Judge Kenneth L. Govendo yesterday started the bench trial of Joseph M. Inos Jr. who was charged with assault and battery, disturbing the peace, misconduct in office, and false arrest of a minor.
Inos, the nephew of the lt. governor, has denied the charges.
Before the start of the bench trial, Assistant Attorney General Shelli Neal, the prosecutor, moved that the hearing be sealed.
The defendant is being represented by Chief Public Defender Adam Hardwicke and Assistant Public Defender Adam Miles.
The Superior Court has determined that Inos is indigent.
At that time the alleged crime was committed on Aug. 16, 2010, Inos was the director of DPW’s technical services division.
When asked why the Public Defender’s Office is representing the defendant, Hardwicke said the trial court determined Inos to be indigent “because he lost his job,” and there was no conflict in PDO’s representing him.
Later in the afternoon, the hearing was open to the public.
Govendo will continue the bench trial today.
On Aug. 16, the AGO complaint stated, Inos “did unlawfully detain [the 17-year-old victim] by force against her will.”
The AGO said the defendant “unlawfully struck, beat, wounded, or otherwise caused bodily harm, or had sexual contact” with his victim.
The AGO said Inos, as an employee of the CNMI government, “did an illegal act under color of office and willfully failed to perform the duties of this office as provided by law.”
