--- title: "Jeanne E. LaFazia | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jeanne-e-lafazia-chief-judge-rhode-island-district-court-ri" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Jeanne E. LaFazia Rhode Island District Court · Chief Judge ## Profile - Court: Rhode Island District Court - State: Rhode Island - Role: Chief Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-26 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - The Chief Judge of the Rhode Island District Court for eight years, making history as the first woman to hold the position, before retiring in 2026 after more than 16 years on the bench - Chief Judge of RI District Court, appointed February 12, 2010 by Donald Carcieri, first woman to lead it - She held the role of an associate judge in the Third Division (Kent County) before being named Chief Judge in 2010 by Governor Donald Carcieri, becoming the first woman to lead the court. - Lincoln Almond appointed her District Court associate judge 2002 - Before joining the judiciary, she was managing partner at Gunning & LaFazia in Providence, practicing alongside her father, Ramond LaFazia. ### Education - Boston University — Boston University; bio-7ed43e84d280; user_supplied_research - Suffolk University Law School — Suffolk University Law School; bio-7ed43e84d280; user_supplied_research ### Additional information - She held the chief judgeship until her retirement in 2026 - Third Division/Kent County 2002–2010. - Joined the Rhode Island District Court in 2002 by then‐Governor Lincoln Almond. - She also served on the Rhode Island Parole Board (1997–2002) and the Commission on Judicial Tenure and Discipline (1996–2002) - Birth July 16, 1954 not directly verified. - She emphasized mental health as a major societal challenge and applied her parole board experience to judicial reform - Judicial conference planning cochair, Judicial Conduct task force, District Court Bench Bar committee and Pro Bono Collaborative advisory board. - Educational background includes Boston University ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### cell phone use Scope: courtwide Rhode Island Supreme Court courthouse rules prohibit cellular telephone use in courtrooms and prohibit cell-phone camera and video use in the courthouse. Evidence excerpt: Cellular telephone use is strictly prohibited in the courtrooms. Cellular telephone camera and video is strictly prohibited in the courthouse. [Supreme Court Courthouse Rules](https://www.courts.ri.gov/Public-Resources/Documents/Your%20Day%20In%20Court/Courthouse%20Rules%20February%205,%202024.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### recording equipment Scope: courtwide Rhode Island courthouse rules list photographic and audio-visual equipment, including cameras and audio or video recorders, as prohibited items. Evidence excerpt: No photographic or audio-visual equipment of any type, including cameras, video, or audio recorders or players. [Supreme Court Courthouse Rules](https://www.courts.ri.gov/Public-Resources/Documents/Your%20Day%20In%20Court/Courthouse%20Rules%20February%205,%202024.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courts.ri.gov/Public-Resources/Documents/JudicialRoster.pdf) - [Official roster](https://www.courts.ri.gov/Public-Resources/Documents/JudicialRoster.pdf) - [Rhode Island Judiciary official judicial roster](https://www.courts.ri.gov/Public-Resources/Documents/JudicialRoster.pdf) - [Calendars and Public Access to Court Hearings](https://www.courts.ri.gov/Pages/PublicAccessCourtHearings.aspx) - [Supreme Court Courthouse Rules](https://www.courts.ri.gov/Public-Resources/Documents/Your%20Day%20In%20Court/Courthouse%20Rules%20February%205,%202024.pdf) - [Supreme Court Courthouse Rules, revised February 2024](https://www.courts.ri.gov/Public-Resources/Documents/Your%20Day%20In%20Court/Courthouse%20Rules%20February%205,%202024.pdf) - [opengov.sos.ri.gov](https://opengov.sos.ri.gov/GOVDirectoryPublic/ViewGOVDirectoryDetails?RelationID=174&EntityID=874&page=DetailJudge) - [prabook.com](https://prabook.com/web/jeanne_e.lafazia/2857090) - [ballotpedia.org](https://ballotpedia.org/Jeanne_E._LaFazia) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jeanne-e-lafazia-chief-judge-rhode-island-district-court-ri", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jeanne-e-lafazia-chief-judge-rhode-island-district-court-ri", "name": "Jeanne E. 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