IN 2023, the criminal division of the Office of the Attorney General handled a total of 304 criminal cases on Saipan, four on Tinian and four on Rota, according to the OAG’s annual report.
The criminal division also received 4,103 traffic cases on Saipan, and 71 on Tinian.
As for juvenile cases, the criminal division on Saipan received 20.
Regarding criminal cases, one was reported on Tinian while 99 involved family violence on Saipan.
There were 76 general crimes reported on Saipan with 10 additional cases involving juveniles.
Eighty-eight property crimes were reported on Saipan with six additional cases involving juveniles.
Tinian and Rota each reported one case of property crimes.
The criminal division also reported three drug cases on Saipan, one on Tinian, and one on Rota.
For crimes involving sexual assault, the criminal division reported one case on Tinian, two on Rota and 21 on Saipan with four cases involving juveniles.
The criminal division also reported that it handled one public corruption case, 10 firearms cases, 10 missing person/lost at sea cases, and three stalking cases.
There were 70 guilty pleas on Saipan, one on Rota, and 3,451 in traffic cases.
In addition, the criminal division handled four criminal bench trials on Saipan, and 43 traffic bench trials.
The report stated that in 2023, the criminal division had one criminal conviction on Saipan and 24 traffic convictions.
There were two traffic case acquittals, two criminal case dismissals, 13 traffic case dismissals, one pending criminal case and four pending traffic cases.
As for court programs, the criminal division handled seven drug and mental court cases on Saipan and Tinian.
The criminal division declined to prosecute 111 criminal cases on Saipan.
In the annual report, Chief Prosecutor Chester Hinds highlighted the guilty verdict in a sexual assault case.
In August 2023, a six-person jury unanimously found defendant Kenneth Kaipat guilty on all nine counts of sexual assault in Commonwealth v. Kaipat, Criminal Case No. 21-0072.
Hinds said the criminal division also prevailed in the CNMI Supreme Court “where the government successfully argued that a Judge erred in his finding of no probable cause in the case of CR 22-0183 Commonwealth v. Frink.”
According to Hinds, the high court granted the Commonwealth’s petition to vacate the trial court’s dismissal; reversed the lower court’s decision where no probable cause was found; and reinstated the sexual assault charges against the defendant. (In re Commonwealth v. Superior Court, 2026 MP 5).
Hinds said the criminal division likewise advocated and submitted comments in support of H.B No. 22-39, HS1, that would allow a witness to testify about an alleged victim’s description of an offense.
