“I am not aware of this as being any sign of any statement. Again, we have attorneys that are moving closer to home and attorneys fulfilling overseas prosecutorial assignments in locations that are also working in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice,” Limtiaco said when asked by Variety.
“In any office, there’s planning that takes place. These are not overnight or sudden assignments. These are plans that had been in the making for some time now. These are not sudden changes or assignments that the attorneys are taking on,” Limtiaco added.
She said the “two offices are working together,” regarding utilization or loaning of counsels, referring to Guam and the CNMI.
Limtiaco declined to provide reporters the names of “three attorneys who are joining [the Saipan office] very shortly” and who will be coming from Guam and the states.
She said the transition at the Saipan office related to the “relocation” of three prosecutors will be from “Oct. 1 through November.”
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Alcantara now supervises the Saipan branch during this transition period, a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office earlier said.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. O’Malley is going to Iraq; James J. Benedetto to East Timor; and Kirk W. Schuler to Illinois, Variety was told.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Beverly R. McCallum will be the remaining prosecutor during the transition period.
O’Malley, Benedetto, and Schuler did not respond to inquiries of this reporter.
“I would not be able to comment,” Limtiaco told reporters, when asked how she was handling the complaint filed by McCallum with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Limtiaco at the same time said the U.S. Attorney’s Office was “pleased” to have Ramona V. Manglona as chief judge of the federal court for the CNMI.
Manglona’s appointment, Limtiaco said, “maintains the stability of the federal court system here which is very important for our community at large.”
She said her office “will be working with the federal judiciary on Sapan in a variety of difference projects as we do on Guam where we also work with our private bar.”
