ASSISTANT Attorney General James Robert Kingman and Assistant Public Defender Karie Comstock have requested the Superior Court to suspend the prosecution of Nanami DLG Mafnas.
Mafnas was accused of assaulting a government attorney in March 2023, and was charged with one count of assault and battery, and one count of disturbing the peace.
According to a stipulation filed on Jan. 25, 2024, “Following arraignment, both parties engaged in plea negotiations. Given that defendant has no criminal history, both parties agreed to refer this case for diversion.”
For that reason, Kingman requested the court to suspend the prosecution against Mafnas and to vacate the bench trial scheduled for March 13, 2024.
“The defendant and counsel do not oppose this motion,” the stipulation stated.
The case was originally assigned to former Superior Court Associate Judge Wesley M. Bogdan, who retired in December 2023.
On Sept. 18, 2023, it was reassigned to Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho, who set the bench trial for March 13, 2024 at 10 a.m.
After the parties filed a stipulated motion to suspend prosecution, Judge Camacho said he has some concerns “as it is unclear from the stipulated motion whether or not the defendant has been assessed or eligible for the diversion program.”
The judge scheduled a status conference for today, Wednesday, Jan. 31, at 10 a.m.
“The parties and the Office of Adult Probation shall come prepared to discuss the procedure and/or eligibility to enter into the diversion program,” the judge said. He did not vacate the bench trial scheduled for March 13, 2024 at 10 a.m.
The Adult Diversion Program “is a voluntary alternative to criminal adjudication that allows a person accused of a crime to fulfill a set of conditions or complete a formal program designed to address, treat, or remedy issues related to or raised by the allegation. Upon successful completion of the conditions or program, the charges against the defendant are dismissed or not filed.”
