Superior Court of Rhode Island August 16, 2001, C.A. No. PC1999-3391, PC2000-0120, PC2000-5386, and PC2001-0150 (Maguire v. Licht, 1999-3391 (2001))

DECISION To avoid unnecessary costs and delay, the above-captioned cases have been consolidated pursuant to Rule 42 (a) for the sole purpose of considering and deciding the constitutionality of G.L. 1956 §9-19-34.1. In each of these medical-malpractice cases, the plaintiffs have moved to strike their respective defendants' affirmative defenses to the extent that each relies upon § 9-19-34.