R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-14-2
The city of Newport is authorized and empowered to fix any fines that the Newport city council may, from time to time, establish for violation of traffic ordinances. The city council may designate the police department for the purpose of collecting any fines, when the offender desires to dispose of the charge without personal appearance in court within seven (7) days from notification of the fine. The police department is authorized to receive the fines, directly or by mail, from any person charged with violation of any provision of the ordinances of the city relating to traffic, and the money so received and collected shall be turned over by the police to the director of finance of the city. All charges, records and payments shall be immediately entered by the police in their books, containing records of the violations, their disposition, and money received as fines shall be audited not less than once every three (3) months by the finance director of the city. In the event the offender refuses or neglects to dispose of the charges within seven (7) days, then he or she shall be brought before the district court of the state of Rhode Island, second division, for trial and for any disposition of the case that the court may decide to be proper, in which case, the provisions of § 12-14-1, relating to fines and their disposition, shall prevail.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-14-2