Su p er i o r Co u r t

T h e Su p er i o r Co u r t

THE FI V E JUDGESOF T HE SUPERI OR COURT

PRESIDING J UDGE ROBERTO C. NARAJ A was born on July 17, 1955 in Saipan. He received his B.S. in Political Science from California Lutheran College in 1979 and graduated with his Juris Doctor from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1982. After receiving his law degree, Presiding Judge Naraja served as Assistant Legal Counsel to the CNMI Resident Representative to Washington, D.C. He subsequently worked as an Assistant Public Defender and then as an Assistant Attorney General. Presiding Judge Naraja has served as both the Chief Public Defender and the Attorney General. Thereafter, Presiding Judge Naraja ventured into private practice establishing his own law firm.

J UDGE KENNETH L. GOVENDO was born in Syracuse, New York on January 28, 1945. In 1966, he graduated with his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Alfred University in Alfred, New York. In 1969, he obtained his Juris Doctor from the University of Toledo College of Law. After law school, Judge Govendo became a general practitioner in Redondo Beach, California, and worked part-time as a senior staff attorney for the Legal Aid Foundation of the South Bar Association. He served as District Attorney in Palau and as Assistant Attorney General on Saipan during the Trust Territory period. He also served as Assistant Legislative Counsel for the Fifth Northern Marianas District Legislature and was legal counsel for the Department of Natural Resources, Board of Elections, and Civil Service Commission.

J UDGE J OSEPH N. CAMACHO is a proud graduate of the Northern Marianas College, where he received his Associate of Arts degree. He went on to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in History from San Jose State University, a Masters of Public Administration from Seattle University, and a Juris Doctor from

"The Commonwealth superior court shall have original jurisdiction in all cases in equity and at law. The court shall also have original jurisdiction in all criminal actions ... The superior court shall consist of a presiding judge and at least four associate judges. At least one full-time judge shall be assigned to civil and criminal actions filed in Rota and one in Tinian..."

CNMI Constitution Art. IV, Section 2

Gonzaga University School of Law. Judge Camacho served as a prosecutor for the CNMI Office of the Attorney General before establishing his own law firm with his wife, who is also an attorney. He was admitted to practice law in the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Commonwealth Courts.

J UDGE TERESA K. KIM-TENORIO ascended to the bench on December 22, 2013. In 1997, she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. In 2001, she graduated from New England School of Law with her Juris Doctor degree. Judge Kim-Tenorio is licensed to practice law in the State of Michigan, the Northern Mariana Islands, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. In 2015, Judge Kim-Tenorio actively participated alongside other justice professionals in the implementation of the first ever NMI Drug Court program. She oversees the program as the initial Drug Court judge.

J UDGE WESLEY M. BOGDAN ascended to the bench in November 2017. He worked as legal counsel and senior policy advisor in both the Office of the Lt. Governor and Office of the Governor during Governor Eloy Inos and Governor Ralph Torres? Administrations. Judge Bogdan grew up in New Mexico and received his B.A. degree from the University of Texas (Austin). He then attended law school and obtained a Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 1992.