Vanessa Carlton and John McCauley Bring Noise Complaint Case to Rhode Island Supreme Court

Vanessa Carlton and John McCauley appeared before the Rhode Island Supreme Court on Thursday. The hearing was part of their ongoing legal dispute with neighbors over noise complaints at their home in the state.

The case was heard with an unusual audience. Hundreds of local high school students were present in the courtroom as observers, part of an educational initiative by the court system.

The conflict has been a public matter for several years. Carlton, known for the song “A Thousand Miles,” and McCauley, frontman of the band Deer Tick, have been engaged in a back-and-forth with neighbors who have filed complaints about noise from their property. Previous rulings in lower courts have gone against the musicians.

Their appeal to the state’s highest court represents a final legal step in the long-running neighborhood dispute. The court’s decision, which will come at a later date, will determine whether the prior rulings stand.