Things got heated as the Clerk of Court Friday on the witness stand to testify towards the Judiciary of Guam’s efforts to re-assign the Mark Torre Jr. case following Judge Michael Bordallo’s resignation.
The Judiciary of Guam fought a losing battle in attempting to keep the Clerk of Court Danielle Rosette off the witness stand, stating that Arriola was on a “fishing expedition” and Rosette was the fish.
Superior Court Judge Arthur Barcinas denied the JOG’s motion to quash and allowed Rosette to take the stand in what the JOG’s counsel called a “badgering” of the clerk.
Arriola questioned Rosette about the court’s calendar, the memo issued by Judge Bordallo and the JOG trial court calendar — all in an effort to prove that the Judiciary of Guam contributed to the delay of trial, specifically by not assigning a general jurisdiction judge to the case until Jan. 22.
This task, Rosette stated in court, was the duty of the presiding Judge Alberto Lamorena. Arriola pointed out that a general jurisdiction judge was not re-assigned the case as authorized by statute. He offers this as evidence for Judge Barcinas to consider in determining whether to grant or dismiss Torre’s motion to dismiss for violations of the speedy trial act.
Judge Barcinas has taken the matter under advisement.
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