The assistant attorney general who told Newport police officers they would regret arresting her on Aug. 14 will be off the job without pay through February 2026, the AG’s office announced Monday.
Special Assistant Attorney General Devon Hogan Flanagan’s suspension length comes ahead of her arraignment Wednesday morning in Newport County District Court, where she faces a misdemeanor trespassing charge.
Flanagan was arrested around 10 p.m. Aug. 14 outside the Clarke Cooke House after she had refused to leave the Bannister’s Wharf restaurant and bar with a friend. Body camera footage, which has since gone viral, shows the 34-year-old repeatedly demanding officers turn off their body cameras and insisting, “I’m an AG.”
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha’s office began a review of the incident upon learning of Flanagan’s arrest, with Neronha calling her behavior “inexcusable.” Neronha said he personally met with Flanagan Monday, where he formally placed her on leave from her $112,920-a-year job for the next six months.
“We hold our attorneys to the highest personal and professional standards, and Ms. Flanagan plainly did not meet those standards here,” Neronha said in a statement. “I sincerely hope she takes this time to reflect on the seriousness of her conduct and makes corrective changes in her life.”
“She has a long road ahead of her, but I believe that in the long run, our worst moments can inspire us to become better people,” he continued.
Flanagan has since written apology letters to each officer involved, attorney general’s office spokesperson Timothy Rondeau confirmed in an email Tuesday. He said copies were not available, while the Newport Police Department declined to release them.
The Clarke Cooke House seems to be doing just fine following the incident. It’s now serving a non-alcoholic “I’m an A.G. Bellini.” The mocktail is made with non-alcoholic sparkling wine, peach nectar and simple syrup served on the rocks.
One server who declined to give her name said it’s still yet to dominate sales. “I think people are too afraid to order it,” she said.
Flanagan is scheduled to be arraigned before Judge J. Terence Houlihan Jr. at 9 a.m. Wednesday, according to online records. She has retained Newport-based Kevin Hagan, who declined to comment on his client’s case Tuesday afternoon.
If convicted, Flanagan could be fined up to $1,000 and face up to one year in prison.
This story was originally published by the Rhode Island Current.
