News In Brief

Providence mayor gets suspended jail terms

Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr. was sentenced Monday to two suspended jail sentences for his no-contest pleas to charges he assaulted a man he believed was having an affair with his estranged wife.

The action clears the way for the Providence City Council to declare his seat vacant and appoint a successor.

Superior Court John Judge John P. Bourcier gave Mr. Cianci a five-year suspended prison sentence for the felony count of assault with a deadly weapon and a one-year sentence for the misdemeanor, a simple-assault count. He also placed Cianci on six years' probation.

In exchange for his no-contest pleas, the state dropped kidnapping and extortion charges against him.