punishment prescribed by law. All indictments found by grand juries shall be returned into the court.

provided in § 8-8-3.1 and chapter 8.1 of this title, wherein the amount in controversy does not exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000); (2) All actions between landlords and tenants pursuant to chapter 18 of title 34 and all other actions for possession of premises and estates notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c) of this section; (3) All actions of replevin where the goods and chattels to be replevied are of the value of five thousand dollars ($5,000) or less; (4) All violations of minimum housing standards whether established by chapter 24.3 of title 45 or by any municipal ordinance, rule, or regulation passed pursuant to the authority granted either by chapter 24.2 of title 45 or by special act of the general assembly governing minimum housing standards; except that in the event the city of Providence or town of North Providence shall by ordinance create a court for the purpose of exercising jurisdiction over violations of minimum housing standards, Providence Municipal Zoning Code and the Rhode Island State Building Code, chapter 27.3 of title 23, concerning properties which are not owned by the state, upon enactment of the ordinance, that court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction of violations of the above listed codes and standards as defined herein occurring within the city of Providence or the town of North Providence, and the district court shall be without jurisdiction over those actions; (5) All suits and complaints for offenses against the bylaws, ordinances, and regulations of cities and towns whether passed by the cities or towns or under the law by the properly constituted authorities thereof; (6) All other actions, proceedings, and matters of whatever nature which are or shall be declared to be within the jurisdiction of the court by the laws of the state.

(b) The district court shall also have any special jurisdiction which is or may be conferred by charter or law upon justices of the peace if no special court exists or is created by charter or law for that purpose.

(c) The district court shall have concurrent original jurisdiction with the superior court of all civil actions at law wherein the amount in controversy exceeds the sum of five thousand dollars ($5,000) and does not exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000); Provided, however, that in any such action, any one or more defendants may in the answer to the complaint demand removal of the action to the superior court, in which event the action shall proceed as if it had been filed originally in the superior court.

(d) The district court shall have special jurisdiction to grant relief as set forth under § 15-15-4(b)(1).

for higher education regulations regarding parking, standing, or stopping in areas under the jurisdiction of said agencies, all violations of state statutes relating to motor vehicles, littering and traffic offenses, except those traffic offenses committed in places within the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States, and except driving so as to endanger resulting in death, driving so as to endanger resulting in personal injury, driving while under the influence of liquor or drugs, driving while under the influence of liquor or drugs resulting in death, driving while under the influence of liquor or drugs resulting in serious bodily injury, reckless driving and other offenses against public safety as provided in § 31-27-4, eluding a law enforcement officer with a motor vehicle in a high speed pursuit, driving after denial, suspension or revocation of license, and leaving the scene of an accident in violation of § 31-26-1 and § 31-26-2, and driving without the consent of the owner and possession of a stolen motor vehicle in violation of § 31-9-1 and § 31-9-2, shall be heard and determined by the traffic tribunal pursuant to the regulations promulgated by the chief magistrate of the traffic tribunal; provided, however, the traffic tribunal shall not hear any parking, standing or stopping violations which occur in any city or town which has established its own municipal court and has jurisdiction over such violations. Nothing contained herein shall abrogate the powers of the Rhode Island family court under the provisions of chapter 1 of title 14.

(b) Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law, the traffic tribunal shall have concurrent jurisdiction to hear and determine, pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the chief magistrate of the traffic tribunal, all violations of any ordinances, rules and regulations governing the public waters and the speed, management and control of all vessels and the size, type and location and use of all anchorages and moorings within the jurisdiction of the towns of North Kingstown, South Kingstown, Portsmouth, Middletown, Narragansett and Tiverton enforced and supervised by the harbormaster and referred to the traffic tribunal, and the terms traffic violations and traffic infraction when used in this chapter shall include the aforesaid violations and such violations shall be adjudicated in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. Nothing contained herein shall abrogate the powers of the Rhode Island coastal management council under the provisions of chapter 23 of title 46.

(c) Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law, the traffic tribunal shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine, pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the chief magistrate of the Rhode Island traffic tribunal, all civil violations for §§ 20-1-12, 20-11-20, 20-16-17, 23-22.5-9, 32-2-4, subparagraphs 21-28-4.01(c)(2)(iii) and 21-28-4.01(c)(2)(iv) and subsection 46-22-19(1) as set forth in § 42-17.10-1.

(d) A party aggrieved by a final order of the traffic tribunal appeals panel shall be entitled to a review of the order by a judge of the district court. Unless otherwise provided in the rules of procedure of the district court, such review shall be on the record and appellate in nature. The district court shall by rules of procedure establish procedures for review of an order entered by the appeals panel of the traffic tribunal.

(e) Violations of any statute, rule, ordinance or regulation referenced in this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4, except for violations of subparagraphs 21-28-4.01(c)(2)(iii) and 21-28-4.01(c)(2)(iv).

prosecuted before a district court; if upwards of five hundred dollars ($500) in amount or value, before the superior court, unless otherwise specially provided.

prosecuted before a district court; if upwards of five hundred dollars ($500) in amount or value, before the superior court, unless otherwise specially provided.

issue writs of habeas corpus, of error, certiorari, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto and all other extraordinary and prerogative writs and processes necessary for the furtherance of justice and the due administration of the law; it may entertain informations in the nature of quo warranto and petitions in equity to determine title to any office; it shall have jurisdiction of petitions for trials and new trials, as provided by law, of bills of exceptions, appeals and certifications to the supreme court, and special cases in which parties having adversary interests concur in stating questions for the opinion of the court as provided by law; and it shall by general or special rules regulate the admission of attorneys to practice in all the courts of the state.