William Abraczinskas walks toward the Department of Corrections in Susupe to self-surrender Saturday morning.
Video by Bryan Manabat
William Abraczinskas turned himself in at the Department of Corrections on Saturday morning
William Abraczinskas turned himself in at the Department of Corrections on Saturday morning
WILLIAM Abraczinskas, 36, self-surrendered to the Department of Corrections Saturday morning, a day after a jury of five women and one man found him guilty of sexual assault in the first degree, assault and battery, and disturbing the peace.
Abraczinskas is a former law clerk of Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo. The victim is Abraczinskas’ former co-worker.
After the verdict was announced, Chief Prosecutor Chester Hinds and Assistant Attorney General Frances Demapan asked Judge Pro Tempore Elyze M. Iriarte to immediately remand Abraczinskas to the custody of Corrections. They said he had been convicted of a felony and was a flight risk.
“The defendant is not a permanent resident of the CNMI, and he is no longer employed by the judiciary. He has no family members residing here and has no close ties in the community,” Demapan said.
But Abraczinskas’ lawyers, Assistant Public Defenders Charlene Brown and Karie Comstock, opposed the prosecution’s request.
“My client has complied with all court orders. He has no passport and has not applied for a new passport. He does not plan to leave the island,” Brown said.
She asked the court to maintain the current bail conditions of $100,000 unsecured bond and house arrest.
Demapan said, “We also learned that the defendant has been selling his personal belongings, his car and has posted it on local social media. We do believe he is a flight risk.”
Brown said, “That is in preparation and the hopes of having the jury finding him not guilty of the charges.”
Judge Iriarte granted the prosecution’s request but ordered Abraczinskas to self-surrender to Corrections on Saturday at 9 a.m.
The judge said Abraczinskas will be sentenced in January 2025, adding that she will issue a separate order regarding the sentencing date.
A difficult case
In an interview after the trial, Demapan said, “The trial … took three and a half days [and] the jury deliberated for close to eight hours. We appreciate the time, effort and diligence they took going over the evidence and testimonies. It is a difficult case, and we acknowledged that, and we pressed forward because we believe that the truth needed to be heard.”
She added, “Regardless of the outcome, guilty or not guilty, the truth prevails. The victim was able to tell her story, and she was not silenced in any way. We are thankful and elated [about the] guilty verdict on all counts. We will continue to prosecute sexual assault cases regardless of how difficult they are, regardless of if they are reported late or reported immediately. All victims deserve justice one way or another.”
Demapan said the prosecution will seek the maximum sentence for the sexual assault in the first-degree charge.
Hinds, for his part, said the significance of the case is, “No means no, and consent matters.”
Abraczinskas and his lawyers declined to comment.
During the trial, the prosecution called seven witnesses. They were Department of Public Safety Detective Shannon Dela Cruz, Police Officer Hector Efraim, the judiciary’s human resources officer, Michelle Guerrero, Judge Govendo, judiciary deputy clerk Pearleen Matagolai, Beach Garden manager Antonio Reyes, and the victim herself.
The defense did not call any witness.
Background
On May 26, 2023, police received a walk-in complaint from a judicial employee who accused her co-worker, Abraczinskas, of sexually assaulting her on April 8, 2023 at Beach Garden Apartments.
She also told investigators that she had learned that Abraczinskas filed a sexual harassment complaint against her with the judiciary’s human resources office.
After meeting with HR and opening up to her supervisor about the sexual assault, she said she found the courage to come to the Department of Public Safety and tell her side of the incident.
Abraczinskas denied the charges. During the trial, one of his lawyers said “the case is about humiliation, about resentment, and it is about retaliation.”
