R.I. Sup. Ct. R. Art. III, R. 12

(a) Upon the filing with this Court

of a certified copy of an order demonstrating that an attorney has been convicted of

a crime which is punishable by imprisonment for more than one year in this or any

other jurisdiction, this Court may direct the respondent-attorney to show cause why

he or she should not be suspended during the pendency of any appeal and until the

final disposition of any disciplinary proceeding instituted against him or her based

upon such conviction.

(b) A certificate of a conviction of an attorney for such a crime shall be

conclusive evidence of the conviction of that crime in any disciplinary proceeding

instituted against him or her based upon the conviction.

(c) Upon the receipt of a certificate of conviction of an attorney for such a

crime, this Court may, in addition to any order of suspension it may enter in

accordance with the provisions of (a) above, also refer the matter to the Board for

the institution of a formal disciplinary proceeding in which the sole issue to be

determined shall be the extent of the discipline to be imposed, provided that a

disciplinary proceeding so instituted will not be brought to hearing until all appeals

from the conviction are concluded.

(d) Upon receipt of a certificate of a conviction of any attorney for a crime other

than a crime referred to in (a) above, this Court shall take such action as it deems

warranted.

(e) An attorney suspended under the provisions of (a) above will be reinstated

immediately upon the filing with this Court of a certificate demonstrating that the

underlying conviction for such a crime has been reversed or vacated, but the

reinstatement will not terminate any formal proceeding then pending against the

attorney.

(f) The Clerk of any court within the State in which an attorney is convicted of

any crime shall, within ten (10) days of said conviction, transmit a certificate

thereof to this Court.

(g) Upon being advised that an attorney has been convicted of a crime within

this State, Counsel shall determine whether the Clerk of the Court where the

conviction occurred has forwarded a certificate to this Court in accordance with the

provisions of (f) above. If the certificate has not been forwarded by the Clerk, or if

the conviction occurred in another jurisdiction, it shall be the responsibility of

Counsel to obtain a certificate of the conviction and to transmit it to this Court.