A former Newport police chief will not serve on town council, after a dispute about his eligibility.
A Superior Court judge decided Tuesday that the official misconduct conviction that ended Michael Capriglione's decades-long law enforcement career also disqualifies him from public office.
He was elected to town council last month, but was blocked from being sworn in, pending a decision on his eligibility.
Even though Capriglione was eligible under Newport’s charter, state Dept. of Justice officials argued official misconduct counts as an “infamous crime” under the state constitution. Superior Court President Judge Jan Jurden agreed.
While serving as Newport chief of police, Capriglione backed into another vehicle in the police department’s parking lot—then ordered the deletion of the surveillance video that showed it. In 2019 he pled guilty to charges of careless or inattentive driving and official misconduct.
