No. A standard speeding ticket in Rhode Island is a civil violation, not a crime. It is handled at the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal, and the consequences are a fine, a mark on your driving record, and possible insurance and license effects, with no criminal record and no jail. This is very different from criminal driving offenses like reckless driving or DUI, which are prosecuted in District Court and can leave you with a permanent record. There is a limit to this, though. Extreme speed, especially when combined with dangerous driving, can be charged as reckless driving or driving to endanger, which are criminal. But an ordinary speeding ticket, even at a fairly high speed, is a civil matter you contest at the Traffic Tribunal.
