Rhode Island General Laws

R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-7-4 (2026)

Bribery of agent, employee, or public official

✓ current as of July 2026
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(a) No person shall corruptly give or offer any gift or valuable consideration to any person in public or private employ, or any public official as an inducement or reward for doing or forebearing to do, or for having done or forborne to do, any act in relation to the business of his or her principal, master, or employer, or the state, city, or town of which he or she is an official, or for showing or forbearing to show favor or disfavor to any person in relation to the business of his or her principal, master, employer, or state, city, or town of which he or she is an official.

(b) It shall not be a defense to a prosecution under this section that the person did not have the power or authority to perform the act or omission for which the reward or inducement was offered, solicited, accepted, or agreed upon.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 6 cases, 1971–1998 · leading case: Roma Constr. Co. & Peter Zanni v. Ralph R. Arusso, 96 F.3d 566 (1st Cir. 1996).
Roma Constr. Co. & Peter Zanni v. Ralph R. Arusso, 96 F.3d 566 (1st Cir. 1996). · cites it 3× “at 81 -82 (citing R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-7-4 (1994) and Model Penal Code § 240.”
Roma Const. Co., Inc. v. aRUSSO, 906 F. Supp. 78 (D.R.I. 1995). · cites it 3× “” R.I.Gen.Laws § 11-7-4 (1994). Although it is not necessary to determine here whether the plaintiffs are criminally hable under this section of the Rhode Island General Laws, it is important to note that denial of the defendants’ purported extortion defense is correct as a…”
United States v. Louis Parise, Jr., 159 F.3d 790 (3rd Cir. 1998). “§ 4108; Rhode Island, see R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-7-4(1956); South Carolina, see S.”
State v. Parente, 460 A.2d 430 (R.I. 1983). “In addition, the grand jury returned an indictment against Roberts charging him with bribing a public official (defendant) in violation of § 11-7-4. Prior to trial, Adams entered into an agreement with the Attorney General’s office and received immunity from prosecution in…”
State v. Palmigiano, 295 A.2d 44 (R.I. 1972). “1956 (1969 Reenactment) §11-7-4. The case was tried to a jury in the Superior Court, which returned a verdict of guilty.”
Palmigiano v. Howard, 278 A.2d 872 (R.I. 1971). “1956, §11-7-4, charges a felony or a mis' demeanor, as raised by paragraph 1 of the petition; (2) whether the imposition of a sentence to be served at the conclusion of a life sentence is ultra vires of the sentencing justice’s jurisdiction, as alleged in paragraph 2 of the…”
— R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-7-4(1956) — 1 case
United States v. Louis Parise, Jr., 159 F.3d 790 (3rd Cir. 1998). “§ 4108; Rhode Island, see R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-7-4(1956); South Carolina, see S.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.