Providence municipal judge dismisses several traffic citations; defendant’s dog draws courtroom praise

PROVIDENCE — At a morning session in the Municipal Court of Providence, the judge dismissed multiple traffic citations and closed two cases after brief explanations from defendants and agreement by the prosecuting inspector.

Michael Santagata, appearing in court with a Lhasa Apso, told the judge he did not commit three red‑light violations and said he had retrieved a rental car that had been reported stolen. The judge ordered all three citations dismissed on payment of $35 in court costs, stating, “You had 3 of them, so I'm actually dismissing all 3 upon payment of $35 court cost.”

Santagata spoke directly about the circumstances: according to his account in court, he had gone at 3:00 a.m. to locate a rental car a customer’s driver had not returned and returned it to Enterprise. He also mentioned a family matter, saying a brother had been missing for about two weeks. Santagata introduced the dog during the hearing; the animal’s presence and behavior prompted an exchange in which Santagata said, “people can learn a lot from an animal. 1, loyalty and 2, forgiveness.” The judge praised the dog and closed that matter after the cost arrangement.

Later in the docket, the judge took up a 05/14/2021 speeding camera charge in a school zone. The court reviewed whether school activities justified enforcement at 5:58 p.m. Inspector Quinn, the prosecuting attorney for the city of Woonsocket who appeared in court, agreed with the judge’s view that students were unlikely to be present at that time. The judge dismissed the school‑zone violation.

Other brief exchanges included routine identification of parties and some informal remarks between the judge, the defendants and Inspector Quinn. The docket did not record any formal motions, votes, or fines beyond the $35 court cost tied to the dismissed red‑light citations. No case dates or further scheduling were announced on the record.