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​Scenic drive and towering cliffs of northern Saipan.

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Rommel Buenaflor

National Experts Visit CNMI as Judiciary Advances Juvenile Court System Assessment

The CNMI Judiciary recently took an important step in its ongoing effort to strengthen services for justice-involved youth by hosting a two-day visit from consultants with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) on August 10-11, 2026.


08/10/2026 Stakeholders of the Juvenile Justice System gather to learn about the NMI Judiciary’s Juvenile Court System Assessment Project and engage in discussion surrounding the CNMI’s juvenile justice system. Front row, from left: Program Director Cheri Ely, Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro, Site Manager Dr. Martha-Elin Blomquist, Director of the National Center for Juvenile Justice Hunter Hurst. Middle row, from left: Director of Courts Sonia A. Camacho, NMI Judiciary’s Deputy Clerk Rosie Ada, Procurement Officer Christine Aninzo, Northern Marianas College’s Kaelani Demapan Bautista, NMI Judiciary’s Mental Health Court Manager Victoria Matsunaga, Juvenile Coordinator Lorielyn D. Lacay, Associate Judge Lillian A. Tenorio, Associate Justice John A. Manglona, Presiding Judge Joseph N. Camacho, Associate Justice Roberto C. Naraja, Acting Clerk of Court Novelyn Tenorio. Back row, from left: NMI Judiciary’s Marshal Maria Tudela, Data Analyst Mark Hidalgo, Acting Public School System Commissioner Jacqueline Che, NMI Judiciary’s Grants Manager Gregorio Tudela, DCCA Division of Youth Services Probation Officer Rutha Tebuteb, NMI Judiciary’s Deputy General Counsel Matthew Brown, DCCA Division of Youth Services Probation Officer Sheelane Santos, NMI Judiciary’s Budget and Finance Officer John Villagomez, Assistant Attorney General Samantha Vickery, NMI Judiciary’s Family Court Manager Roxanne Torres, Law Clerk Gregory Mosely, Speaker of the House Edmund Villagomez, Department of Corrections Claudia Leon Guerrero, Chief Public Defender Doug Hartig, Department of Public Safety Lieutenant Mary Lou Tanaka, Program Manager Sheyvonne Aldan, Department of Corrections Chief of Staff Victoria Deleon Guerrero, NMI Bar President Gretchen Smith, Board of Education Chair Maisie Tenorio.
08/10/2026 Stakeholders of the Juvenile Justice System gather to learn about the NMI Judiciary’s Juvenile Court System Assessment Project and engage in discussion surrounding the CNMI’s juvenile justice system. Front row, from left: Program Director Cheri Ely, Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro, Site Manager Dr. Martha-Elin Blomquist, Director of the National Center for Juvenile Justice Hunter Hurst. Middle row, from left: Director of Courts Sonia A. Camacho, NMI Judiciary’s Deputy Clerk Rosie Ada, Procurement Officer Christine Aninzo, Northern Marianas College’s Kaelani Demapan Bautista, NMI Judiciary’s Mental Health Court Manager Victoria Matsunaga, Juvenile Coordinator Lorielyn D. Lacay, Associate Judge Lillian A. Tenorio, Associate Justice John A. Manglona, Presiding Judge Joseph N. Camacho, Associate Justice Roberto C. Naraja, Acting Clerk of Court Novelyn Tenorio. Back row, from left: NMI Judiciary’s Marshal Maria Tudela, Data Analyst Mark Hidalgo, Acting Public School System Commissioner Jacqueline Che, NMI Judiciary’s Grants Manager Gregorio Tudela, DCCA Division of Youth Services Probation Officer Rutha Tebuteb, NMI Judiciary’s Deputy General Counsel Matthew Brown, DCCA Division of Youth Services Probation Officer Sheelane Santos, NMI Judiciary’s Budget and Finance Officer John Villagomez, Assistant Attorney General Samantha Vickery, NMI Judiciary’s Family Court Manager Roxanne Torres, Law Clerk Gregory Mosely, Speaker of the House Edmund Villagomez, Department of Corrections Claudia Leon Guerrero, Chief Public Defender Doug Hartig, Department of Public Safety Lieutenant Mary Lou Tanaka, Program Manager Sheyvonne Aldan, Department of Corrections Chief of Staff Victoria Deleon Guerrero, NMI Bar President Gretchen Smith, Board of Education Chair Maisie Tenorio.

The visit is part of the Judiciary's Juvenile Court System Assessment Project, a comprehensive initiative examining how the Commonwealth's juvenile justice system operates and identifying opportunities to improve outcomes for youth and families.


Leading the assessment team were NCJFCJ Program Director Cheri Ely, Director Hunter Hurst, and Site Manager Dr. Martha-Elin Blomquist, all nationally recognized professionals with extensive experience in juvenile justice reform and court improvement efforts.


08/11/2026 The Juvenile Court System Assessment Multidisciplinary Team work together during an activity led by the National Conference of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.
08/11/2026 The Juvenile Court System Assessment Multidisciplinary Team work together during an activity led by the National Conference of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.

The project began in March 2025 after the Judiciary participated in the National Convening on State Courts' Role in Effective Justice for Young People. The Judiciary subsequently secured competitive funding from the State Justice Institute, becoming one of only five applicants nationwide selected to receive support for this work, with the Judiciary of Guam also among the recipients.



The project includes a system-wide assessment of the juvenile justice system, development of a Commonwealth-wide action plan, evaluation of current data capacity, and analysis of the Juvenile Justice Act of 2008 and the 1996 Juvenile Court Rules.

"Under the project, NCJFCJ is tasked with a system-wide review of the court's procedures, processes, and practices in relation to justice-involved youth," Associate Judge Lillian A. Tenorio said. "The assessment will also examine the court's interaction with partner agencies and organizations serving youth and families."



08/10/2026 Stakeholder Forum: DCCA: Division of Youth Services Juvenile Probation Office and Assistant Attorney General Samantha Vickery work through a discussion activity about the juvenile justice system.
08/10/2026 Stakeholder Forum: DCCA: Division of Youth Services Juvenile Probation Office and Assistant Attorney General Samantha Vickery work through a discussion activity about the juvenile justice system.

The visit began with a Stakeholder Forum hosted by the Judiciary, bringing together leaders from government, education, law enforcement, legal services, and child-serving systems. Participants included Governor David Apatang, House Speaker Edmund Villagomez, Attorney General Edward Manibusan, Chief Public Defender Doug Hartig, CNMI Bar Association President Gretchen Smith, Department of Corrections Commissioner Anthony Torres, Board of Education Chair Maisie Tenorio, and Acting Public School System Commissioner Jacqueline Che. Representatives from the Division of Youth Services, Department of Public Safety, Northern Marianas College, and the Multidisciplinary Team also participated.


"The forum showed us the need to have everyone in the room and highlighted the importance of conversations around assessing our juvenile justice system," said Lorielyn D. Lacay, Juvenile Coordinator for the Judiciary. "As we continue moving forward in this project, we aim to have our youth sit at the table with us."


In addition to meeting with community partners, the NCJFCJ team toured the Manhoben Care Center and the Division of Youth Services' Family Youth Enhancement Program. They also conducted interviews with representatives from the Division of Youth Services Juvenile Probation Office, the Office of the Attorney General, and the Office of the Public Defender.


The second day of the visit centered on an all-day working session with members of the project's Multidisciplinary Team. Participants examined areas identified for further study and discussed strategies to strengthen services and outcomes for youth throughout the Commonwealth.


"This is a chance to take a close, honest look at the system with outside experts who have done this work in other jurisdictions," said Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro.


Additional national partners will contribute to the project as it moves forward. The National Conference of State Legislatures will conduct the policy analysis component, with its experts expected to visit the Commonwealth early next year. Through these efforts, the Judiciary and its partners aim to build a more coordinated, data-informed, and youth-centered juvenile justice system.


2026-PR-030

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 21, 2026



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