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Bringing SC ‘closer’ to people
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Posted on Aug 19 1999
The Supreme Court started holding oral arguments of cases on appeal at the courthouses on Rota and Tinian as part of the judiciary’s goal to educate laymen about the court system.
“This is a new practice which we began last week,” said court administrator Margaret Palacios. “Through this process, residents of Tinian and Rota can see and experience first hand what the Supreme Court is all about.”
Two hearings are on schedule today. The justices will hear a criminal conviction appeal at 10:00 a.m. At 2:00 pm they will oral arguments on a motion involving the Hillblom Estate case.
In the past, oral arguments and hearings of appeal cases were held only on Saipan.
Palacios said the idea of holding sessions on the two islands was conceptualized by Chief Justice Miguel S. Demapan and Associate Justice Alex Castro.
“The idea is to bring the Supreme Court closer to the people and educate them about how the system works,” Palacios said.
Palacios said principals of Rota and Tinian high schools have required their students to attend court hearings.
An old farmer’s market has been converted to a courtroom to accommodate what is now known as the Rota Courthouse.
Tinian has a new building constructed specifically for court use. “It’s not complete yet, but a portion of the building is functional already,” Palacios said.
Palacios said the Supreme Court has no staff on Tinian and Rota, but people are sent there ahead of time whenever there are scheduled hearings. (MCM)
