Rhode Island
Jurisdiction: Rhode Island
Decision Date: 1977-10-13
Citations: 119 R.I. 921
Docket Number: M. P. No. 77-213
Parties: State v. Thomas Firth.
Judges: Chief Justice Bevilacqua did not participate.
Reporter: Rhode Island Reports
Volume: 119
Pages: 921–921

Head Matter:
M. P. No. 77-213.
State v. Thomas Firth.
Julius C. Michaelson, Attorney General, Judith Romney Wegner, Special Assistant Attorney General, for plaintiff.
Bevilacqua ér Cicilline, John F. Cicilline, for defendant.

Opinion:
This case comes before us on a Rule 9 motion for release pending appeal. For that reason we do not review the action of the trial justice, but rather hear the motion de novo. The record supplied to us set forth the reasons for the trial justice's denial of bail pending appeal, and although his findings are not binding on us they are entitled to great weight if supported by competent evidence of probative force. See Quattrocchi v. Langlois, 100 R.I. 741, 219 A.2d 570 (1966). On examination of the record supplied by the parties, we agree with the trial justice's findings that the defendant's release would pose a threat to the community and that the severity of the sentence might cause the defendant to remove himself from the jurisdiction of the court. Accordingly, we deny the defendant's motion for release on bail pending appeal.
Chief Justice Bevilacqua did not participate.