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‘Lizama not yet off the hook’
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Posted on May 27 2008
Although Juan T. Lizama had already resigned from the bench he is not yet off the hook in the unethical acts complaint filed against him before the CNMI Supreme Court.
NMI Judiciary’s public information officer Virginia L. Gridley told Saipan Tribune yesterday that the complaint against Lizama is still pending in the Supreme Court.
“Regarding the Supreme Court case in which Judge Lizama is being prosecuted, his retirement does not affect the case,” said Gridley when asked on the status of the case.
Lizama stepped down from the bench effective last Saturday.
Gridley said the hearing in the case is not scheduled yet so she does not have more information to release.
In 2007, unethical charges were filed against the then associate judge before the high court.
Chief justice Miguel S. Demapan and associate justices Alexandro C. Castro and John A. Manglona appointed Bruce A. Bradley, a member of the CNMI Bar Association, to prosecute the disciplinary proceeding against Lizama.
According to court records, on April 10, 2007, Superior Court presiding judge Robert C. Naraja sent a letter to chief justice Demapan regarding alleged judicial misconduct. The Supreme Court treated the letter as a disciplinary complaint and initiated the proceedings.
Retired Guam judge Benson, who was appointed as investigative judge, found reasonable cause to submit the complaint against Lizama to the Supreme Court for a formal hearing.
The justices appointed Bradley to prosecute the disciplinary proceeding. Bradley is currently the ethics prosecutor for the Guam Supreme Court.
Lizama is reportedly planning to run as CNMI delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives. He submitted his letter of resignation to Naraja last Wednesday.
In 2003, Lizama became the first judge in the CNMI to be retained. His term was supposed to last until 2010.
