§ 10-9-4. Issuance of writ - Forms. (a) The court or justice to whom the complaint shall be made shall, without delay, award and issue a writ of habeas corpus; if against any sheriff or deputy sheriff of this state, or against the warden of any correctional institution in this state, or against any marshal or deputy marshal of the United States, it shall be substantially in the following form:

The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

SC.

(SEAL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . To . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Greeting:

We command you, that the body of . . . . . . . . . . of . . . . . . . . . ., in your custody (or, by you imprisoned or restrained of his or her liberty, as the case may be), as it is said, together with the day and cause of his or her taking and detaining by whatsoever name the said . . . . . . . . . . shall be called or charged, you have before our supreme (or superior as the case may be) court, held at . . . . . . . . . . immediately after the receipt of this writ, to do and receive what our court shall then and there consider concerning him or her in this behalf, and have there this writ.

Witness, the seal of the . . . . . . . . . . court at . . . . . . . . . . this day of . . . . . . . . . ., in the year . . . . . . . . . . .

Or, witness my hand this . . . . . . . . . . day of . . . . . . . . . . in the year . . . . . . . . . . . Justice of the . . . . . . . . . . court.

(b) And if not against an officer as described in subsection (a), it shall be substantially in the following form:

The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

SC.

To the sheriffs of our several counties and their deputies, . . . . . . . . . .

(SEAL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Greeting:

We command you, that the body of . . . . . . . . . . of . . . . . . . . . . by . . . . . . . . . . of . . . . . . . . . . imprisoned or restrained of his or her liberty, as it is said, you take and have before our supreme (or superior, as the case may be) court, held at . . . . . . . . . . immediately after the receipt of this writ, to do and receive whatever the court shall then consider concerning him or her in this behalf, and summon the said . . . . . . . . . . then and there to appear before our said court to show the cause of the taking and detaining of the said . . . . . . . . . . and have you there this writ with your doings thereon.

Witness, the seal of the . . . . . . . . . . court at . . . . . . . . . . this . . . . . . . . . . day of . . . . . . . . . . in the year . . . . . . . . . . ., Clerk.

Or, witness my hand this . . . . . . . . . . day of . . . . . . . . . . in the year . . . . . . . . . . . Justice of the . . . . . . . . . . court.

History of Section. (C.P.A. 1905, § 655; G.L. 1909, ch. 305, § 4; G.L. 1923, ch. 356, § 4; G.L. 1938, ch. 584, § 4; impl. am. P.L. 1956, ch. 3721, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 10-9-4; P.L. 1974, ch. 220, § 1; P.L. 1997, ch. 326, § 169.)