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‘Immediate release’ sought for 17-year-old in sexual assault case
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Posted on May 20 2021
The lawyer of Kenneth Thomas Blas Kaipat has filed an emergency motion for a status conference in Superior Court yesterday regarding his client’s bail and continued incarceration at the Department of Corrections.
In his filing, lawyer Brien Sers Nicolas reminded the court that Kaipat’s May 17 motion for bail reduction and modification had been granted and that on May 18 Kaipat was able to file a $50,000 appearance bond that was signed by Kaipat’s parents, who “duly recorded real property mortgage to secure said appearance bond.”
Yet despite this, “the defendant…is still incarcerated at DOC as of filing of this emergency motion,” said Nicolas.
The 17-year-old Kaipat was initially brought to juvenile court on multiple charges of first and second-degree sexual assault, burglary, aggravated assault and battery, assault with a dangerous weapon, and strangulation. All of these charges alleged by the CNMI stems from an incident on or around June 2, 2019, where Kaipat allegedly entered a building and hit with a dumbbell, strangled or attempted to strangle, and sexually assaulted a household member. The juvenile court waived its juvenile jurisdiction over the case on May 13 and since then Kaipat has been tried as an adult.
An arrest warrant for Kaipat was issued by the court last May 14 and he was arrested that same day in Dandan.
A hearing in adult court on Kaipat’s motion for bail reduction and modification was held at the Guma Hustisia last May 17, where the court granted his motion and his release to his parents. Kaipat, however, is still subject to certain bail conditions and was ordered a $50,000 bail bond to be either paid in cash or secured by a real property mortgage.
After complying with the requirements set by the newly reduced and modified bail, Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho yesterday ordered Kaipat’s immediate release to his third-party custodians.
As of writing, Kaipat is still incarcerated at the Department of Corrections.
