R.I. Supreme Court rules accused child killer should stay jailed, puts hearing into Cranston police tactics on hold

By Katie MulvaneyPROVIDENCE, R.I -- The R.I. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a man accused of killing his girlfriend's 6-year-old son should remain behind bars and put on hold proceedings into whether Cranston police deliberately made false statements to secure search warrants to investigate the child's death.

The court, in part, upheld Superior Court Judge Judith Savage, who found this month that Michael Patino should remain held as he awaits trial on charges he killed Marco Nieves in 2009.

The court, however, overturned Savage's refusal to postpone proceedings examining whether police intentionally misled a judge in seeking warrants.

The state is appealing Savage's Sept. 4 ruling striking much of its evidence and faulting police for illegally searching cell phones and using heavy-handed methods to question Patino.