"Moral turpitude" is a legally ambiguous term that has caused considerable confusion in Rhode Island. Currently, this antiquated term can be found in several professional licensing statutes as a basis on which to deny or revoke a person's professional license. However, exactly what this means is up for debate. The first definition of the phrase in the current edition of Black’s Law Dictionary is “conduct that is contrary to justice, honesty or morality.” Not terribly helpful, and certainly not very limiting.
While it has been many years since the General Assembly has enacted a license using this term, its existence highlights the need for better uniformity amoung State licensing statutes. No person should have to fear being denied entry into their profession or losing a license over this hopelessly vague term. The ACLU of Rhode Island testified in support of this legislation to eliminate its use from professional licensing statutes. Unfortunately, the bill failed to move out of either the House Judiciary or Senate Commerce committees.
