CHIEF Solicitor J. Robert Glass Jr. of the Attorney General’s Office has asked Superior Court Presiding Judge Robert A. Naraja to rule on the petition of Joseph A. Crisostomo for a writ of habeas corpus or to determine the cause of delay for an issuance of order.
On May 28, 2014, the then-40-year-old Crisostomo was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Emerita R. Romero, among other offenses.
In an amended petition for writ of habeas corpus filed on April 10, 2019, Crisostomo claimed ineffective assistance of counsel. He also sued the Department of Corrections and its then-Commissioner Vincent Attao.
The AG’s office on March 30, 2021 requested a status conference to get an update on the status of Crisostomo’s petition and when to expect a decision from the court.
“The court has not set a status conference, has not issued an order or decision on this matter, and approximately one and one-half years have elapsed since the issues were submitted to the court,” Glass said in his motion filed on May 11, 2021.
Attorney Janet H. King represented Crisostomo in the murder case with Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho presiding over the trial.
On April 24, 2014, a jury found Crisostomo guilty of first degree murder, kidnapping, sexual assault in the first degree, and robbery.
Crisostomo, through his then-counsel, King, appealed his conviction, claiming numerous deficiencies before and during trial.
In July 2018, the CNMI Supreme Court affirmed Crisostomo’s conviction.
Robert Naraja
