Paul Suttell
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Contents |
Paul Suttell (January 10, 1949) is a justice on the Rhode Island Supreme Court. In 2003, Republican Governor Donald Carcieri appointed Suttell to the Supreme Court. The justices of the Rhode Island Supreme Court hold office for life.
Legal education
Justice Suttell is a 1976 graduate of Suffolk University Law School and a 1971 graduate of Northwestern University.
Legal career
Justice Suttell was elected as State Representative, serving from 1983 to 1990 and as Deputy Minority Leader from 1985 to 1990. He was a Delegate to Republican National Convention in 1988. Suttell was appointed as an Associate Justice, of the Rhode Island Family Court, serving from 1990 to 2003. He served as Director of the Rhode Island Agricultural Lands Preservation and as Legal Counsel to House Minority Leader from 1979 to 1982. He was also active in the Newport County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Notable rulings
Breathalyzer penalties
In June 2008 the Supreme Court ruled that stronger penalties approved in 2006 apply to motorists who refuse to take Breathalyzer tests, according to The Providence Journal's Edward Fitzpatrick. The court rejected the argument that new penalties were wiped out when Governor Carcieri signed a budget bill containing the law’s old language. Justice Paul A. Suttell began the court’s 13-page opinion with a quote: “If you like laws and sausage, you should never watch either one being made.”[1]
External links
- Biography of Paul Suttell from RI SOS website
- Carcieri Swears in Paul Suttell as Supreme Court Justice
