By Cherrie Anne E. Villahermosa
Variety News Staff

THE Superior Court has dismissed the deportation proceedings against a man convicted of sexual assault in second degree.
The Attorney General’s Office and the Division of Immigration Services through Assistant Attorney General Kevin Lynch moved for the dismissal, saying that Joselito Castro, 44, has a pending appeal.
Associate Judge David A. Wiseman granted the government’s motion.
Castro, through Chief Public Defender Elisa Long, filed a motion for stay of deportation proceedings until the final resolution of his pending appeal in his criminal case.
Castro filed an appeal seeking the reversal of his conviction in Superior Court on Sept. 20, 2004.
The government filed the deportation case against Castro on March 31, 2006.
The affidavit of Immigration investigator Nicolas Reyes stated that Castro, who is from the Philippines, failed to comply with the terms and conditions of his entry permit when he committed a felony in the CNMI.
Castro, who worked as carpenter on Saipan, was convicted of sexual assault in the second degree, assault and battery and disturbing the peace.
He was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment, all suspended, except for three years for sexual assault in the second degree, one year for assault and battery, and six months for disturbing the peace.
The sentences ran concurrently with credit for time already served.
Castro began serving his jail term on Dec. 2, 2004 and was placed on supervised probation upon his release from the custody of the Department of Corrections.