Out on the circuit Tuesday, I visited three venues characteristic of Rhode Island politics: a corruption trial, a news conference on poverty, and a primary night victory party. The celebration was in state Sen. Maryellen Goodwin’s apartment above the Russell J. Boyle & Son Funeral Home near the State House.

The corruption case in Judge Mary Lisi’s U.S. District Court room is a retrial of two former Roger Williams Medical Center executives, Robert Urciuoli and Frances Driscoll. Their 2006 convictions were overturned because of flawed jury instructions.

Over the years, I’ve spent so much time in Lisi’s courtroom I sometimes feel I’m on trial. But, sure, it’s easier on me than, say, former Providence Mayor Joseph Paolino, Urciuoli’s brother-in-law, who was on hand Tuesday with other family members.

At Urciuoli’s arraignment almost three years ago, the former hospital president told me quietly, “We’ll get through it.”

On Tuesday, he remembered that, and now he said, “Here we are.” This time, he said, “Hopefully … we’ll get the verdict we’re looking for.”

Of course, according to the prosecutors, the verdict should be guilty. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan told jurors that Urciuoli “bought himself a state senator” and Driscoll, who was a hospital vice president, “helped him do it.” The senator in question is John Celona, formerly of North Providence, now of federal prison.

But Michael Connolly, Urciuoli’s lawyer, told the jury that everything was on the up and up. I was already getting a headache — this sounded a lot like the mind-numbing CVS trial in which Celona also figured — and claustrophobic. Rhode Island is so tiny. There was a passing reference in the opening statements to Senate President Joseph Montalbano, and several to Thomas Lynch, a former Blue Cross official. Only hours earlier, on my morning downtown walk, I ran into Montalbano’s father, Anthony. As we chatted, who should join us but Lynch?

The poverty event was at the Jewish Community Center. Representatives of the state’s Protestant, Catholic and Jewish communities debuted an interfaith coalition to mobilize concern and cut poverty in half within 10 years. Officials and candidates are asked to pledge support.

The slogan is “Fighting Poverty With Faith.” Why not? Nothing else has worked.

It’s easy to get a pol to sign a pledge. But holding him or her to it can be maddening. The Rev. Donald Anderson of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches told me religious leaders have to make sure their congregants pressure lawmakers to act: “If that doesn’t happen,” he said, “then shame on us.”

At night I stopped by Maryellen Goodwin’s to catch the returns in her Senate District 1 Democratic primary race against Keven McKenna. Her undertaker dad, Thomas, who once held the seat, still works at the funeral home, but he and his wife, Patricia, moved out and Maryellen, 43, now has the apartment to herself.

I thought it an unusual place for an election party, but the senator told me, “This is who I am.” Her boyfriend, former Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty, was there, as was, yes, President Montalbano. Majority Leader M. Teresa Paiva Weed, a Goodwin pal who came all the way from Newport, said, “I can’t imagine not being here.”

The kitchen was a frenzy of whoops and hollers as runners arrived with results, cell phones came alive, and Rep. John McCauley posted the figures.

Goodwin loped to victory — “I am overwhelmed with happiness” — and Mayor David Cicilline came by, adding to her joy.

M. Charles Bakst is The Journal’s political columnist.

mbakst@projo.com