NMI JUDICIARY 2017 ANNUAL REPORT

2017 AN N UAL REPORT T h e Ju d i ci ar y | N o r t h er n M ar i an a I sl an d s

The Rot a Cent ron Hust isia, or Rot a Judicial Cent er, is locat ed in Sinapalo and houses t he Superior Court , Office of t he Adult Probat ion, and At t orney General and Public Defender's Offices, as w ell as t he Depart m ent of Public Safet y.

I NSI DE 4

Law and Freshman Legislator s Seminar

52

JUDICIARYBUDGETFALLSBELOW USDALOANAPPLICATION $8.2MILLIONREQUEST PROGRESSES The Judiciary request ed a budget of $8.2 m illion t o hire addit ional st aff, perform building im provem ent s, and ex pand services t o a grow ing client base.

An ex cavat ion on t he Gum a' Hust isia w as com plet ed for t he USDA loan applicat ion t o upgrade court facilit ies.

EDITORIAL BOARD Co-Editors Magdiel Job A. Corpuz Martha B. Mendiola

Advisors Justice John A. Manglona Director of Courts Sonia A. Camacho Olga Y. Bykov

5

Meet the Justices

7

Clerk of the Supreme Cour t

11

Bar Admissions

Super ior Cour t

59

37

Message from the Chief Justice Supr eme Cour t

64 JUDGEBOGDAN TAKESOATH On August 16, 2017, Wesley M . Bogdan w as sw orn in as an Associat e Judge by CNM I Governor Ralph DLG. Torres.

13

Meet the Judges

14

Clerk of the Super ior Cour t

18

Commonwealth Recorder 's Office

22

Family Cour t Division

25

Office of Adult Probation

30

Dr ug Cour t Division

Judiciar y Administr ative Office 35

Director of Cour ts

36

Accounting Ser vice Unit

39

Mar shal Ser vice Division

41

Human Resource Office

44

Infor mation Systems Unit

47

Building Maintenance

50

Gr ants Administr ation

Nor ther n Mar ianas Judiciar y Histor ical Society 54 Law Revision Commission 53

57

Around the Judiciar y

69

In Memor iam

70

Appendix

HI GHL I GHTS

4THANNUALMOCKTRIALACADEMY On Decem ber 1 - 2, 2017, over 80 st udent s from nine high schools around Saipan, Tinian, and Rot a part icipat ed in int ensive t raining on court rules and legal pract ices. Host ed by t he Judiciary, t he preparat ion is for t he 2018 CNM I High School M ock Trial Com pet it ion and Nat ional High School M ock Trial Cham pionship.

CASTROJOINSPALAUCOURT On M ay 22, 2017, CNM I Suprem e Court Chief Just ice Alex andro C. Cast ro w as sw orn in as t he fourt h non-resident Associat e Just ice of t he Palau Suprem e Court .

PJCBIENNIALCONFERENCE

The Com m onw ealt h Judiciary host ed t he Pacific Judicial Council Biennial Conference from Sept em ber 26-29,2017 at t he Fiest a Resort & Spa. In at t endance w ere 130 judges, just ices, law clerks, and guest s from t he CNM I, Guam , Federat ed St at es of M icronesia, Republic of Palau, Am erican Sam oa, and t he Philippines.

2017 Annual Report | 4

MESSAGE FROM THE

C HIEF JUSTICE Alexandr o C. Castr o 2017 m arked m any m ilest ones for t he CNM I Judiciary, st rengt hening our presence and m aint aining an act ive role in our com m unit y and in t he West ern Pacific region.

On M arch 23, I accept ed Palau President Tom m y E. Rem engesau, Jr.?s appoint m ent t o serve as a non-resident Associat e Just ice of t he Appellat e Division of t he Palau Suprem e Court , and w as sw orn in on M ay 22, 2017. This inclusion in t he Palau Suprem e Court w as not t he only addit ion t o a judicial branch. In Novem ber, Wesley M . Bogdan w as sw orn int o t he CNM I Judiciary as a new Associat e Judge, filling t he vacancy creat ed upon David A. Wisem an?s ret irem ent . The CNM I Judiciary ex t ends a w arm w elcom e t o Judge Bogdan as he begins his new career.

The CNM I Judiciary host ed t he Pacific Judicial Council Biennial Conference from Sept em ber 26 t o 29, 2017. This gave t he Com m onw ealt h t he opport unit y t o dem onst rat e a desire t o cult ivat e progressive legal scholarship. The Conference w as w ell-at t ended by m em bers of t he legal com m unit y, and covered an array of t opics such as im m igrat ion, evidence, a review of t he U.S. Suprem e Court ?s 2017 caseload, and ot her subject s. Speakers included Senior Judge John Coughenour of t he U.S. Dist rict Court for t he West ern Dist rict of Washingt on; Suprem e Court of Guam Associat e, Just ice Robert J. Torres; professors Carlt on F.W. Larson and Rose Cuison-Villazor, bot h of t he Universit y of California at Davis School of Law ; Universit y of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Law adjunct professor, Joseph Regalia; and Bruce A. Bradley, a form er et hics prosecut or for t he Guam Judiciary.

Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro presents at the 7th Biannual Law and the Freshman Legislator Seminar.

A crit ical responsibilit y of t he Judiciary is fost ering an aw areness and appreciat ion for t he judicial branch am ong our com m unit y?s yout h. For t he first t im e in t he hist ory of t he Com m onw ealt h, w e held CNM I Suprem e Court oral argum ent s out side of t he court room and inside t he classroom . These oral argum ent s w ere perform ed during t he school year and host ed by bot h Nort hern M arianas College and Kagm an High School. In addit ion t o t his, w e cont inued our annual event s such as Law Week, t he At t orney General?s Cup, and M ock Trial.

There is no doubt in m y m ind t hat t he Judiciary w ill cont inue t his t rend of ex posure and out reach for t he yout h of our islands.

JUSTICES

2017 Annual Report | 5

Associate Justice John A. Manglona, Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro, and Associate Justice Per r y B. Inos

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SUPREME C OURT The Suprem e Court is t he highest court in t he Nort hern M ariana Islands. It w as est ablished in 1989 by Public Law 6-25 t o review appealed decisions of t he NM I Superior Court . Prior t o t he est ablishm ent of t he Suprem e Court , appellat e jurisdict ion w as vest ed in t he Dist rict Court of t he Nort hern M ariana Islands.

Im m ediat ely aft er it s est ablishm ent , CNM I Suprem e Court decisions w ere appealed t o t he Unit ed St at es Court of Appeals for t he Nint h Circuit . Aft er M ay 2004, all appeals from t he Suprem e Court are filed w it h t he Unit ed St at es Suprem e Court .

The NM I Suprem e Court is com posed of a chief just ice and t w o associat e just ices, w ho are nom inat ed by t he Governor and confirm ed by t he Senat e. Each just ice is appoint ed for an eight -year t erm , aft er w hich he or she is subject t o a ret ent ion elect ion.

The current just ices are Chief Just ice Alex andro C. Cast ro, Associat e Just ice John A. M anglona, and Associat e Just ice Perry B. Inos.

In Januar y 2017, the justices attended the swear ing- in ceremony of Chief Justice Kather ine A. Mar aman of the Guam Sur peme Cour t.

Guam Supreme Cour t Chief Justice Kather ine A. Mar aman visits the CNMI Supreme Cour t on November 7, 2017.

Member s of the CNMI Judicial Council

2017 Annual Report | 7

SUPREME C OURT Clerk of Court 's Office CASE TYPE The chart is an overview of case filings over a t hree-year period ending in 2017. There w as a m inim al increase of 12% from 2015 t o 2017 in t ot al case filings. The largest grow t h is seen in crim inal cases. See Appen di x for addit ional dat a.

Nor a V. Bor ja Deputy Clerk of Cour t & Bar Administr ator

20 15

20 16

20 17

Cr i m i n al

4

12

13

Ci v i l

8

11

15

Pet i t i on s

2

3

2

Pr o H ac Vi ce

3

1

3

Cer t i f i ed

0

0

0

Di sci pl i n ar y

0

0

0

Adm i n i st r at i v e

32

25

21

Cer t i f i ed

0

0

3

Fam i l y

1

2

0

Tr af f i c

1

2

0

TOTAL

51

56

57 Deanna M. Ogo Supreme Cour t Clerk of Cour t

APPEL L ATE SESSI ONS AT NM C & K AGM AN HI GH SCHOOL In 2017, t he Suprem e Court for t he first t im e in it s hist ory brought t he court room int o t he classroom as part of t he Judges in t he Classroom program .

Judges in t he Classroom is an int eract ive out reach program designed t o educat e yout h on t he judicial syst em and it s funct ions. Appellat e sessions w ere held at Nort hern M arianas College and Kagm an High School.

N or t h er n M ar i an as Col l ege On February 8, 2017, t he Suprem e Court heard oral argum ent s in Rose Ann Dela Cruz v. Elden Dela Cruz, 2016-SCC-0011-FAM , at Nort hern M arianas College. The case involved an

The justices held a question- and- answer session with NMC students immediately after the or al ar gument.

appeal of a judgm ent on division of m arit al asset s t hat occurred as part of a divorce proceeding. Each part y, t hrough t heir at t orneys, had t he opport unit y t o m ake t heir argum ent s in front of t he Suprem e Court . The panel consist ed of Chief Just ice Alex andro C. Cast ro, Associat e Just ice John A. M anglona, and Associat e Just ice Perry B. Inos. A quest ion-and-answ er session w as held aft er t he hearing, w here st udent s asked quest ions about t he judicial syst em .

"The students were fully prepared with insightful questions about the inner workings of the appellate court. We appreciate their asking us to come back

2017 Annual Report | 8

again for another appellate session," said Justice John A. Manglona.

The just ices, law yers, and clerks w ere available t o t ake quest ions.

The hearing w as a result of an effort by t he Judiciary t o reach out t o t he com m unit y.

Prior t o t he court session, NM C President Dr. Carm en Fernandez and Dean of Office of Inst it ut ional Advancem ent Frankie Elipt ico each gave brief rem arks w elcom ing t he Judiciary.

From left: Attor ney for the Appellant Janet King, An eager NMC student asks the panel a question Justice John A. Manglona, Chief Justice Alexandro C. regarding the Supreme Cour t appeals process.

Castro, Justice Per r y B. Inos, NMC Dean of Academic Progr ams and Ser vices Bobblie Mer falen, and Attor ney for the Appellee Stephen Nutting.

2017 Annual Report | 9

Kagm an H i gh Sch ool On M onday, February 13, 2017, t he Suprem e Court heard argum ent s in Commonwealth v. Victor B. Hocog, 2016-SCC-0010-CRM , at Kagm an High School.

This case dealt w it h a sent encing judgm ent . The case w as heard before Associat e Just ices John A. M anglona, Associat e Just ice Perry B. Inos, and Just ice Pro Tem Robert J. Torres.

Over 100 students attended the Supreme Cour t's or al ar guments at Kagman High School as par t of the Judges in the Classroom community outreach progr am.

2017 Annual Report | 10

SUPREME C OURT Court Opinions Case Title

Opinion No.

Panel

Commonwealth v. Arurang

2017 MP 1

Castro, Manglona, Inos

Commonwealth v. Guiao

2017 MP 2

Castro, Manglona, Camacho

Su Yue Min v. Feng Hua Enter., Inc.

2017 MP 3

Castro, Manglona, Inos

Caiyun Mu v. Hyoun Min Oh

2017 MP 4

Castro, Manglona, Camacho

Commonwealth v. Lizama

2017 MP 5

Castro, Manglona, Inos

Blanco-Maratita v. Borja

2017 MP 6

Manglona, Maraman, Torres

Commonwealth v. Monkeya

2017 MP 7

Castro, Manglona, Inos

Ogumoro v. Ko Han Yoon

2017 MP 8

Manglona

Commonwealth v. Rupurei

2017 MP 9

Castro, Inos, Bellas

Commonwealth v. Mendiola

2017 MP 10

Castro, Manglona, Inos

Dela Cruz v. Dela Cruz

2017 MP 11

Castro, Manglona, Inos

Santos v. Commonwealth

2017 MP 12

Castro, Manglona, Inos

Isla Dev. Prop., Inc. v. Steven K. Jang

2017 MP 13

Castro, Manglona, Inos

Marianas Ins. Co. v. Ismail Hossain

2017 MP 14

Castro, Manglona, Inos

Commonwealth v. Hocog

2017 MP 15

Manglona, Inos, Torres

Nevada D.H.H.S. Div. of Welfare v. Lizama

2017 MP 16

Castro, Manglona, Inos

Commonwealth v. Ogumoro

2017 MP 17

Manglona, Torres, Iriarte

Jung v. Mode Tour Saipan Corp.

2017 MP 18

Castro, Manglona, Bellas

Commonwealth v. Taitano

2017 MP 19

Manglona, Barcinas, Bellas

Commonwealth v. Castro

2017 MP 20

Inos, Camacho, Bellas

Bar Admissions In 2017, seven people t ook t he CNM I Bar Ex am inat ion, t w o in February and five in July. Six out of t he seven applicant s passed and w ere sw orn in t o pract ice in t he Com m onw ealt h.

The bar ex am , w hich is adm inist ered in t he Suprem e Court room , det erm ines w het her or not a candidat e is com pet ent t o pract ice law in t he Com m onw ealt h. It is adm inist ered t w ice a year. usually in February and July by t he Bar Adm inist rat or Nora V. Borja.

Bar Administr ator Nor a V. Bor ja pr octor ed over the 2017 Bar Examination, which took place on July 26th and 27th in the Supr eme Cour t cour tr oom. Five applicants took the exam.

2017 Annual Report | 11

SUPERIOR C OURT

2017 Annual Report | 12

The Kotten Tinian Cour troom

JUDGES

2017 Annual Report | 13

Associate Judge Teresa K. Kim- Tenor io, Associate Judge David A. Wiseman, Presiding Judge Rober to C. Nar aja, Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo, and Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho

OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT The Office of t he Clerk of Court ( ?COC?) is one of t he largest divisions support ing t he operat ion of t he Superior Court . All civil, crim inal, fam ily, sm all claim s, and t raffic cases, as w ell as agency appeals, are init iat ed and processed by t he COC. In addit ion, t he COC is t he cust odian of all records filed w it h t he Superior Court and is responsible for issuing crim inal and t raffic clearances. Over t he course of 2017, t he COC has been diligent ly w orking on various init iat ives t o enhance Superior Court operat ions.

The COC's general responsibilit y is t o set t he case calendar for each of t he Superior Court judges pursuant t o t he Presiding Judge?s assignm ent orders. It im plem ent ed a new General Calendar in January 2017, w hich had no significant changes fro t he previous year's calendar. This calendar t ook int o account t he pending cases t hat w ere previously heard by ret ired Judge David Wisem an. All of t hese cases w ere equally divided am ongst t he four judges.

Upon t he confirm at ion of Associat e Judge Wesley Bodgan in Sept em ber 2017, a new general calendar w as im plem ent ed.

The Superior Court w elcom es t he fift h judge t o fill t he vacancy left by Ret ired Judge Wisem an. Associat e Judge Wesley M . Bogdan w as nom inat ed by Governor Torres and confirm ed by t he Senat e of t he Tw ent iet h Nort hern M arianas Com m onw ealt h Legislat ure. The new calendar redist ribut ed t he docket s t o t he five t rial court judges w it h t he follow ing general case assignm ent s: Fam ily and Drug Court assigned t o Associat e Judge

2017 Annual Report | 14

Kim -Tenorio; Sm all Claim s and Traffic Cases t o Associat e Judge Bogdan; Adm inist rat ive Appeals t o Associat e Judge Govendo; Tw o set t ings per m ont h for Rot a and Tinian shared by Presiding Judge Naraja and Judge Cam acho; and Ten ( 10) bail hearings per w eek.

Jury Com m ission No. 2017-001 w as issued by Presiding Judge Naraja early t his year.This order allow s t he COC t o ret ire t he jury panel com m issioned in February 2015 and draw new panels t o be used for fut ure jury t rials. Special sessions w ere called t o draw a specific num ber of panels for t he islands of Saipan, Rot a, and Tinian. A t ot al of 26 jury panels w ere com m ission for Saipan, 5 jury panels each w ere com m issioned for Rot a and Tinian.

A new judiciary fee schedule w as approved, increasing all court filing fees.This fee increase prom pt ed t he COC t o w ork w it h File and Serve Ex press t o updat e it s fee schedule t o avoid delays in any filing process by t he at t orneys. In addit ion, public not ices w ere published t o inform t he general public about t he increases.

The COC has subm it t ed it s proposed case m anagem ent process and st andard operat ing procedures ( ?SOP?) governing t he operat ion of t he COC t o t he Office of t he Presiding Judge. In part icular, t he COC developed a case flow and w orkflow m anagem ent process for all cases filed w it h t he Superior Court as w ell as SOP governing t he disposit ion of all t raffic cit at ions and bench w arrant s. This project is a joint collaborat ion bet w een t he COC, Fam ily Court Division, and Finance Division.

2017 Annual Report | 15

St at ist ics Tabl e 2.1. Quar t er l y Case Fi l i n gs 2017

Civil

Criminal

Family

Juvenile

Small

Traffic

January - March

89

53

140

4

195

979

April - June

62

59

171

6

100

1,439

July - September

90

41

146

1

126

1,885

October - December

61

47

119

4

40

1,413

TOTAL

302

200

576

15

461

5,716

2017 Annual Report | 16

Tabl e 2.2. Cases Fi l ed by I sl an d 2017 Saipan

Civil

Criminal

Family Court

Juvenile

Small Claims

Traffic

Total

287

180

523

15

417

5,619

7,041

Tinian

6

14

30

0

36

36

122

Rota

9

6

23

0

8

61

107

Total

302

200

576

15

461

5,716

7,270

Addit ional st at ist ics from t he Office of t he Clerk of Court are available in t he Appen di x .

OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT St af f Pat r i ck V. Di az, Cl er k of Cour t N ov el yn W an i a- Ten or i o, Deput y Cl er k I I I Rosi e Jan e Ada, Deput y Cl er k I I Dai sy M en di ol a, Deput y Cl er k I I Kr i st y Di az, Deput y Cl er k I I Sabr i n a Del a Cr uz, Deput y Cl er k I Ev a Cal v o, Deput y Cl er k I Adel i n e Ter eyam a, Deput y Cl er k I Ber l i an n H i ggi n s, Deput y Cl er k I Ok al an i Sh i pr i t , Deput y Cl er k I Joan n Pan gel i n an , Deput y Cl er k I M ar i ssa Ada, Deput y Cl er k I Cl ar e M oses, Deput y Cl er k I Byr on Pi t eg, Deput y Cl er k I

2017 Annual Report | 17

COMMONWEALTH RECORDER'S OFFICE The Com m onw ealt h Recorder's Office ( CRO) w as est ablished w it hin t he Com m onw ealt h Superior Court t hrough t he passage of Public Law 3-64 in 1983. The Office is m andat ed t o record and m aint ain docum ent s pert aining t o official Com m onw ealt h land regist rat ion and ot her real est at e, com m ercial, and personal propert y. It is also responsible for m aint aining original records of Com m onw ealt h vit al st at ist ics such as cert ificat es of birt h, deat h, and m arriage. The Com m onw ealt h Recorder?s Office, as t he cent ral reposit ory for all such records, provides t he public access t o t he inform at ion by index ing t he sam e and providing duplicat ion services pursuant t o a fee Scanning of maps by a local pr inting schedule. The Com m onw ealt h Recorder?s company. office is headed by t he Com m onw ealt h Recorder, w ho serves under t he supervision of t he Presiding Judge. The st aff assist s num erous individuals, governm ent agencies, and com m ercial est ablishm ent s in t he recording, index ing, duplicat ion, and cert ificat ion of records. Their daily role cent ers on cust om er service request s from Tinian, Rot a, Saipan, Guam , Haw aii, and ot her jurisdict ions. In addit ion t o recording land docum ent s and vit al st at ist ics, daily docum ent handling includes t he follow ing: -

Filing of Uniform Com m ercial Code Docum ent s Recording of Land Records, M iscellaneous Affidavit s, and all ot her Docum ent s Generat ing Com put er Index es Scanning of Land Regist rat ion, Uniform Com m ercial Code Docum ent s Birt h, Deat h, and M arriage Cert ificat es

2017 Annual Report | 18

Luise S. Deleon Guer rero Commonwealth Recorder

Michelle Atalig Administr ative Specialist Centron Hustisia Rota

2017 Annual Report | 19

St at ist ics Tabl e 1. Bi r t h Cer t i f i cat es

Islan d

JAN FEB M AR APR M AY JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT NOV

DEC TOTAL COST

Saipan

51

77

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

128

$96.00

Tinian

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

$0.00

Rota

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

$0.00

TOTAL

51

77

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

128

$96.00

Tabl e 2. Deat h Cer t i f i cat es Islan d

JAN

FEB

M AR

APR

M AY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

TOTAL COST

Saipan

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

$1.50

Tinian

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

$0.00

Rota

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

$0.00

TOTAL

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

$1.50

2017 Annual Report | 20

Tabl e 6: Lan d Docum en t s an d Fi l i n gs JAN

FEB

M AR

APR

M AY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

TOTAL

COST

Documents

199

313

282

248

323

266

238

262

246

223

358

196

3,154

$57,960.00

Pages

994

1,382

1,249

936

530

1,102

1,114

1,002

1,020

882

2,101

583

12,895

$25,790.00

Documents

3

2

1

3

3

5

3

0

2

3

4

2

31

$570.00

Pages

2

1

0

3

14

15

7

0

18

4

3

3

70

$140.00

Documents

3

4

2

4

3

3

2

2

7

0

2

0

32

$570.00

Pages

1

1

22

19

9

5

2

6

5

0

1

0

71

$142.00

Title Certificate

1

0

3

1

1

0

1

0

0

1

1

0

9

$170.00

Certification

0

0

1

0

0

1

2

0

0

2

0

0

6

$150.00

124

298

712

672

726

722

556

303

187

394

508

100

5,302

SAIPAN

TINIAN

ROTA

Copies

$5,196.50 $90,688.50

2017 Annual Report | 21

Tabl e 7A. Un i f or m Com m er ci al Code Pages JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

TOTAL

FEES

Saipan

0

0

200

53

86

50

44

59

39

55

92

60

738

$1,476.00

Tinian

0

0

0

0

7

0

0

3

6

3

0

0

19

$38.00

Rota

0

0

0

0

2

0

0

7

12

3

8

0

32

$64.00

Saipan

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

$0.00

Tinian

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

$0.00

Rota

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

$0.00

Saipan

0

0

0

0

0

0

19

0

0

0

0

0

19

$38.00

Tinian

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

$0.00

Rota

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

$0.00

TOTAL

0

0

200

53

95

50

63

69

57

61

100

60

808

UCC-1

UCC-2

UCC-3

Addi t i on al st at i st i cs f r om t h e Com m on w eal t h Recor der ' s Of f i ce ar e av ai l abl e i n t h e Appen di x .

$1,616.00

FAMILY COURT DIVISION

2017 Annual Report | 22

Pursuant t o Public Law 9-51, a Fam ily Court Division ( ?FCD?) w as est ablished w it hin t he Superior Court of t he Com m onw ealt h of t he Nort hern M ariana Islands. The Fam ily Court Division assist s t he Superior Court Clerk of Court in processing pleadings and dist ribut ing orders for pro se lit igant s w ho appear before t he fam ily court judge. In addit ion t o it s adm inist rat ive dut ies, t he Fam ily Court offers client services and provides inform at ion and guidance on pro se fam ily cases. The Fam ily Court has cont inued t o help t roubled fam ilies seeking assist ance.

Since 2003, Judge Govendo has been t he prim ary Fam ily Court judge in t he Nort hern M arianas Islands. In 2016, Judge Kim -Tenorio w as assigned Fam ily Court cases. The Fam ily Court Division has prim ary jurisdict ion over all fam ily legal m at t ers, including t he follow ing: -

Adopt ion Alim ony Annulm ent Change of Nam e Child Abuse Child Cust ody Child Support Child Visit at ion Propert y Dist ribut ion Upon Divorce or Annulm ent Divorce Guardianship and Guardianship Ad lit em Juvenile Delinquency Pat ernit y Tem porary Rest raining Order

Joseph Kevin P. Villagomez, Manager Nikita S. Cabrer a, Family Cour t Ser vices Specialist Monica V. Manibusan, Family Cour t Project Assistant

FAMILY COURT DIVISION St at ist ics

Tabl e 1. Pr o Se Ser v i ces

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Tabl e 2. Ot h er Ser v i ces

Delia S. Calvo Client Ser vice Coordinator, Rota Centron Hustisia

OFFICE OF ADULT PROBATION

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The Office of Adult Probat ion and Supervision ( OAP) is est ablished by 1 CM C § 3231. By law , t he OAP is responsible for fulfilling dut ies such as: -

creat ing and m aint aining records for each person placed on probat ion m onit oring and supervising crim inal offenders for public safet y serving arrest w arrant s invest igat ing and report ing t o t he court report ing on cases ex ecut ing bench w arrant s perform ing drug-t est ing offering offender services recovering rest it ut ion for vict im s.

The office?s overall goal is t o reduce and det er crim e and recidivism .In recent years, t he Office of Adult Probat ion has cont inued t o handle a high num ber of crim inal and t raffic cases requiring probat ion services. As a subst ant ial port ion of t he new crim inal cases are STOP VAWA cases, t he OAP cont inues t o address incidences of dom est ic violence and sex ual assault and vict im prot ect ion. The OAP has also ex ecut ed num erous report s, appearances, and bench w arrant s.

The Office of Adult Probation Staff attending the Judiciar y's Professional Development Tr aining.

Office of

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ADULT PROBATION St at ist ics Tabl e 1. 20 17 Case M an agem en t

Tabl e 2. Rest i t ut i on Tr ack i n g

Office of

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ADULT PROBATION

Pretr ial Parole and Probation Proclamation Signing on July 13, 2017 at the Gover nor 's Office.

Farewell lunch for OAP Staff Oscar Tor res on May 11, 2017.

Tabl e 3. Legal Obl i gat i on Per f or m an ce

Tabl e 4. Pur ch ase Requi si t i on s

Tabl e 5. Tr av el Aut h or i zat i on s

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Depart ment of Correct ions Training on February 22, 2017

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OAP Per sonnel tr ained with DOC Staff at the Assembly Hall, LRC.

Probation Staff Sophia Geisinger par ticipates in a DOC tr aining.

DRUG COURT DIVISION

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The Drug Court Act of 2015 w as enact ed on Oct ober 28, 2015. Drug Court Division ( DCD) w as est ablished in 2016 follow ing t he hiring of it s st aff. The Drug Court Program ( ?Drug Court ? or ?Program ?) is a collaborat ive non-adversarial syst em t o effect uat e t he rehabilit at ion and recovery of drug offenders t hrough int ense judicial int eract ion, court m onit oring, and holist ic subst ance use disorder t reat m ent .

In 2016 and t hrough 2017, under t he leadership of t he Presiding Judge and t he assigned Drug Court Judge, t he Drug Court M anager and st aff diligent ly w orked on planning and fully im plem ent ing t he Drug Court Program . Count less hours w ere spent on researching and developing t raining, funding, and adm inist rat ive st rat egies t o ensure successful im plem ent at ion of t he first local drug court . Funding st rat egies included int roduct ion and passage of legislat ive m andat es, int egrat ion w it h ex ist ing t reat m ent and judicial services, and developm ent of federal grant proposals.

Training and adm inist rat ive st rat egies consist ed of draft ing program policies and procedures and prom ot ing int erdisciplinary t raining across m ult iple agencies involved in t he Program . On M ay 26, 2017, t he Suprem e Court adopt ed t he Int erim CNM I Drug Court Program Policies and Procedures, inclusive of Drug Court ?s m ission, vision, and goals.

The Dr ug Cour t Division suppor ted the 2017 CNMI Women's Month

Judge Kim- Tenor io Pr esenting to Faith- Based Leader s.

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Alt hough Drug Court faced num erous int ernal and ex t ernal challenges in 2017, w it h a reduced w orkforce and an increased caseload, DCD cont inued t o m eet m ajor deadlines and achieve goals w hile providing services t o over 30 high risk, high need part icipant s.

Presiding Judge Nar aja and Judiciar y Staff at Matr ix Tr aining hosted

by Dr ug Cour t.

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1st Dr ug Cour t Meeting

Only 5.7% of 2,874 drug screens w ere posit ive 100% ret ent ion rat e 807 case m anagem ent m eet ings com plet ed Held 50 Drug Court hearings 3106 recovery hours com plet ed

Drug Court fully im plem ent ed t he Drug Court Case M anagem ent ( DCCM ) Soft w are on Decem ber 14, 2017. The DCD now ut ilizes t he DCCM Int ernat ional Sit e t o case m anage and access real t im e inform at ion t hrough a secured, w eb-based applicat ion.

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St at ist ics Before t he end of 2017, Drug Court received 60 referrals. There are current ly 38 act ive cases, 12 pending cases, and 6 cases deem ed unsuit able for t he program .

Upon com plet ing ent rance prot ocols, 38 act ive part icipant s have been engaged in a com prehensive, holist ic approach, w hich com bines int ensive judicial int eract ion, aggressive com m unit y supervision, frequent drug t est ing, case m anagem ent , and subst ance and alcohol t reat m ent services. DCD t racks services provided in accordance w it h policies and procedures.

To dat e, t he follow ing required services rendered included legal eligibilit y and biopsychosocial/ Clinical Assessm ent Referral. In addit ion t o t he services above, Drug Court st aff provide services t o ensure a cont inuum of care, such as: coordinat ed healt h ex am s and educat ion, required frequent random ized drug t est ing, com m unit y supervision, inform al sanct ions, incent ives, personal donat ions, and links t o com m unit y resources and fait h-based support . Fam ily orient at ions w ere also conduct ed for accept ed cases.

The Drug M anager also finalized and subm it t ed an agreem ent w it h Com m onw ealt h Advocat e for Recovery Effort s ( C.A.R.E) t o est ablish a m ent oring program for part icipant s.

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DCD subm it t ed an applicat ion for ?Operat ional Tune Up Training? t o t he Nat ional Drug Court Inst it ut e ( NDCI) . The CNM I w as approved and drug court operat ional review / t raining is being scheduled for M arch 12-15, 2018. Training w ill focus on t he needs of t he Judiciary and key com m unit y st akeholders w ho can m ake an im pact on t he operat ions of Drug Court . NDCI w ill also invit e t he Guam Judiciary and U.S. Dist rict Court ?s Drug Offender Reent ry Program t o part icipat e in t raining. In 2018, DCD w ill cont inue t o im prove services of t he CNM I?s first local drug court . M ajor init iat ives include form ing an Advisory Com m it t ee, applying for federal grant s, enhancing t reat m ent services, and ex panding ot her problem -solving court s.

2017 National Association of Dr ug Cour t Professionals (NADCP) Conference

Walk for Recover y Sponsor s- Pacific Centur y Fellows

JUDICIARY A DMINISTRATIVE O FFICE

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Director of Cour ts Sonia A, Camacho, Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro, Budget & Finance Director John T. Villagomez, Accountant I Cather ine C. Licop- Mendoza, Administr ative Assistant Steve S. Cabrer a, Accountant I Jason D. Kelley, and Accountant II Evelyn P. Calvo. The Commonwealth Judiciar y Administr ative Office (?CJAO?) over sees the administr ative functions and oper ations of the cour ts on Saipan, Rota, and Tinian. Accordingly, this office must be staffed to assist the Chief Justice and Presiding Judge in their administr ative responsibilities. The CJAO is tasked with implementing the Judicial Council?s policies and str ategic plans.

DIRECTOR OF COURTS

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Direct or of Court s Sonia A. Cam acho speaks at t he At t orney General Cup on M ay 5, 2017.

Direct or Cam acho w as sw orn in January 12, 2018. Cam acho?s new role w ill involve t he supervision of personnel w it h t he CNM I Judiciary Adm inist rat ive Office. She w ill be overseeing t he Judiciary?s policy developm ent and planning, court perform ance m onit oring, and assist ing w it h t he im plem ent at ion of t he Judiciary?s st rat egic plan, Judicial Council init iat ives, and just ice program s. Cam acho has been w it h t he CNM I Judiciary for over 20 years, init ially appoint ed in 1995 by t hen-Presiding Judge Alex andro C. Cast ro t o serve as a judicial assist ant t o t hen-associat e judge Edw ard M anibusan. She has since served t hrough four chief just ices and t hree presiding judges in various capacit ies. Prior t o her recent appoint m ent , Cam acho w as t he special assist ant t o t he presiding judge/ deput y direct or of court s and assist ed t he chief just ice as act ing direct or of court s.

She has served in various m anagem ent t eam s, supervised cham ber assignm ent s, facilit at ed court program s and project s, overseen t ransit ional and budget ary init iat ives, and assist ed w it h t he developm ent of case m anagem ent st rat egies.

ACCOUNTING SERVICE UNIT

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The ASU completed the following tasks as part of its normal functions: providing cashiering services for all Judiciary fees and fines, DPS- BM V fees and fines, and other governmental agency's fees, operating a collection and disbursement system for fiduciary accounts (child support, bail, restitution, probate funds, civil jury funds, and other third party funds per court orders), providing data entry processing for traffic and criminal assessments, processing certification of funds for Judiciary purchases, processing and issuing payments to vendors, maintaining files and bookkeeping records for all transactions, tracking Judiciary fund status for three accounts, and issuing activity reports to the Secretary of Finance, the Director of Courts, and Associate Justice John A. M anglona.

Swear ing- in ceremony for Accountant I Cather ine Licop- Mendoza by Presiding Judge Rober to C. Nar aja on Apr il 11, 2017.

Fi scal Year 20 18 B u d get Req u est

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The FY' 2018 Budget Request from t he CNM I Judicial Branch can be view ed if you click h er e. FY 2018 CNM I Judicial Branch Budget Request am ount s t o $8,293,053: -

Budget planning led by the Accounting Ser vice Unit on Apr il 13, 2017.

Suprem e Court ( 1691) $949,320 Superior Court ( 1690) $2,882,374 Drug Court ( 1695) $452,782 Judiciary Adm inist rat ive Office ( 1694) $3,598,206 Law Revision Com m ission ( 1692) $410,371

The ASU also assist ed ( 1) t he Clerk of t he Superior Court in reconciling orders for t he st at us of paym ent s t o court -appoint ed counsel, ex pert s, and m em bers of t he jury and ( 2) t he Chief Probat ion Officer in reconciling rest it ut ion am ount s and probat ioner payee inform at ion. The Unit is com prised of a st aff of four: Budget and Finance Direct or John T. Villagom ez, Account ant II Evelyn P. Calvo, Account ant I Jason Kelley and Accout ant I Cat herine C. Licop-M endoza.

M a r sh a l Ser v ic e D iv isio n

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The M SD w ill cont inue t o st rengt hen securit y in and around t he court house by m eans of securit y im provem ent project s such as adding cam eras at blind spot s and inst alling glass w indow s in holding cells.

Securit y and law enforcem ent is t he t op priorit y in t he M arshal Service Division. The M arshals Service Division ( M SD) is est ablished pursuant t o 1 CM C § 3901. By law , t he M SD m ust undergo firearm s t raining and ot her periodic cert ificat ion t o t he sam e ex t ent as t he Depart m ent of Public Safet y.

Mar shal Gun Tr aining on Januar y 31, 2017.

The m arshals are deem ed law enforcem ent officers w it h aut horit y equivalent t o t hat of police officers. They are t asked w it h ensuring public safet y in t he t hree court houses. Som e of t heir dut ies include: -

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perform ing general court securit y; providing securit y services t o judiciary personnel, part icipant s in court proceedings, and t he general public visit ing t he judicial facilit ies; providing personal securit y for just ices and judges out side of judiciary grounds and w hile on official business; serving various form s of process; and assist ing in t ransport ing prisoners.

2017 Annual Report | 40

New Mar shal Per sonnel Tr aining on June 30, 2017.

Mar shal Meeting on July 3, 2017

Mar shal Stakeholder Meeting

HUMAN RESOURCE OFFICE

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The H uman Resource Office is responsible for providing a comprehensive human resource program, including: -

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Policy development and administration Recruitment of qualified applicants into a diverse workforce Employment and orientation services Administration of employee benefits, including health, retirement, and life insurance programs Position classification, salary administration, employee relations, training, and professional development

Michelle V. Guer rero Human Resource / Administr ative Officer

The CNMI Judiciar y Staff on the 1st day of Professional Development on November 20, 2017. The event was held at the Pacific Islands Club Charley's Cabaret.

Michelle Guer reo, Divana Dela Cr uz, and Michael Villacr usis assists in the Professional Development tr aining.

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Professional Development Training for t he CNMI Judiciary St aff on November 20 - 21, 2017

John Demapan, Delia Magofna, Rebecca Santos, and Vivian Dela Cr uz listens to the seminar s.

LRC Executive Director Shiela N. Tr ianni deliver s remarks to the staff.

Judiciar y employees holding discussions on cour t professionalism.

Deputy Director of Cour ts Sonia A. Camacho recieves a cer tificate from the Judges and Justices.

Judiciary Directory

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INFORMATION SYSTEM UNIT

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I n f or m at i on Syst em s Un i t St af f Dev el opm en t The new ly adopt ed CNM I Judiciary M ission St at em ent st at es, " To ensure an independent judiciary t hat provides im part ial, t im ely, responsive and account able judicial services focused on t he cont inuous pursuit of judicial ex cellence." " ...cont inuous pursuit of judicial ex cellence," w hat bet t er w ay is t here t o accom plish t his part of t he m ission st at em ent t han t o invest in t he developm ent of personnel w hich is t he backbone of t he CNM I Judiciary.

Im proving t he personnel's skill set s t o bet t er equip t hem in perform ing t heir dut ies w ill event ually lead t o t he im provem ent of all judicial services, sat isfying t he court ?s m ission.

In 2017, t he Inform at ion Syst em s Unit w as especially fort unat e t o have been able t o not only avail of t he in-house personnel developm ent held regularly, but w as also given a chance t o ex pand our horizons by at t ending t he 2017 Court Technology Conference and t he 2017 NM C IT Boot Cam p.

M ichael Villacrusis, Syst em s Adm inist rat or for t he CNM I Judiciary, along w it h Associat e Just ice Perry B. Inos at t ended t he 2017 Court Technology Conference held in Salt Lake Cit y, Ut ah on Sept em ber 12 - 14, 2017.

Held annually, t he conference focuses on t he current issues judiciaries have t o face w it h changes in t echnology and provides insight s on new ly developed t echnology available t o t he Judiciary t o im prove it s

Systems Administr ator Michael C. Villacr usis and Computer Specialist John B. Demapan int ernal processes. The conference also provides t he opport unit y t o m eet w it h a variet y of vendors w ho specialize in t hese fields and est ablish net w orks for fut ure advancem ent s.

John Dem apan, Com put er Specialist I, w as enrolled int o t he NM C IT Boot Cam p for t raining held on July 24, 2017 t o August 04, 2017. The course at t ended is on net w ork t echnology and securit y, w hich is a hot t opic in t oday's t echnological w orld t hat focuses on t he im provem ent of net w ork securit y skills t o bat t le cyber securit y t hreat s.

2017 Annual Report | 45 PJC Bi en n i al Con f er en ce Held every t w o years, t he Pacific Judicial Conference w as host ed by t he CNM I in 2017 and w as held at Fiest a Resort Saipan from Sept em ber 26 - 29, 2017. This event host ed t he leaders from different court s t hroughout t he pacific region in a conference t o discuss t he challenges t hey have faced in t he different jurisdict ions and t he progress t hey have achieved.

Though t he Inform at ion Syst em s Unit w as a behind t he scenes ent it y for t his event , being t he host of such an im port ant conference required t he sm oot h operat ion of all t echnological elem ent s t hat w ere being ut ilized on sit e for t he act ual conference and offsit e for t he preparat ion of m at erials.

Logist ics, operat ions, and t roubleshoot ing of audio, video, and print ing equipm ent w ere provided by onsit e ISU personnel, w hile daily w ebsit e updat es for event m at erials and new slet t er graphic support w as perform ed offsit e by ISU. Supr em e Cour t Of f Si t e Or al Ar gum en t As part of t he CNM I Judiciary's effort s t o provide access t o just ice, t he CNM I Suprem e Court has been holding oral argum ent s out side t he Suprem e Court court room . In 2017, oral argum ent s w ere held at Nort hern M arianas College, Kagm an High School, Rot a Superior Court , and Tinian Superior Court . While t hese proceedings m ay have been held out side t heir t ypical set t ing, t hey are st ill subject t o t he sam e st andards. This m eans t hat each of t hese locat ions had t o be equipped w it h a st andard audio recording unit w it h corresponding m icrophones, as w ell as project ion unit s.

2017 Annual Report | 46

Inter active televisions installed around the cour thouse.

Ti n i an Soun d Syst em Repl acem en t The Tinian Superior Court court room has been operat ing w it h an obsolet e sound syst em for about 10 years now and has com e t o a point w here servicing t he equipm ent w as no longer possible. A new set of sound equipm ent and m icrophones w ere put in place in 2017, w it h furt her im provem ent s t o be m ade in 2018.

Tech n ol ogy Upgr ades M any t echnological upgrades w ere conduct ed t houghout t he Judiciary t o furt her increase t he efficiency of t he personnel and ease t he st ress of being short on st aff w hile st ill providing im peccable service t o t he public. Dual M onit ors w ere inst alled in t he Superior Court court room s, t he suprem e and superior judicial assist ant s' offices, and t he Superior Court clerk of court office. This w as upgraded from single m onit or inst allat ions t o im prove m ult it asking in t hese locat ions. Because clerks and judicial assist ant s run m ult iple program s t o conduct t heir daily t asks, having t w o m onit ors helps t hese posit ions funct ion m ore efficient ly. Som e new com put ers and lapt ops w ere also added t o locat ions t hat previously had no unit s and w ere assigned sharing com put ers. By having individual com put ers, st aff can freely w ork on assigned t asks w hile not having t o w ait on each ot her.

BUILDING MAINTENANCE

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The Building M aint enance Division oversees t he court houses on Saipan, Tinian, and Rot a. The day-t o-day operat ions of t he division include ground m aint enance, light ing and ballast replacem ent , repaint ing of offices, court personnel request s, m ont hly prevent at ive m aint enance, as w ell as set up for event s such as public hearings, m eet ings, honorary ret irem ent cerem onies, and t he M ock Trial Academ y.

Gerald E. Weaver Building Superint endent Raym ond Babaut a M aint enance St aff

Ger ald E. Weaver attending a seminar.

Raymond Babauta leads the bulb and ballast replacement project in the Guma' Hustisia.

Jury Room Repairs

Secure Parking Gate Repair

2017 Annual Report | 48

Renovat ion Project s

The staff hallway looks spotless after the tile r eplacement.

2017 Annual Report | 49

GRANTS ADMINISTRATION OFFICE

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This report sum m arizes t he Judiciary?s 2017 success in obt aining financial assist ance in t he form of grant s from federal and local governm ent ent it ies. The t able below reveals applicat ions w ere m ade for $1.2 m illion in funding; $538,661 w as secured, an am ount 3.6% % great er t han in 2016. Am ong t he not ew ort hy it em s on t he list ing w as t he $180,000 am ount secured for t he new Drug Court Program . A grant t hrough t he governor?s office for M old Rem ediat ion w as also obt ained w hich w ill provide valuable t echnical advice on t he m eans of best eradicat ing our m ain building?s lingering m old issues. Our Depart m ent of t he Int erior Com pact Im pact aw ard ( last it em on t he t able) fell by $21,893 or 12.9% from t he am ount received in 2016. The ent ire aw ard t o t he CNM I w as unchanged 2016 vs. 2017 at $2.282 m illion. To m aint ain t he Judiciary?s share of Com pact Im pact funding, addit ional effort s w ere m ade in t he developm ent of st at ist ics for t he 2018 aw ard so as t o capt ure t he full num ber of cit izens James W. Stowell from t he Federat ed St at es of M icronesia and t he Gr ants Administr ator Republic of Palau served by t he CNM I Nor ther n Mar ianas Judiciar y Histor ical Society Exec. Director Judiciary.

St at ist ics

2017 Annual Report | 51

In addit ion t o applying for and adm inist ering grant s, effort s cont inued t hrough t he US Depart m ent of Agricult ure ( USDA?s) Rural Developm ent Loan Program t o obt ain favorable low int erest rat e federal assist ance in t he am ount of $6.7 m illion for t he ex pansion and im provem ent of t he Judiciary?s court facilit ies on all t hree islands. Whereas 2016 saw t he com plet ion of t he applicat ion for t he loan, including environm ent al report s, in 2017 effort s w ere focused on answ ering hist orical preservat ion concerns relat ed t o prospect ive building const ruct ion?s infringem ent int o t he archeological im port ant cult ural layer near t he surface at t he m ain prospect ive const ruct ion sit e.

The t opographic survey m apping conduct ed by a local engineering firm st rongly support ed t he belief t hat in-fill eart h covering had been laid dow n at t he t im e of t he building?s original const ruct ion and new engineered fill, added as necessary at t he propert y?s low er elevat ions w ould leave t he cult ural layer undist urbed by new const ruct ion. The validit y of t he survey w ork had t o be proven w it h act ual t rench diggings. This ex cavat ion w ork found t he archeologically sensit ive eart h under t he original eart h in-fill at t he level w here t he engineers had said it w ould be. The applicat ion t o t he USDA w as am ended w it h t his inform at ion w hich had sat isfied t he Saipan Hist orical Preservat ion Office.

2017 Annual Report | 52

Addit ional project and finance-relat ed enhancem ent s t o t he applicat ion cont inued right unt il t he t im e t he local office of t he USDA on Guam finished t heir review and underw rit ing w ork. The applicat ion w it h t he Guam office recom m endat ions for funding w as sent t o Haw aii for review at t he regional level in m id-Oct ober.

Archaelogical remains unear thed by a local engineer ing fir m

Excavation work at the Guma' Hustisia premises.

NORTHERN MARIANAS JUDICIARY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Judges in the Classroom outreach progr ams on the islands of Tinian and Rota.

2017 Annual Report | 53 As t he New Year began, t he Nort hern M arianas Judiciary Hist orical Societ y had seen legislat ion pass bot h houses of t he legislat ure t hat provided an educat ion t ax credit for donat ions m ade t o t he t ax ex em pt organizat ion. The governor, w ho ex pressed concern about an increasing drain on t ax revenues posed by educat ion t ax credit s generally, vet oed t he bill.

In addit ion t o sponsoring t he educat ional Mock Trial Competition, the Attorney General?s Cup and t he Poster Essay Contest held around Law Day celebrat ion, t he Hist orical Societ y sponsored t he sevent h Law and the Freshman Legislator sem inar, a biennial sem inar conduct ed by t he Judiciary specifically designed for incom ing legislat ors. The half-day program included a condensed course on t he Covenant and Const it ut ion, an overview of t he judicial process, and an opport unit y for int eract ive dialogue bet w een first -t im e represent at ives and m em bers of t he Judiciary.

As t he fall t erm began, t he Suprem e Court heard oral argum ent s on bot h Rot a and Tinian.

St udent s w ere invit ed t o at t end t he proceedings. The just ices and st aff m em bers held quest ion and answ er sessions aft er oral argum ent s concluded. Chief Just ice Cast ro said, ?The Judges and Justices in the Classroom program has been a great success on Saipan, and w e w ant t o ex t end t he sam e opport unit y t o all of our st udent s on Tinian and Lut a.?

LAW REVISION COMMISSION

2017 Annual Report | 54

The Law Revision Com m ission ( LRC) is est ablished by 1 CM C § 3801 and is charged w it h cert ain responsibilit ies and aut horit ies t hroughout 1 CM C § § 3801?3810. To fulfill LRC?s m andat es, LRC personnel review all Com m onw ealt h public law s, local law s, and prom ulgat ed adm inist rat ive regulat ions and m odify t he Com m onw ealt h Code ( CM C) and t he Nort hern M ariana Island Adm inist rat ive Code ( NM IAC) t o im plem ent t he changes m ade by all new perm anent law s and regulat ions. The LRC also publishes t he decisions rendered by t he NM I Suprem e Court in a report er series w it h a headnot ing syst em , and periodically revises and publishes a digest cont aining t hose headnot es, as m andat ed. Pursuant t o it s publicat ion m andat es, LRC m aint ains and updat es it s w ebsit e ( cnm ilaw .org) t o represent t he current st at e of t he law in t he Com m onw ealt h, w het her ex ecut ive, legislat ive, or judicial. The LRC?s w ebsit e cont ains t he CM C, t he NM IAC, public and local law s, decisions of t he Suprem e Court , court rules, decisions and orders of t he Superior Court t hat have been designat ed for publicat ion, Ex ecut ive Orders, At t orney General Opinions, local ordinances, t he Com m onw ealt h Regist ers,proposed and em ergency regulat ions, and hist orical legal m at erials. Ensuring t he current st at e-of-t he-law is properly reflect ed and m ade available t o t he public is an ongoing and labor-int ensive process t hat requires daily review and revision. In addit ion t o cont inuous m odificat ion t o t he w ebsit e, LRC personnel prepare t racking docum ent s, updat e source and reference t ables, creat e m ont hly m ast er files t o provide accurat e hist orical law access, and com pile docum ent s t o publish various print publicat ions.

LRC Staff from left: Staff Attor ney Colby K. Stewar t, Website and Office Manager Alber t A. Hicking, Executive Director Sheila N. Tr ianni, Publications Clerk and Administr ative Assistant Kelsey O. Geor ge, and Staff Attor ney Ryan J. Meyerhoff

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Publ i c Law s, Local Law s, an d t h e Com m on w eal t h Code In 2017, t he LRC uploaded 36 public law s and 19 local law s from Saipan, Tinian, and Rot a t o it s w ebsit e t hat becam e effect ive. Each law received is uploaded t o t he LRC w ebsit e m aking t he law s easily available in PDF form at alm ost im m ediat ely aft er receipt by LRC. The LRC has public and local law s for t he First Legislat ure t hrough t he Tw ent iet h Legislat ure readily available on it s w ebsit e. In addit ion t o t he public and local law s, t he LRC receives local ordinances, w hich it also convert s and uploads t o t he w ebsit e m aking t hem searchable and easily accessible. The LRC uploaded 357 separat e sect ions of perm anent law t o t he CM C dat abase available on it s w ebsit e. In addit ion, LRC personnel incorporat ed t hose changes int o t he print version of t he supplem ent t o t he CM C, w hich is updat ed for print publicat ion biannually. The changes t o t he CM C include bot h w holly new CM C sect ions and am endm ent s t o ex ist ing CM C sect ions. Each sect ion requires careful review of gram m ar, cont ent , num bering, references, and uniform it y prior t o codificat ion.

www.cnmilaw.or g

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Com m on w eal t h Regi st er s an d N M I AC Com m onw ealt h Regist ers are provided t o t he LRC aft er print ing by t he Office of t he At t orney General. In 2017, t he LRC review ed, convert ed, and uploaded t he t w elve regular and t w o addendum Regist ers published in 2017, w hich consist ed of over 1,413 pages. The conversion and upload process m akes t he cont ent of t he Regist ers searchable, dow nloadable, and easily locat able. In 2017, t he LRC m odified it s w ebsit e t o include several addit ional links and pages relat ed t o inform at ion t hat is published in t he Com m onw ealt h Regist er. A page dedicat ed t o Proposed Regulat ions, w hich are regulat ions t hat have been proposed but not yet adopt ed, w as creat ed t o ensure t hat t he public can easily find regulat ions t hat are being considered for adopt ion and t hose t hat m ay be open for com m ent .

LRC St af f Tr ai n i n g Legal st aff part icipat ed in on-island cont inuing legal educat ion, and at t ended t he Associat ion of Codifiers and Regist ers ( ACR) sect ion of t he Nat ional Associat ion of Secret aries of St at e conference and t he Associat ion of Report ers of Judicial Decisions conference. LRC?s Ex ecut ive Direct or present ed on t he creat ion and developm ent of Com m onw ealt h Law and t he funct ions of t he LRC t o t he ACR sect ion of t he Nat ional Associat ion of Secret aries of St at es conference. Cont inuing legal educat ions w as necessary t o assist st aff in carrying out t heir dut ies and ensured cont inued com pliance w it h licensing requirem ent s in t he CNM I during 2017. In addit ion, LRC personnel t hat provide t he m ajorit y of front -desk cust om er service, Office/ Websit e M anager Albert Hicking and Publicat ions Clerk/ Adm inist rat ive Assist ant Kelsey George, at t ended t he Cust om er Service Ex cellence Sem inar at t he Cham ber of Com m erce on April 20, 2017, w here t hey learned about areas of know ledge, goals, net w orking, and st eps t o ensure t he delivery of ex cept ional cust om er service at t he LRC.

Presenter s and attendees from the Judicial and Legislative Br anches pose for a photo dur ing a break at the Researching Basic Law Professional Development on May 19, 2017.

The revised 2017 Dr iver ?s Handbook is now available in 13 individual languages, which are sold separ ately for $5.00 per book.

The 2017 Dr iver ?s Handbook Set compilation includes all 13 languages in a single- book set, which is sold for $50.00.

AROUND THE JUDICIARY

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The Essay and Poster Contest Entr ies displayed on May 3, 2017. The contest is par t of the Judiciar y's community outreach to educate about the legal system.

2017 Essay and Poster Day Contest Winner s

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The 2017 Essay and Poster winner s with fr iends and family. Submissions came from public and pr ivate schools across Saipan. Winning entr ies received cash pr izes, histor y books, and gift cer tificates.

7t h LAW AND THE FRESHMAN LEGISLATOR SEMINAR

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The CNM I Judiciary conduct ed it s 7t h Law and t he Freshm an Legislat or sem inar on January 6, 2017, at t he Gum a' Hust isia in Susupe. Six new ly elect ed legislat ors part icipat ed in t he sem inar, all of w hom serve in t he House of Represent at ives.

Front row (from left): Rep. Donald C. Barcinas, Rep. Ivan A. Blanco, Rep. Alice S. Igitol, Rep. Jose I. Itibus, Rep. Fr ancisco C. Aguon, and Rep. Gregor io M. Sablan, Jr. Back row, from left: Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona, Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo, Presiding Judge Rober to C. Nar aja, Associate Justice John A. Manglona, Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro, Associate Justice Per r y B. Inos, Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho, and Associate Judge Teresa K. Kim- Tenor io.

NEW COURT FEES The new Judiciar y fees were effective on March 1, 2017. For a complete listing, click her e.

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Manamko' Takeover Day

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Guests from the Manamko' Center led the cour thouse as justices and judges for their visit on May 15, 2017.

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Dr ug Cour t and CHCC Meeting on June 21, 2017.

2017 Summer Law Clerk Gordon Ander son from UC Davis School of Law.

7th Cycle Cadet Swear ing- In Ceromony held on August 10. 2017.

Attor ney admission ceremony for Jose Mafnas and Hyun Jae Lee on October 13, 2017.

1st and 2nd Quarter St aff Birt hday Celebrat ions

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Nor a Bor ja, James Stowell, and Irene San Nicolas

Chief Justice Castro leads the celebr ation

Michelle Guer rero and Lynette Camacho

Law Clerks and Law Revision Staff

Pacific Judicial Council Planning Commit tee September 13, 2017

Var ious stakeholder s from other gover nment entities address their concer ns on the Pacific Judicial Council Conference.

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APPOINTMENT SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE W ESLEY M. BOGDAN The CNM I judiciary, Judicial Council, and Nort hern M arianas Judiciary Hist orical Societ y host ed an invest it ure cerem ony for Wesley M . Bogdan, associat e judge of t he CNM I Superior Court . The cerem ony t ook place Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017, in t he Suprem e Court court room at 10 a.m .

On M ay 12, 2017, Gov. Ralph D.L.G. Torres nom inat ed Bogdan, t he ex ecut ive branch?s legal counsel, t o fill t he vacancy t hat occurred on t he Superior Court bench M ay 19, 2016, w it h t he ret irem ent of Associat e Judge David A. Wisem an.

Aft er his nom inat ion, Bogdan, 59, appeared before t he Senat e Com m it t ee on Ex ecut ive Appoint m ent and Governm ent Invest igat ion. Follow ing t he com m it t ee's recom m endat ion, t he full Senat e vot ed unanim ously t o confirm Bogdan as an associat e judge. On Aug. 16, 2017 he w as duly com m issioned w it h Governor Torres adm inist ering t he oat h of office.

Bogdan w orked in t he CNM I governm ent as legal counsel t o t hen-Lt . Gov. Jude U. Hofschneider in 2013 and as legal counsel in t he office of t hen-Gov. Eloy S. Inos and t hen Lt . Gov.-Ralph D.L.G. Torres in 2014. He served in t his port ion unt il his appoint m ent t o t he Superior Court .

Bogdan obt ained his juris doct orat e from t he Universit y of New M ex ico School of Law and bachelor?s degree in business and polit ical science from t he Universit y of Tex as. He w as adm it t ed t o t he CNM I Bar Associat ion in 1998 and served as a past chairm an of t he organizat ion?s cont inuing legal educat ion com m it t ee and as a m em ber of t he CNM I Bar Associat ion?s Disciplinary Com m it t ee.

Bogdan?s law career began aft er law school as a judicial clerk in his hom e st at e of New M ex ico for t he New M ex ico Court of Appeals in Albuquerque, w here he w orked from 1992 t o 1994. He m oved t o t he CNM I t hereaft er and held assist ant at t orney general and assist ant public defender posit ions. He also w orked in privat e pract ice w it h t he Law Offices of Brian M cM ahon, Eric Sm it h, Joshua Berger and t he O?Connor, Berm an, Dot t s, and Banes Law Firm .

From 2009 t o 2012, Bogdan w orked off-island as t he deput y direct or of t he legal depart m ent for t he Asian Foot ball Confederat ion in Kuala Lum pur, M alaysia.

During t he last four years in t he ex ecut ive branch as legal counsel and senior policy advisor, Bogdan w as involved in all legal issues and environm ent al m at t ers, part icularly w it h respect t o m ilit ary affairs. He not ably assist ed w it h t he locat ion and const ruct ion of t he Unit ed St at es Air Force?s Divert Project and t he Unit ed St at es M arine Corps CNM I Joint M ilit ary Training Project .

Bogdan w as chief legal counsel t o Governor Torres during t he Covenant Sect ion 902 consult at ions t hat w ere com plet ed lat e last year; t hey w ere t he first t o result in a report t o t he president t hat has been t ransm it t ed t o t he U.S. Congress.

His act ivit ies in t he CNM I com m unit y have included serving as a judge for m ock t rial and speech com pet it ions and as an adjunct inst ruct or of business law at Nort hern M arianas College. Wit hin t he local sport s com m unit y, he has part icipat ed as a yout h t eam coach and ex ecut ive com m it t ee m em ber of t he Nort hern M ariana Islands Foot ball Associat ion.

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CHIEF JUSTICE CASTRO IS FOURTH NON- RESIDENT JUSTICE OF THE PALAU SUPREME COURT

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MAY 22, 2017 . T H E REPUBL I C OF PAL AU

On M ay 22, 2017, t he President of t he Republic of Palau Tom m y E. Rem engesau, Jr., adm inist ered t he oat h of office t o Com m onw ealt h Suprem e Court Chief Just ice Alex andro C. Cast ro as t he new est and fourt h non-resident Associat e Just ice of t he Appellat e Division of t he Palau Suprem e Court .

The sw earing-in cerem ony w as w it nessed by several m em bers of t he Palauan delegat ion - including t he m em bers of t he Palau Judiciary, Vice President Raynold B. Oiluch, Senat e President Hokkons Baules and m em bers of t he Senat e, Speaker Sabino Anast acio, and m em bers of t he House of Delegat es.

Also in at t endance w ere Com m onw ealt h

Suprem e Court Associat e Just ice Perry B. Inos, CNM I Lieut enant Governor Vict or B. Hocog, and Chief Just ice Cast ro's w ife Carm en, as w ell as his fam ily and friends.

Cast ro has been a m em ber of t he CNM I Judiciary for alm ost 28 years. In 1989, he ascended t o t he bench as an Associat e Judge for t he CNM I Superior Court . In 1993, he becam e t he Presiding Judge. Five years lat er, he w as nom inat ed and confirm ed t o t he Com m onw ealt h Suprem e Court as an Associat e Just ice. On Oct ober 11, 2012, he w as sw orn in as t he Chief Just ice.

Cast ro w as born on April 2, 1952 on Tinian and w as raised on t he island of Rot a by his grandm ot her. He is m arried t o Carm en M oses Cast ro of Anguar, Palau, and t oget her t hey have six children - Pat rick, Evonne, Eric, Junior, Rodney and Ariel.

Q& A Session with

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Rebecca R. Santos, Judicial Assist ant to Associate Judge Kennet h L. Govendo H ow long have you been working for the Superior Court?

Since January 2012.

What is your background in terms of education and work experience?

Did some college (N M C) and technical schools (Clearwater, Florida and San Antonio, Texas). I worked at the CN M I Immigration for 18 years extending to the Office of the Attorney General (assignment in 2003 and then in 2009) and the CN M I Passport Office (assignment 1995 to 1998 and then again in 2009 to 2011). The Office of the Attorney was the umbrella agency for the CN M I Immigration and CN M I Passport Office. I started with CN M I Immigration in 1991 as a Clerk Typist III and worked my way to Immigration Officer I. I became a 2nd Lieutenant by the time the CN M I Immigration was transitioning and the United States Customs & Border Patrol gained control of the CN M I Port of Entry by 2009. M y first assignment with the OAG was assisting the AAG with Family Court cases and my second assignment was handling deportation cases. I became a certified US Passport Acceptance Agent for the CN M I Passport Office during my time there.

What are your responsibilities as the Judicial Assistant to AJ Kenneth L. Govendo?

Where do I even begin? There are so many. I maintain and facilitate the coordination of the chamber - orders, docket activities; assist the judge?s designated law clerk and courtroom clerk;

track and provide all published opinions; I manage AJKLG?s File and Serve; assist with conferences, events, joint session investitures; I interact with COC, OAP, FCD, ASU ? this is a constant particularly because I am the Superior Court Timekeeper, as well.

Do you have anything else to add?

It?s a pleasure working for the CN M I Judiciary. I feel that if I had started work for the Judiciary when I started in government, I would be here as long as I was with the previous agencies that I worked for.

Q& A Session with

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Olga Y. Bykov , Law Clerk to Associate Just ice John A. Manglona H ow long have you been working for the Supreme Court?

I began my clerkship with Justice M anglona on August 28, 2017.

What is your background in terms of education and work experience?

I graduated from UC Davis School of Law in M ay of 2017. While in law school, I explored my legal interests in a variety of positions. I externed at the U.S. District Court for the N orthern District of California, worked as a research fellow for the California Constitution Center, and served as a research assistant for two law professors, to name a few.

What are your responsibilities as Law Clerk?

M y responsibilities include drafting Supreme Court opinions, bench memos, and orders. I also assist with administrative needs such as drafting press releases and website articles.

H ow do you define success?

Success is a combination of working hard to achieve your goals and feeling satisfied while doing so.

you consider to be the most significant in your career?

What are your hobbies?

What's your most favorite thing while working at the court?

I enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking and going to the beach.

One of my favorite things is the familial environment at the court. I have enjoyed getting to know employees from different divisions. M y (other) favorite thing would be the invaluable mentorship I receive from Justice M anglona.

Tell me about a project or accomplishment that

Passing the California bar examination.

In Memor iam JOHN PETER DUENAS DEL ROSARIO Probat ion Officer II

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APPENDIX

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The Judicial Council Meeting held on Januar y 25, 2017 at the CNMI Supreme Cour t.

SUPREME C OURT

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Office of the Clerk of Cour t

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Tabl e 2.3. Cases Fi l ed Fi v e Year Tr en d Year

Civil

Criminal

Family Court

Small Claims

Traffic

Total

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

2016

255

242

658

429

3,352

4,936

2017

302

200

576

461

5,716

7,255

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Commonwealth Recorder 's Office Tabl e 3. M ar r i age Cer t i f i cat es

Tabl e 4. Si n gl e St at us Af f i dav i t f or M ar r i age

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Tabl e 5. Of f i ci at ed M ar r i ages

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Tabl e 7. Un i f or m Com m er ci al Code Fi l i n gs

Tabl e 8. M aps

Tabl e 9. El ect r on i c or Pr i n t Copi es of M aps

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The Judiciary, N orthern M ariana Islands P.O. Box 502165 Saipan, M P 96950 (670) 236- 9800

www.justice.gov.mp

N orthern M arianas Judiciary @cnmijudiciary