O'Dell v. Town of Tiverton


In O'Dell v. Town of Tiverton Stephen Hopkins Center for Civil Rights Attorneys represent sixteen plaintiffs in a suit arguing that the Town of Tiverton illegally broke the "Paiva-Weed" tax cap imposed by the Rhode Island General Laws. While this lawsuit remains active, on November 8th, 2011 Tiverton taxpayers and good government advocates won a hard fought battle at the polls on to replace the financial town meeting that was too often subject to capture by special interests, with a financial town referendum.  Stay tuned for the latest updates on this matter.

Essential Background

Legal Documents

Case Suggestions and Requests

The Stephen Hopkin's Center for Civil Rights provides free and reduced cost legal representation to Rhode Islanders whose constitutional rights are violated by government. Because our resources are limited, we must carefully choose among meritorious cases that will create broadly applicable precedents, with a primary focus on the Rhode Island Constitution.


We do not take the following types of cases:
  • criminal cases
  • cases against private parties
  • most cases involving financial claims against the government
  • fact-specific or factually complex cases that are not likely to produce broadly applicable precedents
  • cases involving governmental conspiracies
  • cases that are already in court
  • cases outside of Rhode Island

If you believe your case fits within the parameters for consideration, email info@hopkinscenter.org. Please give your contact information and relevant information regarding your case. Also, please note that we cannot take case inquiries over the phone or in person.

We welcome all inquiries, but due to the large number of inquiries submitted, we are not always able to respond to each one.  If your inquiry falls within our area of expertise, we will make every effort to respond as time and resources permit. Please understand that we cannot provide legal advice unless we agree to take your case.

Learn more about the Stephen Hopkins Center's legal cases here.

If you are interested in donating to the Stephen Hopkins Center for Civil Rights please E-mail info@hopkinscenter.org.