Bennett pleads guilty, gets four-day prison term

Former Board of Education teacher representative Ambrose M. Bennett pleaded guilty yesterday to disturbing the peace and was slapped with a four-day prison term.

Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho accepted Bennett’s guilty plea and sentenced him to the maximum of six months imprisonment, all suspended except for four days.

Camacho gave the 64-year-old Bennett credit for four days of time served. That means Bennett will be released at once.

The retired teacher, who is also an advocate for the full legalization of marijuana in the CNMI, was placed on supervised probation for one year and ordered to pay a $200 fine, $25 court costs, and $100 probation fee. He was ordered to pay his wife for the damage her car sustained during their altercation. The amount will be determined later.

Bennett was required to report to the Community Guidance Center for anger management counseling and marital counseling, and to complete any recommended treatment.

After pleading not guilty during his arraignment yesterday before Presiding Judge Robert C. Naraja, Bennett proceeded to Camacho’s courtroom, where he then pleaded guilty.

Bennett, through assistant public defender Tillman Clark, waived the need for a presentence investigation report.

During the proceedings, Bennett was seen holding hands with his wife, Lillian Deleon Guerrero Bennett. Ambrose Bennett apologized to his wife, to the court, and to the whole community for his action.

Lillian Bennett also addressed the court. She told the court she has forgiven her husband and that he did not threaten or hurt her. She said she only got scared because he was hitting the car.

After the hearing, Bennett was seen talking with his wife, then they kissed.

Assistant public defender Chester Hinds filed an information charging Bennett with only a count of disturbing the peace.

According to the factual basis of the plea deal, on Aug. 23, 2015 on Saipan, Bennett disturbed the peace of his wife during their argument when he hit her car with a hammer without the intent to strike her but still causing her to be scared and to call the police. No one was hurt or injured.

Police detective Vincent A. Igisaiar stated in his report that Bennett allegedly got mad when his wife told him that she was going back to her parents’ house in Gualo Rai to help take care of her sick father.

Bennett went out of their house in Kagman 3 and allegedly hit twice the hood of the car with a hammer. At the time, his sister-in-law was inside the car with her infant.