By Bryan Manabat
bryan@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
SUPERIOR Court Judge Joseph N. Camacho on Dec. 17 denied a motion by the Office of the Attorney General to disqualify him from presiding over a misconduct case, saying his comments about trial logistics in Rota were routine and based on past cases.
“The OAG indicated in the information that vehicles were transported from Saipan to Rota. In the past, the OAG has opted to hold trials in Rota, such as a case a few years ago involving drugs transported from Saipan to Rota,” Judge Camacho said.
He also granted the defendants’ motion for a bill of particulars after hearing arguments from both sides. He ordered Assistant Attorney General Olga Kelley, who is prosecuting the case, to file the document by Jan. 5.
A bill of particulars in criminal cases is a formal filing that clarifies vague or general charges in an indictment or information. It provides defendants with detailed notice of the accusations — such as dates, times, places, and methods — so they can prepare a defense and avoid surprise at trial.
Lt. Gov. Dennis Mendiola, Joey Vincent Dela Cruz, and Justin Paul Mizutani face charges of misconduct in public office for allegedly misusing public funds to rent vehicles and illegally transporting one to Rota.
The charges stem from Mendiola’s tenure as a Homeland Security and Emergency Management special assistant in 2022, when he allegedly misused government vessels and resources. Prosecutors allege he authorized the transport of private and rental vehicles on chartered supply ships and, along with Mizutani and Dela Cruz, left the government with more than $61,000 in unpaid rental fees.
All three defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Kelley earlier sought Judge Camacho’s removal, alleging he suggested legal strategies during an Oct. 17 status conference, including moving the trial to Rota and severing the defendants’ cases, and “outlined the procedure” for doing so. She argued the comments raised impartiality concerns under 1 CMC § 3308(a).
Severance in court proceedings refers to splitting claims, charges, or defendants into separate trials to ensure fairness and avoid prejudice. Kelley said Judge Camacho’s actions created an appearance of bias.
Defense attorneys opposed the government’s motion, calling it “baseless” and warning it could cause unnecessary delays. They argued the Commonwealth’s claim of an “appearance of impropriety” was based on routine case-management questions, not bias, and said Judge Camacho’s remarks were part of a standard conference addressing venue, severance, discovery, and trial scheduling.
Mendiola is represented by attorney Bruce Berline, Dela Cruz by attorney Charity Hodson, and Mizutani by attorney Joey P. San Nicolas.
The court has scheduled a jury trial for March 9, 2026.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
