CNMI Judiciary asks Legislature for $13.65 million, stresses indigent defense, drug court staff and courtroom tech upgrades

The House Standing Committee on Ways and Means heard the CNMI Judiciary’s FY2026 budget request on (date not specified), when judicial leaders asked the committee to approve a $13,650,620 operating request that they say supports personnel, operations and capital needs across Saipan, Rota and Tinian.

The request “is premised on our mission and vision as a branch” and the Judiciary’s seven-goal strategic plan, Sonia Camacho, director of courts, told the committee. Camacho said the proposal covers courts’ personnel and operating costs, treatment-court expansion and technology upgrades needed to support hybrid hearings and public access.

Why it matters: Judiciary leaders told legislators that shortfalls would immediately affect court operations, public access and safety. Justice Manglona warned the committee that “defunding or underfunding the judiciary should not be the aim of this body,” and said an underfunded budget would cause immediate harm to litigants, the bar and the public.

Key details from the hearing

Budget totals and presentation: The judiciary’s written proposal submitted to the legislature lists a total FY2026 request of $13,650,620. Camacho and other judicial leaders presented line items and variances against the governor’s proposal and provided printed copies of the submission to committee members.

Indigent defense: The Judiciary requested funding specifically to cover court‑appointed defense costs when the Office of the Public Defender has a conflict. Camacho described the requested amount as intended to pay private court‑appointed counsel, expert witnesses, investigators, interpreters and other case-related professional services. Committee members and judicial staff discussed a requested amount of roughly $151,000 as part of the Judiciary’s submission and noted the governor’s proposal includes $150,000 under professional services. Camacho said the Judiciary is asking for a separate, dedicated account for indigent defense so those expenses are not absorbed in general operations. Attorney Michael Norite Evangelista, speaking for the CNMI Bar Association during public comment, urged the committee to support the indigent defense request, saying “the right to counsel is a fundamental legal right” guaranteed by the U.S. and CNMI constitutions.

Drug court expansion and outer‑island positions: The Judiciary proposed three new full‑time positions for its treatment courts: two compliance/caseworker positions (one for Rota and one for Tinian) and one administrative position based in Saipan to handle program paperwork and grant coordination. Judge Kim Tenorio explained the compliance officers’ duties as including curfew and home checks, drug testing, crisis intervention, transport to treatment and 24/7 response for participants in crisis. Camacho and the drug court leadership said each outer‑island compliance position was budgeted at about $41,000 per year (stated to include benefits) and that the positions respond to demonstrated participant and supervision needs in Rota and Tinian. The Judiciary told the committee it is open to exploring cost‑sharing with municipal governments or other agencies for those posts.

Courtroom technology and records automation: The Judiciary requested funding for audio/video upgrades, evidence presentation systems, active directory and storage servers, and cybersecurity work. Camacho told the committee that technology items had been planned for ARPA funding but that rescission left the Judiciary asking the legislature to consider equipment requests (the slides cited an approximate technology equipment figure presented as part of the request). She and Justice Manglona described failures in recording and speaker systems in multiple courtrooms and said automated systems (eCourts, eCitation, CJIS linkage) are needed to share warrants, citations and court records with law enforcement and federal partners in real time.

Facilities, safety and ARPA: Camacho reported the Judiciary previously planned major courthouse upgrades under an ARPA spending plan that the executive branch later reduced. She told the committee the branch’s ARPA allocation was originally about $14 million, that roughly $4 million of that was cancelled by the executive branch, and that some ARPA encumbrances and vendor contracts remain in place. The Judiciary reported roughly $904,000 remaining in a statute‑specific HVAC/mold remediation account, and said completing a permanent fire‑alarm and sprinkler system for the Guma’ Hustisia (courthouse) would cost an estimated $1.213 million based on earlier procurement work. The director said the remaining HVAC funds are scope‑restricted and cannot be used for other purposes without statutory change.

Workforce and vacancies: Committee members asked about vacant positions and recruitments. Camacho said some vacancies have been filled, other offers are out, and many recruitments are in progress with anticipated August start dates for several hires. The Judiciary said it seeks to retain 132 existing FTEs and requested that vacancies with offers in place be treated as funded for planning.

Caseload and access issues: Judiciary officials reviewed case‑filing figures, noting civil and family filings are significant and that traffic cases are a large volume (slides showed traffic filings in the thousands annually). The panel described outreach and hybrid hearing activity for Rota and Tinian and noted the CNMI has lost bar members: judicial staff said 41 attorneys resigned from the CNMI bar since 2021 and just eight were admitted during that period, a development officials described as creating a “legal desert” that affects access to counsel.

Major projects and interagency work: The Judiciary described ongoing efforts to implement eCitation and the Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) project, and it said the Traffic Records Coordinating Committee (TRCC) is engaged on possible statutory updates to fines and fee structures that could affect revenue sharing with DPS and other agencies. Judiciary leaders said they meet regularly with DPS and other partners on those projects and welcomed legislative consideration of fee or statutory changes.

What the committee did: Early in the hearing the committee adopted the meeting agenda by voice vote. No budget votes or final appropriations occurred during the hearing.

Quotes from the hearing

"The right to counsel is a fundamental legal right that ensures a person accused of a crime has access to legal representation," Michael Norite Evangelista, representing the CNMI Bar Association, said during public comment.

"We respectfully request that the vacancies be considered filled, and not reassessed for any other purpose, because we have made offers on and others we have failed and are waiting for start dates," Sonia Camacho, director of courts, told members.

"Defunding or underfunding the judiciary should not be the aim of this body," Justice Manglona said in closing remarks.

Next steps and outlook

Judiciary leaders asked the committee to consider the full request and to prioritize indigent defense and treatment‑court capacity, while noting technology and safety projects have near‑term operational consequences. Committee members signaled willingness to discuss fee reforms, cost‑sharing options for outer‑island positions and technical coordination with DPS and OMB. No appropriation decisions were made at the hearing; the committee will consider the Judiciary’s submission alongside the governor’s proposal in subsequent budget work sessions.