Superior Court Presiding Judge Robert C. Naraja and Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo conducted their scheduled court hearings but had no secretaries, only law clerks.
Supreme Court clerk and counsel Jennifer Dockter said 24 personnel will report for work during the duration of the government shutdown.
Federally funded personnel will also report for work.
The office of the clerk of court continued to receive court filings, but these, especially small claims, were not immediately placed on the court calendar, Variety was told.
The cashier’s office did not receive payments for vehicle registration since the Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles was closed.
Payments accepted by the judiciary’s cashier were for cash bail, fines, court fee, probation fee, restitution, child support, police clearance and recording of documents.
The family court division and library each had one personnel reporting for work.
Supreme Court secretaries, including public information officer Jim Stowell, did not report for work.
The chief marshal and some of his deputies reported for duty.
Variety learned that federal funding for eight deputy marshals recently ended.
In his memorandum on Monday, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial included an associate judge to conduct Gerstein and bail hearings, and a clerk to assist a judge during such hearings as among the “essential” personnel exempted from the shutdown.
On Wednesday, the judiciary announced that “all services necessary to protect the Constitution and ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the people will remain available” during the shutdown.
“The protections afforded by family court, the Office of Probation, emergency injunction and restraining order hearings, and criminal litigation will continue,” the judiciary said in a statement.
