R.I. Gen. Laws § 8-8-22: Statutory references to earlier courts.

Whenever in any statute reference is made to justice courts, trial justices or clerks of the justice courts of the different cities and towns, district courts, justices of district courts, and clerks of district courts, that statute shall be taken and construed to refer to the district court created by this chapter and its judges and clerks. Whenever in any statute reference is made to a particular predecessor court, that statute shall be taken and construed to refer to the division of the district court which embraces the territory of the predecessor court.