Supreme Court of Rhode Island

State v. Justin Chandler

March 17, 2026

Summary

The Supreme Court vacated Justin Chandler's conviction and remanded for a new trial, holding that the trial court erred in admitting prejudicial text messages, that its cautionary instructions were ineffective, and that the error was not harmless. The Court also found the issue was properly preserved and reviewed under an abuse‑of‑discretion standard.