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Norita wants US Attorney, Marshal for NMI
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Posted on Feb 17 2005
A lawmaker wants the CNMI government to formally petition President Bush to appoint a separate U.S. Attorney and a U.S. Marshal for the CNMI.
“The is a separate territory. It’s just befitting that the CNMI should have its own U.S. attorney and U.S. Marshal as other states and territories like Guam and Hawaii,” said Norita.
The lawmaker initially raised the issue during Monday’s Saipan and Northern Island legislative delegation session. Yesterday, Norita said he will introduce such a request through a resolution.
The resolution, he said, would ask the U.S. Department of Justice and other relevant federal entities to appoint those two federal officials in the CNMI.
Right now, he said, the CNMI maintains both offices but it lacks resident officials. “As it stands, the US attorney and U.S. Marshal for CNMI is Guam. These offices report directly to Guam,” Norita said.
The lawmaker said a precedent exists in that the CNMI has been allowed to have its own U.S. District Court in the CNMI.
“We used to share a district court with Guam. We have our own district court now. Why don’t we have our U.S. Attorney and U.S. Marshal?” he asked.
Norita said this may only require some amendment of existing DOJ regulations.
