Supreme Court of Rhode Island

State v. Joseph Coletta

July 9, 2025

Summary

The court affirmed the defendant’s convictions after concluding that his post-arrest statement was voluntary and that any delay in presentment did not cause the statement. It also upheld exclusion of the proposed false-confessions expert because the defendant made no threshold showing that the testimony involved valid scientific evidence. The court further determined that the trial justice properly evaluated the evidence and credibility in denying a new trial.