Enrique Sosa v. City of Woonsocket

Syllabus

The defendant, the City of Woonsocket (the city), appealed from a judgment in favor of the plaintiff, Enrique Sosa, declaring that the city terminated the plaintiff's employment from the Woonsocket Police Department in violation of G.L. 1956 § 42-28.6-4 of the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights (LEOBOR). On appeal, the city asserted that the Superior Court did not have jurisdiction to issue declaratory relief in the matter because the plaintiff failed to join all interested parties. The city further argued that the plaintiff's admission to sufficient facts in a Massachusetts District Court equated to a plea of no contest to a felony under § 42 28.6-13(i) of LEOBOR, justifying immediate termination of his employment.<br><br>The Supreme Court concluded that Superior Court had the authority to proceed in the matter because the body of the plaintiff's complaint properly named the City of Woonsocket as the defendant. The Supreme Court held that the Presiding Justice correctly found that, because Rhode Island has no functional equivalent, the plaintiff's admission to sufficient facts continued without a finding in Massachusetts did not qualify as a plea of guilty or no contest pursuant to § 42-28.6-13(i).<br><br>Accordingly, the Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the Superior Court.<br><br><br>