St. Clair will handle serious sexual assault cases, chief prosecutor John Bradley said. “She is from Seattle and has substantial experience in prosecution and criminal defense.”
He added, “The addition of Coleen St. Clair brings the criminal division’s staffing up to speed so that we can begin to handle some of these more serious sexual assault cases quickly…. She has a lot of experience in serious adult violent cases like sexual assault and child abuse, and she would be working with our other prosecutors in these cases.”
St. Clair has 35 years of legal experience Bradley said.
“Sexual assault cases and crimes against children are intense cases,” she said. “Sex crimes by their very nature typically happen with no witnesses…and often very difficult to prove…but there is help to the victims. We will always listen.”
With the availability of special forensic interviewers, St. Clair said, “a victim does not have to repeatedly tell their story” during the investigation process.
Assistant Attorney General Coleen St. Clair, second from left, was sworn in by Chief Justice Alexandro Castro, right, on Friday. Also in photo are chief prosecutor John Bradley, center, Assistant Attorneys General Steve Kessel, left, and Samantha Vickery, second right. Photo by Bryan Manabat
St. Clair was born and raised in Wyoming. She graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice and psychology.
She then attended the University of Oregon School of Law where she graduated in 1987.
St. Clair started as a commercial litigator for a law firm in Seattle called Lane Powell Spears Luberski, before becoming a prosecutor in Snohomish County, Washington state, for 20 years.
St. Clair later became a criminal defense attorney. “As part of that I also worked for the Northwestern Intertribal court system, which provides defense and prosecution attorneys to various tribes. I served as prosecutor to about eight tribal courts, and as a defense attorney in that capacity as well.”
In the CNMI, St. Claire was hired under the Violence Against Women Act grant.
“This seems like a good transition,” she said. “I love being a prosecutor — this is an opportunity to go back to prosecution…and I want to experience Saipan.”
