The United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island has selected Assistant Federal Defender Rebecca L. Aitchison to serve as a full-time U.S. Magistrate Judge, according to the Court's press release.
Aitchison has spent her career in indigent criminal defense, working seven years as a trial lawyer in the Rhode Island Public Defender’s Office before joining the Federal Defenders Office.
Ms. Aitchison has served for ten years on the Executive Committee of the Rhode Island Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Roger Williams University School of Law, where she teaches Criminal Litigation: Written and Oral Advocacy.
Districts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island Chief Federal Defender Tara I. Allen praised Ms. Aitchison’s exceptional public service, sound judgment, intellect, and unwavering commitment to fairness and equal justice, noting that these qualities have distinguished her throughout her career and will serve the court and community exceedingly well in this new role.
She will begin the role in October 2026.
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