Conviction of former RI prison guard upheld - ABC6 - Providence, RI and New Bedford, MA News, Weather

Conviction of former RI prison guard upheld

By News Staff

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - The Rhode Island Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of a former prison guard who got nine months behind bars for assaulting three inmates at the Adult Correctional Institutions.

In a ruling released Friday, the high court denied Kenneth Viveiros' motion for a new trial, saying there was enough evidence to convict him on four counts of simple assault.

Viveiros had also argued that he should have been tried separately from fellow guard Gualter Botas, who was also convicted of assaulting inmates, and said the trial judge gave confusing instructions to the jury.

The high court said the jury instructions were proper, and that Viveiros did not show he was denied a fair trial when he was tried with his fellow guard.