Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of presiding justice of the superior court, or whenever the presiding justice shall be unable by reason of illness to perform the duties of his office, the associate justice of the superior court having precedence who is present and qualified to act shall perform the duties of the office until the vacancy shall be filled or the inability removed. In the event that the presiding justice determines that his or her absence will prevent him or her from performing the duties of his or her office, he or she shall designate an associate justice to perform the duties during the period of his or her absence.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 8-3-4
Vacancy in office, inability, or absence of presiding justice of superior court
C.P.A. 1905, § 32; G.L. 1909, ch. 274, § 5; G.L. 1923, ch. 324, § 5; P.L. 1932, ch. 1878, § 1; G.L. 1938, ch. 497, § 5; G.L. 1956, § 8-3-4; P.L. 1965, ch. 98, § 1; P.L. 1980, ch…
Official source: Rhode Island General Assembly. Reproduced from public-domain Rhode Island statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.