NMI JUDICIARY 2015 ANNUAL REPORT

NORTHERN MARIANAS JUDICIARY

2015 ANNUAL REPORT

Superior Court judges, Utah court retired Judge Steve Hansen and judiciary staff

STRUCKBY TYPHOON SOUDELOR

LAWANDTHE FRESHMAN LEGISLATOR

DRUG COURT TEAM

MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER

Tableof Contents M e ssa g e f r o m t h e Ch i e f 3 Ju st i c e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

H i g h l i g h t s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4. .

Su p r e m e Co u r t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Su p e r i o r Co u r t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ju d i c i a r y Ad m i n i st r a t i v e Of f i c e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

La w Re v i si o n Co m m i ssi o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ar o u n d t h e Ju d i c i a r y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ju d i c i a l Co u n c i l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

N o r t h e r n M a r i a n a s Ju d i c i a r y H i st o r i c a l So c i e t y . . . .

Re t i r e d Ju d g e H a n se n H e l p s Dr u g Co u r t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Li f e o f a La w Cl e r k ...................................................

Ad m i ssi o n s Ce r e m o n y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

La n g u a g e Ac c e ss Po l i c y a n d Pl a n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

In t he N e w s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

13 18 33 37 39 43 45 47 48 49 50 51

3

Th e Ju diciar y

| 2015 Annual Report

"WEWILLREMEMBER2015AS DIFFICULTBUTSURMOUNTABLEAYEARWHEREWEROSEABOVE THECHALLENGESTOGETHER."

M essage f r om t h e Ch ief Ju st ice This year has been one of the m ost challenging but r ew ar ding tim e for the Judiciar y and for the people of the Com m onw ealth. We have seen and exper ienced the devastating im pact of Typhoon Soudelor.

Never theless, even in the m idst of adver sity, the Judiciar y and its fam ilies and fr iends cam e together r estor ing Gum a' Hustisia.

Because of this, w e w er e able open our door s to the 19th Nor ther n JusticeCom Alexandro C. ealth Castro Legislatur e, the Office of the Attor ney MChief ar ianas m onw conducts meeting Defender with justices?sJohn A. Gener al, aPublic Office and M icr onesian Legal Ser vices Manglona and Perry B. Inos and Judge Cor por ation, pr oviding space, pow er , w ater , and inter net. Un Teresa K. Kim-Tenorio.

Dang'kulu na Si Yu'us m a'ase w ho m ade this possible, even w ith

HIGHLIGHTS

JA NUA RY The Commonwealth Judiciary conducted its sixth Law and the Freshman Legislator seminar on Thursday, January 7, 2015, at the Guma' Hustisia. The biennial half-day event included a condense course on the Covenant and Constitution, an overview of the judiciary process, and an opportunity for interactive dialogue between first-time representatives and members of the judiciary.

The freshman legislators in attendance included Senator Sixto K. Igisomar and representatives-elect Blas Jonathan "BJ" T. Attao, Angel A. Demapan, Joseph Leepan T. Guerrero, Glenn L. Maratita, Edwin K. Propst, Vinson Edward "Vinnie" F. Sablan, and Francis S. Taimanao.

Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro, standing, addressesthe judiciary in a general assembly held Friday, August 21, 2015 in the Supreme Court courtroom. Also in photo (from left): Judge Joseph N. Camacho, Justice John A. Manglona, Castro, Presiding Judge Roberto C. Naraja, Judge David A. Wiseman, Justice Perry B. Inos TheJudge LawTeresa and the Freshman Legislator and K. Kim-Tenorio.

seminar was sponsored by the NMI Judiciary Historical Society. (See more on page 47.)

"Now is the time for all three branches to come together..."

? CHI EF JU ST I CE A L EX A NDRO C. CA ST RO

Newly elected Attorney General Ed

Attorney General Ed Manibusan prepares to be sworn in

HIGHLIGHTS

APRIL-JUNE The 2015 Law Day Proclamation Signing and Attorney Admissions Ceremony were held on Thursday, April 23, 2015, in the Supreme Court courtroom.

Three applicants were sworn in - Kimberly Kay King-Hinds, A.Michailian T. McLoughlin, and Cong Nie. Ms. King-Hinds obtained her J.D. from the University of Hawaii, William S. Richardson School of Law. Mr. McLoughlin attended Golden Gate University School of Law. Mr Nie went to Vanderbilt Law School.

This year's Law Day theme was "Magna Carta: Symbol of Freedom Under Law." Law Day is celebrated on May 1st.

From the histor ic swear ing in of the fir st elected Attor ney Gener al to the success of the annual M ock Tr ial competition, the j udiciar y has many things to celebr ate. Scroll down the photo galler y, left, to view some snapshots.

HIGHLIGHTS

JULY

NETWORK F IBU ER TIC BLL ET SN O TOAPG ECJAO SAPJSUDICIARY SE RVICES An undersea, fiber-optic cable that supplies Internet connectivity to the July 8-27, 2015

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands snapped on July 8, 2015, taking tens of thousands of people offline.was The incident disconnected the Commonwealth's and Service - E-file internet, telecom, banking transactions, and airline flights. suspended by court order - Online legal research was affected - Payments of fines and fees were done manually - Video conferencing to Tinian and Rota were affected - Long distance service Video Source: were temporarily KUAMNEWS interrupted YouTube channel.

Th e Ju diciar y r em ain ed The Judiciary, other open du r inalong g t h with is t im e.government agencies and businesses were affected.

AUGUST

SOUDELORSTRIKESSAIPAN The devastating typhoon that slammed into Saipan in the early morning of August 2, 2015, left nearly 55,000 Saipan residents without power, water, and, in some serious cases, a roof over their heads. The judiciary sustained damages to the interior and exterior of the building. After almost one year since the devastation, reconstruction is ongoing and various forms of aid have been dispersed to those in need.

HIGHLIGHTS

SEPTEM BER FEMA OFFERS ASSISTANCE The Federal Emergency Management Agency?s (FEMA) Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) was deployed to Saipan days prior to Typhoon Soudelor making landfall.

After Typhoon Soudelor impacted Saipan, President Obama issued a major disaster declaration on August 5, 2015 for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, making federal assistance available to aid individuals and communities in the recovery efforts for damages that occurred August 1-3, 2015 and appointed a Federal Coordinating Officer to lead the Federal team.

FEMA immediately started to mobilize its federal partners in support of recovery efforts. FEMA provided resources including water, power poles, and generators. The Judiciary was a recipient of one generator (see photo on right).

CUC The Commonwealth Utilities Corporation (CUC) worked diligently to restore power and water to the entire island of Saipan which was left in darkness after Typhoon Soudelor. It took three months for entire restoration. CUC linemen received support and assistance from their peers in Rota, Tinian, Guam, Palau, Yap, Pohnpei, Kosrae, and Rhode Island.

The Guma' Hustisia's power and water supply were restored in mid-September.

Three power poles around the building were replaced after suffering damages from the typhoon.

In October 2015, Associate judges David A. Wiseman and Teresa K. Kim-Tenorio and Acting Director of Courts Sonia A. Camacho participated in the National Summit on Human Trafficking and the State Courts in New York. The conference was held on October 7th-9th, and was sponsored by and planned in partnership with the State Justice Institute, the Conference of Chief Justices, the Conference of State Court Administrators, the National Center for State Courts, the Human Trafficking and State Courts Collaborative, the New York State Bar Association, the Women's Bar From right: Former Justice the Appellate of the Supreme Court of the Association of Presiding the State ofofNew York, Division and the New State of New York Betty Weinberg Ellerin, then-Chief Judge of NY State and Chief Judge of York State Office of Court Administration.

the Court of Appeals Jonathan Lippman, and Acting Director of Courts Sonia A. Camacho.

The program explored the serious and challenging issue of human trafficking from a judicial perspective, examined ways to work with justice partners in our communities to better address trafficking, and showcased different court models from all around the country. In addition, it provided state teams with a prime opportunity to network with other court leaders and to develop concrete steps to further advance a response to human trafficking in each team's own state.

Featured speakers and panelists included Cindy McCain, the chair of the Arizona Human Trafficking Council; Judge Fernando Camacho, originator of K. Kim-Tenorio, From right: Superior Court judges David A. Wiseman and Teresa SJ I member Marsha Rabiteau, and Acting Director of Courts the first human trafficking court in New York; Sonia A. Camacho.

OCTOBER NATIONALSUMMITON HUMANTRAFFICKINGAND THESTATECOURTS

NOVEMBER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPM ENT The Judiciar y held its annual tw o-day pr ofessional developm ent tr ainings on M onday, Novem ber 23, 2015, at the Gum a' Hustisia and on Tuesday, Novem ber 24, at the Pacific Islands Club. On the second day, an Aw ar ds Cer em ony w as held and four em ployees r eceived r ecognition for m ater ially contr ibuting to the m aintenance of liber ty under law thr ough the fair and im par tial adm inistr ation of justice in the Com m onw ealth of the Nor ther n M ar iana Islands. The Pr esiding Judge Aw ar d w as given to Sonia A. Cam acho, Acting Dir ector of Cour ts. Judicial Assistant Vivian S. Dela Cr uz r eceived the Super ior Cour t Aw ar d. Law Cler k Nicole M . Tor r es w as aw ar ded the Chief Justice Aw ar d. The r ecipient of the Supr em e Cour t Aw ar d w as Judicial Assistant M ar tha B. M endiola.

Chief Justice A lexandro C. Castro presents the Chief Justice Award to Nicole M . Torres.

Presiding Judge Roberto C. Naraja presents the Superior Court Award to Vivian S. Dela Cruz.

Thefollowingistheagendafor theProfessional Development TrainingheldonNovember 23-24,2015,at theGuma' HustisiaandPacificIslandsClub.

Monday, Novem ber 23, 2015 Tim e

Topic

1:00 ? 1:15 p.m .

I nt r oduct ion

1:15 ? 2:15 p.m .

Per sonnel Regulat ions

2:30 ? 3:30 p.m .

Per sonnel Regulat ions (Cont inuat ion)

3:30 ? 4:30 p.m .

Cust om er Exellence (Phone Et iquet t e)

Pr esent er

Par t icipant s

Locat ion

Assem bly

Supr em e Cour t

Judiciar y Per sonnel

Supr em e Cour t

General Counsel Mike St anker

Judiciar y Per sonnel

Supr em e Cour t

Jim Ar enovski

Judiciar y Per sonnel

Supr em e Cour t

General General Counsel Mike St anker

Tuesday, Novem ber 24, 2015 Tim e

Topic

Pr esent er

Par t icipant s

Locat ion

8:00 ? 9:00 a.m .

Language Access Plan and Policy (LAPP)

Sonia A. Cam acho

Judiciar y Per sonnel

Napu Room Pacif ic I slands Club

9:10 ? 10:40 a.m .

Dr ug Cour t

Judge D. Wisem an Wisem an

Judiciar y Per sonnel

Napu Room Pacif ic I slands Club

Cer t if icat e Awar ds f or Judiciar y St af f

General

Assem bly

10:40 ? 10:50 a.m .

Napu Room Pacif ic I slands Club

10:30 ? 11:00 a.m .

Bench Meet ing

Chief Just ice

Just ices and Judges

Annex Room

11:00 ? 12:00 noon

Chief Just ice/ Supr em e Cour t General

Assem bly

Char ley?s Cabar et

12:00 ? 1:00 p.m .

Thanksgiving Luncheon f or General Judiciar y Per sonnel

Assem bly

Char ley?s Cabar et Pacif ic I slands Club

MOVINGFORWARDTOGETHER

ACThe OMjudiciary MUNIT Y and its friends and families came together in the aftermath of what was later declared a super typhoon to clear the debris that blanketed the R ECOVERINGFROM judiciary. Justices, judges, law clerks, staff, and others who were affected by the typhoon at home helped restore the Guma Hustisia inside and out.

D EVEven ASTafter ATIO N the typhoon, the judiciary kept its spirits up during recovery with students and government agencies visiting the court to sing Christmas carols in Students from K agman High School per for med Chr istmas carols for Judiciar y staff.

December of that year.

DECEMBER

From left: Staff Attor ney Sheila Tr ianni, Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho and Publications Cler k M enalie Pacia-Hidalgo.

Video Source: Pacific News Center Year in Review, Thomas Manglona YouTube Channel

Deputy Cler k Sabr ina Dela Cr uz smiles as she holds her daughter, Ava.

SUPREME COURT

Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro, Associate Justice Per r y B. I nos, and Associate Justice John A. M anglona

Th e Ju diciar y | Su pr em e Cou r t

15

The Supr em e Cour t is the highest cour t in the Nor ther n M ar iana Islands. It w as established in 1989, by Public Law 6-25, to r eview appealed decisions of the NM I Super ior Cour t. Pr ior to the establishm ent of the Supr em e Cour t, appellate jur isdiction w as vested in the Distr ict Cour t of the Nor ther n M ar iana Islands.

For the fir st fifteen year s follow ing the cr eation of the Supr em e Cour t, the Covenant pr ovided that appeals of the Supr em e Cour t?s decisions w er e m ade to the United States Cour t of Appeals for the Ninth Cir cuit. Beginning in M ay 2004, all appeals fr om the Supr em e Cour t w er e filed w ith the United States Supr em e Cour t. The Supr em e Cour t is com posed of a chief justice and tw o associate justices w ho ar e nom inated by the Gover nor and confir m ed by the Senate. Each justice is initially appointed for an eight-year ter m , after w hich he or she is subject to a r etention election.

The fir st justices of the Supr em e Cour t w er e Chief Justice Jose C. Dela Cr uz, Associate Justice Ram on G. Villagom ez, and Associate Justice Jesus C. Bor ja.

The cur r ent justices ar e Chief Justice Alexandr o C. Castr o, Associate Justice John A. M anglona, and Associate Justice Per r y B. Inos.

The Office of the Supr em e Cour t Cler k of Cour t assists the Cour t in dischar ging its constitutional r esponsibilities. The Cler k?s Office r eceives, pr ocesses, and m aintains per m anent r ecor ds of appeals, w r its and petitions, and bar disciplinar y cases. The Cler k of the Supr em e Cour t,

appointed by the Chief Justice, super vises the scheduling and assignm ent of cases, over sees the distr ibution and publication of Supr em e Cour t opinions and adm inistr ative r ules and or der s, and decides cer tain pr ocedur al m otions filed w ith the Cour t.

" Deanna M. Ogo Clerk of the Supreme Cour t

CNMI Supr em e Cour t Case Filings 2014

2015

Cr im inal

8

4

Civil

5

8

Pet it ions

6

2

Pr o Hac Vice

2

3

Cer t if ied Legal I nt er n

1

0

Disciplinar y

1

0

Adm inist rat ive

1

0

Cer t if ied Quest ion

1

0

Fam ily

1

1

Traf f ic

0

1

TOTAL

26

19

Dism issed - Cour t

5

1

Dism issed - Volunt ar y

4

7

Pet it ion Wit hdrawn

0

2

Opinions

21

19

TOTAL

30

29

Fir st Quar t er

4

5

Second Quar t er

3

8

Thir d Quar t er

10

6

Four t h Quar t er

2

4

TOTAL

19

23

CASES FI LED

CASE DI SPOSI TI ONS

ORAL ARGUMENTS HEARD

PUBLI SHED OPI NI ONS Commonwealth v. Guiao, 2015 MP 01

Cast r o, Manglona, Camacho

Commonwealth v. Lizama, 2015 MP 02

Cast r o, Manglona, Inos

In re the Matter of Estate of Olopai, 2015 MP 03

Castro, Manglona, I nos

Commonwealth v. Bashar, 2015 MP 04

Cast r o, Manglona, Inos

Inos v. Inos, 2015 MP 05

Torres, Soll, Bellas

Commonwealth v. Lot No. 353 New G, Lot No. 2016-IR/W, 2015 MP 06

Manglona, Wiseman, Soll

In re Commonwealth, 2015 MP 07

Castro, Manglona, I nos

Commonwealth v. Borja, 2015 MP 08

Castro, Manglona, I nos

In re Ogumoro, 2015 MP 09

Manglona, Torres, Soll

In re Ogumoro, 2015 MP 10

Manglona, Torres, Soll

In re the Matter of Woodruff, 2015 MP 11

Cast r o, Manglona, Soll

Commonwealth v. Rios, 2015 MP 12

Castro, Manglona, I nos

Commonwealth v. Reiong, 2015 MP 13

Castro, Manglona, Inos

Commonwealth v. Kendall, 2015 MP 14

Castro, Manglona, Inos

Commonwealth v. Fitial, 2015 MP 15

Castro, Manglona, I nos

Commonwealth v. Jackson, 2015 MP 16

Cast r o, Manglona, Inos

Commonwealth v. Johnson, 2015 MP 17

Manglona, Bellas, Camacho

Caiyun Mu v. Hyoun Min Oh, 2015 MP 18

Cast r o, Manglona, Camacho

Commonwealth v. Hocog, 2015 MP 19

Castro, Manglona, I nos

Superior Court Courtroom, Saipan

Judge Teresa K . K im-Tenor io,Judge David A. Wiseman, Presiding Judge Rober to C. Nar aj a, Judge K enneth L . Govendo, and Judge Joseph N. Camacho

Super ior Cour t Quar ter ly Case Filings 2015

Civil

Criminal

Small

Traffic

Claims

PATRICKV. DIAZ, CLERKOFCOURT

Of the 222 criminal cases filed, fifty-six (56) were domestics violence and one (1) involved sexual abuse of a minor.

Juvenile

Jan. t o Mar.

57

54

70

870

160

10

Apr. t o June

56

82

70

830

159

4

July t o Sept .

34

52

72

455

135

5

Oct . t o Dec.

57

34

77

352

170

2

204

222

289

2507

624

21

Tot al

CASEFILING:OFFICE OFTHECLERKOFTHE SUPERIORCOURT

Family Court

The Office of the Clerk of the Superior Court reports focus on data compiled for all cases filed in calendar year 2015.

The data in the tables and charts are based on inventory of cases gathered from the JustWare Case Management System, case registers and previous annual reports.

From left, Superior Court staff: Delia Magofna, Adelpha Kapileo, Okalani Shiprit, and George Lisua.

SUPERIORCOURTCASEFILINGS(2010-15) Year

Civil Cases

Criminal Family Cases Court Cases

Small Claims

Traffic Cases

TOTAL

2010

368

230

657

976

2422

4653

2011

352

314

647

929

3743

5985

2012

314

240

614

602

2103

3873

2013

247

250

677

387

3,316

4,877

2014

258

147

582

544

3,696

5,227

2015

204

222

645

289

2,507

3,867

FAMILYCOURT

CASESFILED(byisland) 2015

Civil

Criminal Family Small Traffic Tot al Court Claims

Case Type Adopt ion

Saipan

204

204

609

249

2480

3746

Rot a

0

7

15

30

2

54

Tinian

0

11

21

10

25

67

Rot a

Tinian

Tot al

40

1

1

42

2

0

0

2

Change of Name

24

1

0

25

Civil Commit ment

10

0

0

10

172

8

6

186

0

0

0

0

202

2

11

215

Guardianship

53

1

0

54

Pat ernit y

48

2

2

52

URESA

25

0

0

25

UCCJA

0

0

0

0

Warship

12

0

1

13

Juvenile

21

0

0

21

609

15

21

645

Annulment

Divorce Emancipat ion Family Prot ect ion Act

Presiding Judge Roberto C. Naraja and Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo share a light conversation prior to the Professional Development Awards Ceremony at the Pacific Islands Club on Tuesday, November 24, 2015.

Saipan

Tot al

COURT-APPOINTEDCOUNSELFORINDIGENTS The following table shows the number of court appointed counsel for indigent litigants for the following types of cases: 2015 TOTAL

Civil

Criminal

Family

Juvenile

Small

Traffic

Tot al

36

35

35

15

8

4

133

APPEALEDCASES

Clockwise from left: Adeline Tereyama, Okalani Shiprit, Monica Manibusan, and Daisy Mendiola

Fourteen cases were appealed to the Supreme Court.

2015 Cert ified Cases

Civil

Criminal

Traffic

Family Court

Tot al

5

7

1

1

14

Clockwise from left: Berlianne Higgins, Eva P. Calvo, Nikita Cabrera and Jack Deleon Guerrerol.

CUSTOMERSERVICECOUNTER The Office of the Clerk of Court also provides the general public with various services such as the processing of traffic clearances, traffic histories, criminal clearances, and bench warrants as well as copying of documents. Below is the yearly tally of activities of our Customer Service Counter.

2015 Saipan

Criminal Traffic Clearance Traffic Hist ory Clearance 9,379 9,424 867

Tot al 19,670

Tinian

262

220

5

487

Rot a

175

117

1

293

Tot al

9,816

9,761

873

20,450

Judiciary staff participate in an "Appeals Training" conducted by Superiror Court Law Clerk Conrad Ohashi in the former Law Library.

Superior Court staff, from left, Sabrina Dela Cruz, Eva Calvo, and Adelpha Kapileo at one of the booths displayed in the atrium of the Guma' Hustisia during Parole and Probation week in July.

Superior Court Judges David A. Wiseman, Presiding Judge Roberto C. Naraja and Kenneth L. Govendo with retired judge Steven Hansen who assisted the NMI in establishing a drug court.

COMPACTIMPACTREPORT The following is a chart on ethnicities of defendants and/or plaintiffs in all civil, criminal, traffic, small claims and family court cases who appeared before the Superior Court during fiscal years 2015. This data was used to generate a compact impact report that was submitted to the Department of Commerce, Office of the Governor. All information and data in this report was extracted from the Justware Case Management System that stores all the case information including ethnicity of litigants. The following chart provides data from January 1 to December 31, 2015. This chart also provides the percentage of Freely Associated States (FAS) contact with the court system as compared to other ethnicities.

Histor ical Data Year 2015 Januar y 1 to December 31, 2015

YEAR

2015

Number of Defendants/Plaintiff: Total Par ties

3,477

Total FAS

245

Feder ated States of M icronesia

145

Republic of Palau

102

Republic of M ar shall I slands

0

CNM I *

1,325

OTHER* *

1,905

% of Total FAS Par ties

7.0%

?CNMI? includes Chamorro and Carolinians only. ?Others? include African American, Asian Pacific Islanders, Bangladesh, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Unknown, Guam, and Thailand.

26

Th e Ju diciar y | Recor der 's Of f ice

STAFF

COMMONWEALTHRECORDER'SOFFICE

Lu cy S. Deleon Gu er r er o Commonwealth Recorder

Accountant I I Evelyn P. Calvo and Commonwealth Recorder Lucy S. Deleon Guerrero

M ich elle A. M en diola Administrative Specialist

The Commonwealth Recorder's Office (CRO) is responsible for the recording or filing of documents such as deeds, mortgages, liens, affidavits, power of attorneys, marriage certificates, birth certificates, land documents, etc. Documents are preserved and archived for reproduction and research. The CRO registers all birth, death and public marriages for the CNMI. Records are available to the public to search, view and copy for a fee, as allowed by law. The total revenue collected

by CRO in 2015 was $61,172.25.

BI RTH CERTI FI CATES REQUESTED JAN

FEB

M AR

APR

M AY

JUNE

JULY

AUG

SEPT

OCT

NOV

DEC

TOTAL

Saipan

34

75

70

70

57

89

136

33

90

81

70

34

839

Tinian

0

1

1

2

1

4

0

1

1

3

0

1

15

Rota

1

0

0

0

2

0

0

3

0

1

0

3

10

35

76

71

72

60

93

136

37

91

85

70

38

864

TOTAL

DEATH CERTI FI CATES REQUESTED JAN

FEB

M AR

APR

M AY

JUNE

JULY

AUG

SEPT

OCT

NOV

DEC

TOTAL

SAI PAN

1

2

0

0

1

0

5

0

3

4

0

0

16

TI NI AN

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

ROTA

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

TOTAL

1

2

0

0

1

0

5

0

3

4

0

0

16

M AR

APR

M AY

JUNE

JULY

AUG

SEPT

OCT

NOV

DEC

TOTAL

M ARRI AGE CERTI FI CATES FI L ED JAN

FEB

FI L ED

15

20

22

17

33

31

33

11

15

32

19

31

277

SPN-Cer t

17

31

24

26

21

20

21

10

17

24

19

7

237

SPN-Non

8

21

2

3

1

2

4

2

4

4

2

1

54

TI Q-Cer t

1

0

0

0

1

0

0

2

0

0

0

1

5

TI Q-Non

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

1

ROP-Cer t

5

1

0

1

2

0

0

1

4

6

0

0

20

ROP-Non

1

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

2

L AND DOCUM ENTS & OTHERS JAN

FEB

M AR

APR

M AY

JUNE

JULY

AUG

SEPT

OCT

NOV

DEC

TOTAL

Docs.

152

202

238

236

189

236

139

180

322

271

260

253

2,678

Pages

537

656

369

1098

596

1050

591

869

1510

1032

825

1350

10,483

Docs.

4

3

4

5

3

2

0

11

4

1

3

4

44

Pages

7

4

23

6

11

14

0

42

35

0

0

6

148

Docs.

1

4

1

2

0

0

0

6

2

6

2

2

26

Pages

2

4

2

3

0

0

0

11

15

7

2

4

50

Cer t. of Title

2

2

1

0

0

1

1

0

1

1

0

1

10

Cer t. of Docs.

0

1

0

2

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

1

5

Photocopies

62

55

228

109

182

217

279

195

265

258

370

82

2.302

Saipan

Tinian

Rota

29

Th e Ju diciar y | Fam ily Cou r t Division FAM ILY COURT DIVISION

The Fam ily Cour t Division (FCD) pr ovides adm inist rat ive suppor t t o t he Fam ily cour t . The st af f assist s t he Cler k of Cour t in t he pr ocessing of pleadings and dist r ibut ion of or der f or Pr o Se lit igant s who appear bef or e t he Fam ily Cour t judge. I n addit ion t o it s adm inist rat ive f unct ion, t he FCD of f er client ser vices t o f am ilies and individuals who ar e seeking access t o t he cour t syst em by m aking it s Pr o Se cent er available and user f r iendly.

The FCD cont inues t o st r ive t o m eet t he m andat es of t he Fam ily Cour t Act of 1995 by allowing client s easy access t o cour t ser vices. This pr ocess r equir es t he st af f t o be pr oact ive in assist ing client s pr epar e and f ile com plaint s and pleadings so t hat t hey can appear bef or e a Judge in a t im ely m anner . A cont inuing challenge t o t he Fam ily Cour t Division st af f is how best t o addr ess t he needs of t hose client s t hat ar e not pr of icient in t he English language.

Nikit a S. Cabr era

Lani S. Deleon Guer r er o

Delia S. Calvo

Stop VAWA Project Assistant

Pro Se Client Service Assistant

Client Service Coordinator Rota

"The visibility of the Family Court Division isat a level that people feel comfortable coming in seeking assistance to address the crisis in their life."

Joseph Kevin Villagom ez Family Court Manager

Pr o Se Assist ance

Or der / Pleadings Pickup

General I nf or m at ion

Januar y

178

79

172

Ref er ral t o Ot her s Ser vices 42

Febr uar y

145

82

102

33

Mar ch

159

80

124

25

Apr il

131

82

132

15

May

180

85

165

54

June

117

82

170

23

July

140

78

165

43

August

55

31

94

32

Sept em ber

123

63

162

59

Oct ober

164

85

191

74

Novem ber

134

62

154

56

Decem ber

149

64

165

40

1,675

873

1,796

496

TOTAL

1st Quar t er

2nd Quar t er

3r d Quar t er

4t h Quar t er

TOTAL

Hom e St udy

6

5

8

4

23

Alt er nat ive Disput e Resolut ion

10

15

10

9

44

DNA Pat er nit y Super vision

3

6

4

1

14

105

95

93

90

383

Separat ing Par ent ing Pr ogram

The Judicial Law Enforcement department of the judiciary branch consists of the Marshal Service Division and Office of Adult Probation. The divisions provide services to enforce court orders, ensure public safety, and address offenders rehabilitation needs. The divisions?staff members are commended for their diligence, resourcefulness and efficiency in rendering services and in meeting the divisions?missions, objectives, and legal obligations. The data provided on the next page give insight to the type of services rendered in 2015. The data will also help the divisions and judiciary leaders with planning of future programs and services, and provide accountability to the Commonwealth and the public. 2015 was a challenging year coupled with Typhoon Soudelor. Nevertheless, toward the latter part of the reporting year and recovery to-date, the two divisions succeeded in their collaboration and shared the law enforcement goal: to provide public safety in the courthouse. A safe year it was, and we aim for another safe one.

OFFICE OF ADULT PROBATION M ARSHAL SERVICE DIVISION

Ursula Lifoifoi-Aldan

LAWENFORCEMENT MARSHALSERVICES Courthouse Patrons:

Prohibited Items Confiscated

Su pr em e Cou r t - 1,024 - 1.35%

Sh ar p/ Blu n t Object s - 283 - 18.87%

Su per ior Cou r t - 29,479 - 38.73%

Flam m able M at er ials - 345 - 23%

Paym en t s f or Cou r t f in es an d f ees - 5,860 7.70%

Bet el Nu t s - 366 - 24.04%

TOTAL - 1,500

TOTAL - 76,106

Bench Warrants Executed

Inmates brought to the Courthouse Adu lt s - 542 - 92.3% Ju ven iles - 45 - 7.7%

Deputy M arshals M artin Conner (Tinian) and Joseph Ogo (Saipan).

Ot h er - 506 - 33.73%

Paym en t s f or Depar t m en t of Pu blic Saf et y - 39,746 - 52.22%

Ben ch War r an t s - 330 - 1.1% Su per ior Cou r t - 29,479 - 98.9% TOTAL - 29,809

TOTAL - 587 Jury Summons Ju r y Su m m on s - 1,211 - 76%

Click h er e f or com pr eh en sive st at ist ics.

Judiciar y Administrative Office

Acting Director of Courts Sonia A. Camacho

The Judiciar y's Human Resource Office (HRO) is managed solely m an R eso byH Mu ichelle V. Guer rero.u r c e Of f i c e The division is responsible for providing a comprehensive human resource progr am, including: policy development and administr ation; recr uitment of qualified applicants into a diver se wor kforce; employment and or ientation ser vices; administr ation of employee benefits, including health, retirement, and life insur ance progr ams; position classification and salar y administr ation; employee relations; and tr aining and professional development and more.

I a ppr eciate the honor of ser ving a s HR/Admin.

Officer .

I n 2015, the HRO completed sever al significant accomplishments.

On Febr uar y 19, the Judicial Council approved the Judiciar y's fir st ever Per sonnel Rules and on M arch 20 adopted the Anti-Discr imination Policy. The HRO coor dinated awareness sessions with Judiciar y staff for the newly adopted r ules and policy.

The Co-op Education & Tr aining Progr am provided the Judiciar y with ten high school students inter ns throughout 2015. The HRO coor dinated with M ar ians High School to accommodate both the students' needs for tr aining and the Judiciar y's needs for assistance in var ious proj ects and its daily activities. On October 7, 2015, the Judiciar y attended the Public School System Job Fair held at the Saipan Wor ld Resor t.

Additionally, the Summer L aw I nter nship progr am recr uited three law students who received tr aining at the Supreme Cour t.

I nitially, the progr am was scheduled from July through August, but was shor tened due to Typhoon Soudelor.

I n ear ly August, the events of Typhoon Soudelor affected the oper ations of the HRO and the Judiciar y as a whole. The annual L abor Day picnic was instead tur ned into a cleanup event of the Judiciar y grounds. Other activities outside of nor mal functions included providing assistance and suppor t to staff by offer ing water distr ibutions, mor ning refreshments and light lunches,

Human Resource/Administrative Officer Michelle V. Guerrero has been with the Judiciary since 2012.

1st Quar ter 2nd Quar ter 3r d Quar ter 4th Quar ter New Hires

9

6

2

7

Renewals

13

9

6

7

Position Restr uctures

1

0

1

0

Resignation/Ter mination/Contr act

3

6

3

7

Vacancies

3

4

4

2

Photo above, clockwise from left: Michelle Guerrero, Intern Leani Villagomez, Rebecca Santos, Nora Borja, Deanna Ogo, and Lynette Camacho gather for a photo in the atrium conference room.

Photo above and right: The Human Resource Office gathered donations from court personnel to help staff and their families who suffered damages and loss during the Typhoon. Some items included laundry detergent, dish soap, canned goods and clothing.

Suppor t and M aintenance I Justware NFORMATION TECHNOLOGY The biggest project for ISU in 2016 was the reestablishment of Justware Support and Maintenance. Justware is the CNMI Judiciary's Case Management System which is the backbone of the court's daily operations.

Justware was activated in 2007 with a support and maintenance contract renewed annually until 2010, but due to lack of funding this was not renewed the following years. As a result, Justware was usable but all repairs and maintenance of the system had to be performed in-house under ISU personnel. In addition, there are certain limitations that only the developer of the system can perform, such as updates to newer versions and upgrades of system functions. Justware was in a stagnant state for almost 6 years, which in technology is considered a lifetime and was in dire need for attention.

This project's biggest hurdle was funding, but with the joint effort of the entire Judiciary funding was secured through the Criminal Clockwise fromAgency's top left: Judiciary IT SystemGrant and Compact Justice Planning Justice Assistance Administrator Michael Villacrusis, Chief Justice Impact Funding under the Department of Commerce.

Alexandro C. Castro, Presiding Judge Roberto The project Computer went through a grueling C. Naraja, Specialist Johnprocurement Demapan, process which lasted for about 8 months in which time, preparation IT Administrator Baccalaureate "LolI' Mao from for the reestablishment and maintenance was performed. This the High Court of of support American Samoa, and Acting included collection, and the programming to Director data of Courts Soniaplanning, A. Camacho.

In June, reconnect data paths to the developer.

The IT Administrator LolI visited the JudiciaryJudiciary?s Support and Maintenance Contract for Justware is currently in place and seeking assistance in JustWare. active. Updates and upgrades to the CMS have been and will continue to be implemented throughout the contract and fixes to

L AW REVI SION COMMI SSION

T

he Com m ission?s biggest pr ojects in 2015 r elated to its w ebsite, w w w.cnm ilaw.or g, its pr epar ation for a new har dcopy Com m onw ealth Code, and the Dr iver ?s Education Book .

Com m onw ealth legal m ater ials fr eely available on the w ebsite gr eatly expanded in 2015. The entir e Tr ust Ter r itor y Repor ter and Tr ust Ter r itor y Code w er e r eleased online to the excitem ent of not only the local legal com m unity but also all of M icr onesia. The Com m ission staff have fielded telephone calls fr om Guam , the M ar shal Islands, and Pohnpei about accessing this im por tant histor ical r esour ce. In addition to the Repor ter and Code, the cor r esponding Digest and Index ar e also available online. The Com m ission also r eleased Saipan: Ethnology of a War Devastated Island online under a cr eative com m ons license. This im por tant r esour ce has been used by both Com m onw ealth cour ts and legal pr actitioner s in r esear ching m atter s of custom ar y law.

In addition to the new online offer ings, the Com m ission cr eated and published a CNM I Dr iver ?s Education Book in har dcopy. The book is available for sale. It has been tr anslated into Cham or r o, Car olinian, Tagolog, Chinese, Russian, Yapese, Japanese, Kor ean, Chukeese, Pohnpeian, and Palauan. We ar e still w aiting for a M ar hsallese tr anslation. The pur pose of the book is to pr ovide basic Com m onw ealth r ules of the r oad in a com pact and easy-to-use volum e for dr iver s and those lear ning how to dr ive. This pr oduct w as pr oduced w ith the encour agem ent of the Bur eau of M otor Vehicles.

STAFF M ich ael A. St an ker , Executive Director

Alber t A. Hick in g, Website and Office Manager

Sh eila N. Tr ian n i, Staff Attorney

M en alie S. Pacia- Hidalgo, Publications Clerk and Administrative Assistant

Jar on A. Robin son , Staff Attorney

The Com m ission?s staff w er e also har d at w or k cr eating a fully updated and annotated 2015 Com m onw ealth Code. W hile a RFP did not bear fr uit, the Com m ission has deter m ined that it w ill pr int a new har d copy code in-house and use tr aditional legal sized binder s as its binding m echanism . The Com m ission is excited for the 2016 r elease of new codebooks? the fir st in five year s.

New pr oducts w er e not the only m ajor new s for the Law Revision Com m ission in 2015. The m em ber ship of the Com m ission and its Staff also exper ienced significant changes. The com position of the Com m ission changed w ith the additions of Senator Steve K. M esngon, Repr esentative Glenn L. M ar atita, and Attor ney Gener al Edw ar d M anibusan. These m em ber s pr ovided leader ship and m ade cr itical decisions r egar ding the long-ter m w ellbeing of Law Revision. The Com m ission also hir ed Jar on A. Robinson as its new est staff attor ney.

AROUND THE JUDICI ARY

Th e Ju diciar y

Legi sl at u r e Set s Up Tem por ar y Of f i ces i n Gu m a' Hu st i si a

The legislative building on Capitol Hill suffer ed pow er outages in the after m ath of Typhoon Soudelor.

The Judiciar y opened its door s to the 19th Nor ther n M ar ianas Com m onw ealth Legislatur e and pr ovided offices to conduct sessions and business. Fr om M onday, August 24, 2015 thr ough Fr iday, August 28, 2015, the Senate, House of Repr esentatives, and Legislative Bur eau w or ked in the Gum a' Hustisia.

The Supr em e Cour t cour tr oom , the Pr esiding Judge's cour tr oom , and Jur y Room A w er e available for the houses to hold sessions. W hile the legislatur e r outinely holds sessions at the Rota Judicial Center and Tinian Cour thouse, this is the fir st tim e it conducted sessions in the Gum a' Hustisia. In addition, the Legislative Bur eau staff utilized the law libr ar y as its tem por ar y hom e.

| 2015 Annual Report

40

41

Th e Ju diciar y

| 2015 Annual Report

Ju di ci ar y Pr ov i des Tem por ar y Of f i ces t o Gover n m en t Agen ci es an d M i cr on esi an Legal Ser v i ces Cor p.

"THISISAPULLQUOTETOHELP THEREADERSTAYINTERESTED ANDFOCUSED."

On August 2, 2015, Typhoon Soudelor caused m assive destr uction on Saipan for cing gover nm ent units to r elocate to other offices for w ater and pow er ser vices.

The Judiciar y, in oper ation tw o days after the typhoon, w elcom ed the Office of the Attor ney Gener al, Public Defender 's Office and M icr onesian Legal Ser vices Cor por ation to use office spaces and inter net connection in the Gum a' Hustisia. The Judiciar y's Com puter Tr aining Center , sever al W itnesses' Room s, and the for m er Law Libr ar y w er e designated as tem por ar y offices for the affected agencies.

42

Ju di ci ar y Aw ar ded $54,000 Joseph M . Diego, the U.S. Depar tm ent of Agr icultur e Ar ea II dir ector fr om Guam , announced the aw ar d of tw o gr ants to the CNM I judiciar y.

The lar ger of the tw o gr ant aw ar ds, an Econom ic Im pact Gr ant for $34,000, pur chased and r etr ofitted a four w heel dr ive vehicle for the Judiciar y M ar shal Ser vice Division.

The M ar shal?s Division uses vehicle in its ser vice of jur y sum m ons?and w ar r ants and in the tr anspor t of detainees and ar r estees pur suant to its statutor y duties.

The second gr ant, a Com m unity Facilities Gr ant for $20,000, enabled the busy Super ior Cour t?s cler k of cour t?s office to pur chase new com puter w or kstations and a data base ser ver r eplacing obsolete technology. Patr ick V. Diaz, Super ior Cour t cler k of cour t said, ?The new equipm ent w ill pr ovide the staff of the cler k?s office w ith the tools to oper ate m or e efficiently in the tim ely pr ovision of ser vice to the public.?

Judge Ter esa Kim -Tenor io, chair per son of the Judiciar y Gr ants

Th e Ju diciar y

| 2015 Annual Report

Com m ittee, said, ?Obtaining these gr ant aw ar ds pr ovided us all w ith a good deal of satisfaction. The w r iting and subm ission of the r equests w as an involved task; w e cer tainly appr eciate the help of Joseph Diego, Ar ea II dir ector , and Anthony Bar cinas, business/com m unity pr ogr am specialist of the USDA Guam office. The gr ant aw ar ds m ade a significant differ ence in how the M ar shal Ser vice Division and the Super ior Cour t?s cler k of cour t?s office ar e able to per for m their im por tant duties for the com m unity.?

Judiciar y Law Enfor cem ent and Secur ity Dir ector Ur sula Lifoifoi-Aldan added, ?The M ar shal Ser vice Division and the Office of Adult Pr obation have a shar ed law enfor cem ent obligation along w ith other CNM I law enfor cem ent agencies to the public: Public Safety. This aw ar d is r esponsive to safety-based pr actices. It enhances officer safety for the m ar shals and the Bench War r ant Task For ce team w hen in the field and in the tr anspor t of detainees. It enhances the safety of detainees, as w ell as the com m unity at lar ge. Thank you USDA!?

Joseph M . Diego, U.S. Depar t m en t of Agr icu lt u r e Ar ea II Dir ect or

JUDICIALCOUNCIL The Judicial Council is a policymaking body of the Commonwealth courts.

Established in 2009, the Council ensures fair, accountable, and efficient court management, and institutionalizes an administrative structure that strengthens public trust in the judicial branch.

The Council consists of five voting members and at least three nonvoting members. The voting members include the justices of the Supreme Court, the presiding judge of the Superior Court, and an associate judge elected by all the Superior Court judges. The nonvoting members include the Director of Courts, the Clerk of the Supreme Court, the Clerk of the Superior Court, and the president of Northern Mariana Islands Bar Association.

The council meets quarterly in the Supreme Court courtroom. Court management team reports/presents on administrative and operations.

Th e Ju dicial Cou n sel m em ber s in clu de:

Alexandr o C. Cast r o Chief Just ice

John A. Manglona Associat e Just ice

Per r y B. I nos Associat e Just ice

Rober t o C. Naraja Pr esiding Judge

Copy of the Council's agenda from September 30, 2015.

David A. Wisem an Associat e Judge

The Northern Marianas Judiciary Historical Society was founded in August 2004 as a non-profit corporation intent on increasing public knowledge of the judiciary. This goal would be achieved through acquisition and dissemination of knowlege concerning the history of the Commonwealth Judiciary and sponsorship of educational events and activities in the community. The Summer Pre-Law Program, the biennial Law and the Freshman Legislator seminar, and the Judges in the Classroom outreach efforts have provided for regular knowledge and experience interchanges. For the younger members of our society the Mock Trial and the Attorney General?s Cup competitions have been annual focuses of the Society?s attention and resources. Additionally, the Society has acquired and preserved documents, objects of personal property, memorabilia and pictures associated with the persons and events of the Judiciary. Displays are maintained for visitors?viewing within the courts of the Commonwealth.

The Board of Trustees is comprised of the Chief Justice as the Honorary Chairman, the two Associate Justices, the Presiding Judge and five members of the community at large.

Ref lection on the Histor ical Society JAMES W. STOWELL Executive Director and Grants Administrator Topping my list of the most beneficial Judiciary Historical Society programs is the Law and the Freshmen Legislators seminar conducted by the Judiciary shortly after the biennial elections. First time legislators are invited to come and spend the morning at the Judiciary refreshing their civics education and learning how legislative and the judiciary process mesh. This is a great learning opportunity for anybody in attendance, benefiting from speakers who know the subject best.

The Historical Society sponsors a luncheon following the academic portion of the program. At that time the legislators have the opportunity to talk one on one with the Chief Justice, the Presiding Judge, and the other justices and judges who have participated. Great conversations have ensued. The legislators seem to find the half day of job related education and interaction with the judges extremely valuable. They have always expressed their appreciation and urged a continuation of the program for future legislators.

ISMYHOPE " ITNEW WAYS

CANBEFOUND With a larger budget I would hope the Historic Society will finds ways to do similar AN D educational seminars for a variety of audiences.

AFHow FOR DED TO long have I been here, where did I come from and why? Those common questions were often asked of me twenty-five years ago when I first set foot on Saipan. I arrived EXhere PAonND TH June 6,E 1991 with Lee Holmes, cable television pioneer, to become the manager of Saipan Cable Television in what turned out to be the company?s best year of service SO CIE TY 'Sof existence before merger with Hillblom?s Marianas Cablevision. It was a but last year rougher introduction to the semi-tropics than this naïve California boy had expected MIS SION. when he departed the comforts of the west coast, but after 6- 12 months experiencing the

"

wonderful climate, ocean, golfing opportunities and mix of friendly people my thoughts turned from returning back to going forward to explore and learn more about the

RETIREDJUDGE HANSENHELPSWITH DRUGCOURT Through the help of Chief Judge John Clifford Wallace of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints, retired judge Steve Hansen was on island for a period of six months to assist Superior Court Associate Judge David A. Wiseman with the CNMI Drug Court.

Hansen is from Utah where he helped establish two drug courts. He is a strong supporter of the plea in abeyance approach. In a Saipan Tribune article, Hansen said that drug courts work and are backed by science. "This isn't just some program that we've come up with out of the blue, that we're experimenting with. This is a program that's been proven established and it works throughout the United States."

Background photo shows Judge Hansen presenting to judiciary staff at its annual professional development training held at the Pacific Islands Club on November 23-24, 2015.

LAWCLERKONTHEJOB

Shown above are the Supreme Court three law clerks: Joseph M. Hallahan, Clifford Kato, and Nicole Torres-Ripple. This page features an interview with Joe.

Joseph M . Hallahan Law Clerk to Justice John A. Manglona

On April 23, 2015, Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro administered the attorney's oath for Kimberly Kay King-Hinds, A. Michailian T. McLoughlin, and Cong Nie. King-Hinds received her bachelor 's degree from Loyola Marymount University and Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Hawaii, William S. Richardson School of Law.

ATTORNEY ADMISSIONS CEREMONY

McLoughlin received his bachelor 's degree from Eastern Michigan University and J.D. from the Golden Gate University School of Law. Nie received his bachlor 's degree from Tsinghua University in China and J.D. from the Vanderbilt Law School.

An attorney may be admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth without taking the CNMI Bar Examination, provided that the attorney has been admitted to practice law in another U.S. jurisdiction, is in good standing, and is an employee of the Commonwealth government or Micronesian Legal Services. This bar admission is limited to a period of four consecutive years. In 2015, there were seven (7) limited admissions.

Nora V. Borja, Bar Administrator

On Novem ber 3, 2015, t he Com m onwealt h Supr em e Cour t adopt ed t he Nor t her n Mar iana I slands Judiciar y Language Access Policy and Plan, which pr ovides a bluepr int t o develop and im plem ent language access ser vices wit hin t he Nor t her n Mar ianas Judicial Branch, com plet e wit h st andar ds f or qualif ied int er pr et er s and t ranslat or s, t rained cour t st af f and judges, and m ult i-lingual signage and docum ent s.

L ANGUAGE ACCESS POL I CY AND PL AN

The Judiciar y r ecognizes t he need t o pr ovide m eaningf ul and t im ely language access ser vices t o lim it ed English pr of icient (LEP) per sons who com e in daily cont act wit h t he Judicial branch. This policy m oves a st ep f ur t her by pr om ot ing t he accuracy and int egr it y of cour t pr oceedings, pr eser ving const it ut ional pr inciples of f air ness and access t o just ice, and ensur ing m axim um com m unicat ion bet ween t he Judiciar y and m em ber s of t he com m unit y wit h whom t he Judiciar y int eract s.

The Judiciar y is conf ident t hat t he policy will r esult benef icial t o t he com m unit y. A copy of t he policy can be r et r ieved on ht t ps:/ / www.cnm ilaw.org/ pdf / or der s/ JAO-15-0023.pdf .

Background photo: Members of the judiciary and local bar convene at the Guma' Hustisia to discuss the Language Access Plan and Policy.

THE JUDI CI ARY

I N THE NEWS

Background photo: Law and the Freshman Legislator participants review their notes after a lecture from CNMI judges and justices in the annual event.

THEJUDICIARY

P.O. Box 502165 Saipan, MP 96950 www.just ice.gov.m p 670.236.9800