Villanueva’s trial date now in question

The trial date for Shayne Blanco Villanueva’s contempt case is now in question, as assistant attorney general James Kingman filed a request for an alternate trial date.

Saipan Tribune learned yesterday from court documents, that prosecuting attorney Kingman filed a request for slight date alterations on July 18, 2024.

According to court files, Kingman stated that he had filed a notice as early as June 4, 2024, that he will be off-island from Sept. 1 to Oct. 5, 2024.

The trial date was originally set for Sept. 24, 2024.

Villanueva’s defense attorney Keith Chambers filed their opposition for the request stating, “The court can take judicial notice of the fact that the trial for this matter has been set since April 4, 2024, as seen in the court’s minute order issued on that day. Therefore, the Office of the Attorney General in general, and AAG James Kingman in particular, knew or should have known of the Sept. 24, 2024 trial date 61 days before Mr. Kingman filed his off-island notice on June 4, 2024.”

Chambers added, “Mr. Villanueva opposes moving the trial date forward to August because such an action would materially interfere with both Mr. Villanueva’s preparation for trial and several of the deadlines that thecCourt set in the pretrial order.”

Chambers said “Mr. Villanueva opposes moving the trial to October or any other date because Mr. Villanueva is asserting his right to a speedy trial and the trial date was known or should have been known by the prosecution when Mr. Kingman submitted his off-island request.”

In his filing, Kingman proposed alternative dates, also before he leaves, saying about the trial, “The Commonwealth does not need more time. It can be tried the last week of August before I am off-island, or as soon as the week of Oct. 11 when I return. I do not think that it should take more than a day.”

Kingman’s declaration filed also on July 18, 2024, shared that the travel was for an important family matter, a visitation of longtime friends. and more importantly medical treatment not available on island.

In his declaration, Kingman stated “I was brought to the CNMI as a special prosecutor for a three-month contract starting in March 2023. My trip was extended after a new judge on that case was appointed and opposing counsel filed a flurry of motions. The judge refused to rule or set a trial. When I lost my mainland job and health insurance because of their delays, and the judge froze further work on that case while I waited, I was hired as an assistant attorney general to work on the myriad other corruption cases facing the Commonwealth,” he said. “Since then, I have left the CNMI one time, for a training I have been making myself as available for proceedings, hearings, and trials as possible.”

Kingman went on justify his request for a new trial date.

“At all stages of this and other prosecutions, I have extended every accommodation and professional respect to opposing counsel and permitted all possible steps for criminal defendants. There has never at any point been any mutual consideration given to me or my office by any member of the bar here,” said Kingman. “My own wedding was cancelled, since I concluded that the trials would be set for those dates and not moved. I have missed three weddings since I have been here, including those of close family members. I have taken no vacation or personal leave of any kind.”

He said his scheduled travel in September is for two weddings, one for his partner’s sister in Texas and the other for close, lifelong friends in Mexico, and the aforementioned medical treatment.

“I notified the defense of my off-island notice and they refuse to accommodate this unbelievably basic request, to no one’s surprise,” he added. “The defense in this case originally said that it would be October before they could be ready for the trial.”

The two parties are expected to appear before Presiding Judge Roberto Naraja this morning at 9am for pre-trial motions, as of now it is unclear if the trial date will be confirmed at the hearing.

Villanueva’s trial is with regards to the contempt charge filed against him by the Office of the Attorney General for refusing to answer questions during legislative investigation on the previous administration’s Building Optimism, Opportunity, and Stability Together grant program.