Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands · 2020-01-16 · CNMI Judicial Branch FY 2014 Budget Justification Page 1 CNMI JUDICIAL BRANCH FISCAL YEAR 2014 BUDGET REQUEST EXECUTIVE

FY 2014 Budget Request

CNMI Judicial Branch

Supreme Court Superior Court Judiciary Administrative Office Law Revision Commission

February 28, 2013

Table of Contents Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................1

Overview of the Judiciary .......................................................................................................................... 1

Judiciary Structure and Authority ............................................................................................................. 1

FY 2014 Budget Issues and Highlights ....................................................................................................... 3

Judiciary Performance Indicators............................................................................................................ 11

Law Revision Commission ....................................................................................................................... 11

Judiciary Operating Expenditure Worksheet ...........................................................................12

Supreme Court Operating Expenditure Worksheet ................................................................14

Supreme Court Personnel Expenditure Worksheet .................................................................15

Supreme Court Budget Justification ..........................................................................................16

Superior Court Operating Expenditure Worksheet .................................................................19

Superior Court Personnel Expenditure Worksheet .................................................................20

Superior Court Budget Justification ..........................................................................................22

Judiciary Administrative Office Expenditure Worksheet .......................................................27

Judiciary Administrative Office Personnel Expenditure Worksheet .....................................28

Judiciary Administrative Office Budget Justification ..............................................................30

Law Revision Commission Operating Expenditure Worksheet ..............................................42

Law Revision Commission Personnel Expenditure Worksheet ..............................................43

Law Revision Commission Budget Justification .......................................................................44

Judiciary Federal Grants 2012 ...................................................................................................47

CNMI Judicial Branch FY 2014 Budget Justification

Page 1

C N M I J U D I C I A L B R A N C H FISCAL YEAR 2014 BUDGET REQUEST

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In accordance with Article IV, Section 9(b) of the CNMI Constitution, the Judiciary hereby

submits its consolidated budget request for Fiscal Year 2014 in the amount of $6,260,249,

covering the Supreme Court (1691), Superior Court (1690), Judiciary Administrative Office

(1694), and the Law Revision Commission (1692). This request reflects an effort to restore

Judiciary funding closer to historic levels in order to provide the highest level of justice to the

people of the Commonwealth.

OVERVIEW OF THE JUDICIARY

The Judiciary was established by Article IV of the NMI Constitution. It is an independent and

co-equal branch of government with all inherent powers necessary to exercise its jurisdiction and

responsibilities under the constitution and the laws of the Commonwealth.

JUDICIARY STRUCTURE AND AUTHORITY

The Judicial Council, now under the leadership of Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro, was

created in late 2009 pursuant to Article 4, § 9 of the N.M.I. Constitution and Rule 52 of the

CNMI Supreme Court Rules. It guides the Judiciary’s administrative direction and unifies

administrative oversight and management of the Judiciary. The Judicial Council has been

responsible for many different administrative endeavors, including the allocation of the FY 2013

budget and oversight of the consolidation of the administrative functions of the Supreme and


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Superior Courts, such as human resources and financial and budgetary management. In FY 2014,

the Judicial Council will continue to set the goals and objectives for the Judiciary.

Table 1. Judiciary Structure and Authority

Business Unit

Division Federal Funds

Authority

Supreme Court 1691 Office of the Chief Justice Clerk of the Supreme Court

No Title 1, Division 3, Chapter 1 of the

Commonwealth Code (1 CMC §§ 3101-3108)

addresses jurisdiction, appellate and other

powers and responsibilities of the Supreme

Court.

Superior Court 1690 Office of the Presiding Judge

No Title 1, Division 3, Chapter 2 of the

Commonwealth Code (1 CMC §§ 3201-3253)

addresses jurisdiction, divisions and other

powers and responsibilities of the Superior

Court.

Clerk of the Superior Court

No

Family Court Division

Yes (No matching requirement)

Title 1, Division 3, Chapter 2, Article 1, Section

3205 (1 CMC § 3205) establishes the Family

Court within the Superior Court and its

responsibilities.

Office of Adult Probation


Title 1, Division 3, Chapter 2, Article 2 (1 CMC §§ 3231-3236) creates the Office of Adult Probation and sets forth its powers and responsibilities.

Administrative Services Unit

No

Office of the Commonwealth Recorder

No Title 1, Division 3, Chapter 7 (1 CMC §§ 3701-3712) creates the Commonwealth Recorder’s Office within the Superior Court and sets forth its powers and responsibilities.

Judiciary Administrative Office

1694 Marshal Service Division


Title 1, Division 3, Chapter 9 (1 CMC §§ 3901-3902) establishes the Marshals Service Division of the Judiciary as a law enforcement unit and sets forth its powers and duties.

Information Services Division


Title 1, Division 3, Chapter 4 (1 CMC §§ 3401-3406) addresses the administrative, budgetary and rule-making authority of the NMI Judiciary.

Facilities Management Division


Human Resources Office

No

Public Information Office

No


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Law Revision Commission

1692 Yes (No matching requirement)

Title 1, Division 3, Chapter 8 (1 CMC §§ 3801-3810) creates the Law Revision Commission within the judicial branch and sets forth its powers and responsibilities.

FY 2014 BUDGET ISSUES AND HIGHLIGHTS

For FY 2013, the Judiciary received a budget of $3,739,538. This represents a decrease of 6.5%

from FY 2012 when the Judiciary received a $4.0 million appropriation. In fact, other than FY

2012, appropriations to the Judiciary have been declining for several years. In recent years, the

Judiciary’s appropriation has declined by 44% from a peak of $5.9 million in FY 1999. The

Judiciary implemented austerity measures, including furlough Fridays and a hiring freeze for all

but the most essential court personnel in FY 2010 and 2011. The Judiciary budget for FY 2013

represents only slightly more than three percent of government revenue, which is simply not

enough to consistently offer timely and efficient judicial services. This chronic underfunding to

the courts causes taxpayers and citizens of the Commonwealth to suffer.

Judiciary Personnel

Reduced Federal Funding Necessitates Corresponding Increase in Local Funding;

Authorized FTEs and Restructure. In FY 2014 the Judiciary seeks $4,661,283 for

personnel costs to fill 94 authorized FTEs. This is an increase by 26 more FTEs than the

68 FTEs authorized in PL 17-85 for FY 2013. Over the years, the Judiciary’s expenditure

and hiring authorities deliberately reduced the number of requested FTEs to reduce the

size of the Judiciary’s budget in direct response to dwindling government resources. The

Judiciary’s authorized number of FTEs has decreased from 119 FTEs in 2003 to 68 FTEs

in 2013, a decrease in total staffing of 43%. However, the Judiciary has come to a

point where further decreases in the number of FTEs is unsustainable, and now has

a critical need to increase the number of FTEs to improve on the efficient delivery of

services to the Commonwealth public. The Judiciary requests to add 26 FTEs.


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Table 2. Summary of FTEs Requested

Number Total Salary and Benefits

Conversion of FTEs from Grant to Local Funding 7 $ 267,022.65

New Law Enforcement FTEs 7 $ 266,434.56

Restoration of Previously Eliminated FTEs 8 $ 305,533.97

New Administrative FTEs 4 $ 168,662.78

Total 26 $ 1,007,653.96

Conversion of Grant Funded FTEs to Local Funding: Notably, we are seeking to

convert seven (7) existing positions currently funded by various formula grants from the

U.S. Department of Justice to local funding.1 In light of dwindling federal grant funding

over recent years, the Criminal Justice Planning Agency Supervisory Council, the

administering agency for these grants, has advised the Judiciary that it will no longer

continue to fund these FTEs in the future. Short of any other available grant funding, the

Judiciary seeks to fund these crucial FTEs in the Family Court Division, Marshal Service

Division, and the Office of Adult Probation under local appropriation for FY 2014.

Table 3. Conversion of Grant Funded FTEs to Local Funding

No. Title Source of Current Grant Funding

Propose to Move to Business Unit

Total Salary and Benefits

1 Family Court Coordinator VOCA 1690 $ 46,496.94

2 Probation Clerk III VAWA 1690 $ 27,906.30

3 Assistant Probation Officer VAWA 1690 $ 30,058.25

4 Probation Officer III JAG 1690 $ 46,511.18

5 Probation Officer II JAG 1690 $ 39,483.95

6 Deputy Chief Marshal JAG 1694 $ 46,510.74

7 Deputy Marshal I (Rota) JAG 1694 $ 30,055.31

1 The NMI Judiciary receives the following grants from the U.S. Department of Justice: the Justice Assistance

Grant (JAG), the Victims of Crime Assistance Grant (VOCA), and the Violence Against Women Act Grant

(VAWA).


Page 5

Total $ 267,022.65

Law Enforcement: In addition to the conversion of the seven existing FTEs from

grant funding to local funding sources, we are requesting seven (7) new FTEs needed to

strengthen law enforcement capacity of the Judiciary. In FY 2014, the Judiciary continues

to focus on the important task of building enforcement capacity in the Marshal Service

Division by including a new FTE for the Chief of Security and Enforcement as well as

new Deputy Marshals.

Marshal Service Division: In May 2011, the Judiciary succeeded in working with

the Legislature and Executive Branch to enact 1 CMC §§ 3901-3902, which establishes

the Marshals Service Division (MSD) of the Judiciary as a law enforcement unit and sets

forth its powers and duties. The law effectively relieved the burden of delivering jury

summonses and other court processes from the Department of Public Safety. Importantly,

the MSD is tasked with protecting justices, judges, court staff and patrons as well as

ensuring the safe conduct of judicial proceedings. The current shortage of MSD positions

have strained existing resources and resulted in non-secure areas in the courthouses. Not

funding this request will result in periods where court security is inadequate and

understaffed. It is clear that security concerns, including threats of violence against

patrons and employees of the Judiciary, will continue for the foreseeable future.

Therefore, this crucial division to the safety of the judiciary and the public must be

adequately staffed and funded.

Office of Adult Probation: The Judiciary also requests four additional FTEs for

the Office of Adult Probation for FY 2014. Currently, the Office of Adult Probation has a

total of five Probation Officers assigned to supervise 3,554 adult offenders. This

translates into a caseload ratio of 710 offenders to one Probation Officer. According to

the American Probation and Parole Association, the ideal caseload size is 30:1 for high

priority offenders and 120:1 for low priority offenders.2 Clearly, failing to fund this

request will result in continued increases in caseload size, reductions in both frequency

and quality of offender supervision, and heightened threats to public safety. Such a

situation is untenable for the Judiciary and the public and must be rectified with the

addition of these FTEs.

Table 4. New Law Enforcement FTEs

No. Title Account Total Salary and Benefits

1 Chief of Security and Enforcement 1694 $ 74,809.44

2 Deputy Marshal I (Saipan) 1694 $ 25,717.83

3 Deputy Marshal I (Saipan) 1694 $ 25,717.83

4 Probation Officer I 1690 $ 35,047.37




Total $ 266,434.56

2 American Probation and Parole Association (1991) “Issue Paper on Caseload Standards” Available at:

http://www.appa-net.org/eweb/Dynamicpage.aspx?webcode=IB_IssuePaper&wps_key=12d49e5c-e1ab-45f2-8621-

cdc13a2d54a2 (last visited February 19, 2013).

http://www.appa-net.org/eweb/Dynamicpage.aspx?webcode=IB_IssuePaper&wps_key=12d49e5c-e1ab-45f2-8621-cdc13a2d54a2



Page 6

Restoration of Previously Eliminated FTEs: The Judiciary also seeks to strengthen

administrative services in the courts by restoring eight FTEs previously eliminated from

our budgets and hiring an additional four FTEs in FY 2014. An increase in administrative

staff is necessary to handle all court filings, documents and other paperwork and ensure

more efficient record keeping. With the decrease in the total number of FTEs over the

years by almost half, many of our current employees are required to take on additional

responsibilities and tasks above and beyond the scope of their original job descriptions.

As a result, current employees are often unable to finish their work and managers often

have to extend deadlines for their employees. The overall efficiency and quality of

judicial administration is slipping. Increased administrative support is necessary to

address the backlogs in document filing and recordkeeping. Without efficient

administrative support in the Judiciary, justice is delayed for our community members.

Table 5. Restoration of Previously Eliminated FTEs


1 Deputy Clerk of Court 1691 $ 57,821.50

2 Deputy Clerk III 1690 $ 57,821.94

3 Records Assistant 1690 $ 23,846.94

4 Computer Operator 1690 $ 23,846.94

5 Administrative Specialist - Recorder's Office Saipan 1690 $ 28,686.11

6 Administrative Specialist - Recorder's Office Tinian 1690 $ 28,775.98

7 Accountant I 1694 $ 26,912.62

8 Staff Attorney for Law Revision Commission 1692 $ 57,821.94

Total $ 305,533.97

Table 6. New Administrative FTEs


1 Computer Specialist I 1694 $ 29,509.44

2 Executive Assistant 1694 $ 50,123.21

3 Human Resource Assistant 1694 $ 34,039.44

4 Accountant IV 1694 $ 54,990.69

Total $ 168,662.78

Restructure of Position: In addition, the Judiciary seeks to restructure the Special

Assistant to the Presiding Judge into the Court Services Administrator. The restructuring

of this position would continue to strengthen the Judiciary’s objective of administrative

unification. In addition to the job duties currently performed by the Special Assistant to

the Presiding Judge for the Superior Court, the Court Services Administrator will focus

on strengthening services in the Judiciary particularly the jury trial process and the appeal

process, including transcripts, and ensuring access to court services for individuals with

limited English proficiency. We, therefore, seek to restructure the Special Assistant to the

Presiding Judge position to Court Services Manager, with an increase in annual salary

from $50,000 to $60,000.

Salary Increases. Low salaries for Judiciary staff have been a great concern of the

Judicial Council for some time. The lack of salary increases since 2002, compounded by

the elimination of 43% of FTEs, has led to the present critical situation where workloads


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have increased while salaries for Judiciary employees have fallen further and further

behind those of competing employers. This is evidenced by salary comparisons, turnover

and recruitment problems. The Judiciary aims to support competency and quality, the

success of which depends on its ability to attract, hire, and retain highly qualified and

competent employees. Competitive pay and opportunities for monetary incentives in

recognition of excellent service and performance are motivating factors for continued

improvement in support of creating efficiencies. Judiciary staff salaries fall grossly below

average salaries for other state courts. For example, an entry level position in the Marshal

Service Division in the Guam Judiciary pays $22,942, while an entry level position in the

NMI Judiciary’s Marshal Service Division pays only $16,652, almost 30% less. In

January 2013, the Judicial Council unanimously voted to increase the salaries of the

lowest paid Judiciary staff. As such, 37 staff making less than $35,000 received a 10%

increase in salaries. The Judiciary intends to maintain these increases and implement

additional increases to ensure that it attracts and maintains qualified and competent

personnel.

Table 7. Schedule of Staff Salary Increases

Number of Staff FY 2013 FY 2014 Incremental Increase

Supreme Court 1 $ 38,456 $ 42,302 $ 3,846 Superior Court Civil Service 7 $ 210,740 $ 231,814 $ 21,074 Superior Court ESC 17 $ 463,942 $ 510,336 $ 46,394 JAO Civil Service 3 $ 78,186 $ 86,005 $ 7,819 JAO ESC 7 $ 145,857 $ 161,249 $ 14,586 LRC 2 $ 59,286 $ 65,215 $ 5,929

TOTAL 37 $ 996,468 $ 1,096,921 $ 99,647

Health Insurance. The Judiciary requests $384,760 for anticipated actual health

insurance costs for FY 2014.

Defined Benefit Retirement Employer Contributions. The Judiciary’s FY 2014 budget

request assumes an employer’s mandatory contribution cost of 37.39% of total base

salaries for those employees who continue to be enrolled in the CNMI Retirement Fund’s

Defined Benefit (DB) plan, consistent with the rate indicated in the Budget Call for Fiscal

Year 2014 (OMB13-022). As of January 2013, all Judiciary employees who were active

fund members applied to withdraw their employee contributions. The Judiciary’s total

anticipated employer’s share of defined benefit contributions is $0 for FY 2014.

Defined Contribution Employer Contributions. The Judiciary’s FY 2014 budget

request assumes an employer’s contribution cost of 4% of total base salaries for those

employees who continue to be enrolled in the Defined Contribution (DC) plan. This is

consistent with the rate indicated in the Budget Call for Fiscal Year 2014 (OMB13-022).

The Judiciary requests $91,922 for DC employer contributions for FY 2014.

Social Security Employer Contributions. This is a new budget item for FY 2014

pursuant to PL 17-82 (1 CMC §§ 8481-8489), requiring all Commonwealth officials or

employees to become mandatory members of the United States Social Security system.

The Judiciary requests $237,473 for Social Security employer contributions based on

6.2% of salaries for all existing and new FTEs for FY 2014.


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Judiciary Operations

Professional Services. The bulk of the $136,000 requested for professional services

includes transcription services and continuing our Court Appointed Counsel and

Conflicts Counsel programs.

Transcription: Because of the economic downturn, more and more residents are

unable to afford private attorneys and increasingly rely on services for indigents provided

by the Judiciary at taxpayer expense. These services include Court Appointed Counsel

and the preparation of a transcript of trial court proceedings for criminal appeals. For FY

2014, we plan to outsource transcription needs for indigent appeals in order to most

efficiently address the ongoing backlog of audio recording needing to be transcribed. As

mentioned earlier, Judiciary employees are already overworked and simply cannot timely

complete additional transcription responsibilities. As an example, a Judicial employee

recently required ten (10) months time to complete a transcript in a criminal appeal while

an outside transcriptionist required only four (4) months to complete a transcript in a

different appeal.

Indigent Defense: In the past, the Judiciary typically spent $100,000 per year on

professional services for indigent defense representation. To cut down this cost, in FY

2012, the Judiciary partnered with the NMI Bar Association to create a Conflicts Counsel

program. The program saves overall costs and administrative time as well as increases

efficiency because the majority of criminal cases are assigned, and payment made, to one

entity. This replaces the former practice of assigning cases to various attorneys and

processing payments on a per hour basis, which resulted in higher indigent appointment

costs for the Judiciary. It is vital that the Legislature maintain the Judiciary’s funding for

these services so that we may continue to provide this basic constitutional right to

representation for all residents of the Commonwealth regardless of income level. Access

to justice is not a luxury afforded only to the wealthy; our courts are needed in hard

times, such as these, more than ever.

Travel. The Judiciary seeks $81,280 in funding for travel expenses in FY 2014. The

amount is requested to cover travel expenses for judges, courtroom clerks, and probation

officers to Tinian and Rota to conduct the business of the Court in FY 2014. Civil,

criminal, and family courts matter are scheduled on both islands twice monthly. In

addition to the regularly set schedule, jury trials are calendared for both islands. The

travel cost of judges and support staff attending all sessions will be charged to this

category. Probation officers must make inter-island visits to monitor and supervise

defendants who are on probation and/or to do investigations to provide pre-sentence

reports for judges. National and regional travel is also funded from this category to meet

continuing judicial education needs. It also will be used to send maintenance and

technical staff to the Tinian and Rota courthouses periodically for inspection, repairs, and

maintenance. In addition, these travel funds will be used to continue the Judiciary’s

outreach programs such as the Summer Pre-Law Program, which is designed to

encourage young residents of the Marianas to attend law school.

Repair and Maintenance. The Judiciary requests $326,845 for repair and maintenance

expenses in FY 2014. Roof repairs for the Guma Hustisia are estimated at $150,000,


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while the Rota Judicial Center A/C retrofit is estimated at $135,000. Preventative

maintenance includes our standby generator, air conditioning units for the Guma

Hustisia, Rota Judicial Center and Tinian Courthouse and for vehicles, fire extinguishers,

and lawn mower and power tools. In addition, the Judiciary requests to once again

procure professional janitorial services in FY 2014. In the last few fiscal years, janitorial

services were terminated due to budget constraints. The lack of consistent janitorial

services not only creates appearance problems for the Judiciary but may affect the health

and safety of employees and court patrons. These services are essential to maintain the

dignity of the Judiciary and the health and welfare of staff and court patrons.

Table 8. Summary of Repair and Maintenance Expenses

Amount

One-time Capital Outlays $ 285,000.00

Other Annual Recurring Costs $ 500.00

Annual Preventative Maintenance $ 41,345.00

TOTAL $ 326,845.00

Utilities. For FY 2014, the Judiciary requests $680,000 to cover the cost of utilities for its

facilities in all three islands: the Rota Judicial Center, Guma Hustisia, and the Tinian

Courthouse. This amount is based on historical average costs. The Judiciary’s

appropriation for FY 2012 and 2013 did not contain an amount for utilities, as this was

appropriated under a separate line item for the payment of utilities for the branches,

agencies, departments, and municipalities of the Commonwealth government.

Computer Systems and Equipment. The Judiciary continues to distinguish

technological modernization as a key investment to improving the efficient delivery of

court services. The Judiciary seeks $105,000 in FY 2014 to fund new desktop computers

for 26 new FTEs and critical upgrades to its case management (Justware) and document

management systems (Laserfiche). One of the main focuses for the upcoming year is to

build on the case management and document management systems to improve data

accuracy and reliability in preparation to link to the NMI’s Criminal Justice Information

System network. This network will increase efficiency and information sharing

capabilities which will create a safer community. We have discovered many

discrepancies in the current system that date back for several years. In order to fix this

problem many man hours are needed to log on to the system and cross check all filed

documents. A more efficient system is necessary. Finally, efforts must be directed to

prepare for a case file inventory to begin disposing cases that have remained idle over the

years. Improving on these issues will allow us to process criminal cases more speedily,

saving NMI taxpayer money by reducing the time that defendants spend in jail awaiting

trial as well as providing basic constitutional protections.


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JUDICIARY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Table 9

FY 2010 Actual FY 2011 Actual

Criminal Cases Filed in Superior Court (including traffic) 2652 4057

Civil Cases Filed in Superior Court (including family and small claims) 2001 1928

Total Cases Filed in Superior Court 4653 5985

Criminal Cases Decided in Superior Court (including traffic) 2968 3879

Civil Cases Decided in Superior Court (including family and small claims) 1123 2717

Total Cases Decided in Superior Court 4091 6596

Carryover Probationers Supervised by Office of Adult Probation 2791 2738

New Probationers Supervised by Office of Adult Probation 388 388

Total Probationers Supervised 3103 3099

LAW REVISION COMMISSION (1692)

The Commonwealth Law Revision Commission requests $290,031 for the basic operations for

FY 2014. This amount will enable the Commission to fulfill its statutory duties to codify and

compile laws, including the production of the statutory code (codified version of public laws),

the NMI Reporter series (head-noted Supreme Court decisions), and the CNMI administrative

code (codified agency regulations), as well as providing vital legal information to the community

for free through the Commission’s website (www.cnmilaw.org).

When businesses investigate whether to invest in the CNMI, they will research business

regulations and other CNMI laws to determine whether the CNMI has a stable legal system. The

Commission website (the first hit when one searches CNMI law) and its legal publications

provide evidence of the strength of the rule of law. Based on drastic reductions in prior years’

budget requests, the Commission has been unable to improve or augment its website in more

than a decade and has been unable to update all three of its publications on a regular basis. The

absence of a sophisticated website and current legal publications make it difficult for lawyers,

judges, legislators, investors and interested community members to efficiently research CNMI

law.

The Commission recognizes declining revenues due to a suffering economy and tough choices

need to be made by the Legislature while it prepares a final budget bill. The Commission is

merely a tiny part of the overall CNMI budget (less than .0025%); yet it produces vital legal

publications needed by all government branches and agencies, lawyers, businesses, investors,

and the entire community.

CONCLUSION

The Judiciary continues to be a good partner in government during the ongoing fiscal crisis

afflicting the Government. It has consistently stood ready to work with other government

agencies, particularly in the criminal justice network, to assist in many ways. The Judiciary has

also taken numerous actions to reduce personnel and operating expenses. However, there must

be a clear understanding about the absolute necessity and importance of providing the court with

adequate funding and the flexibility to determine how best to reduce operating expenses without

http://www.cnmilaw.org/


Page 11

jeopardizing constitutionally mandated duties. Under our constitutional system, the Judiciary is

responsible for upholding the rule of law upon which all our society’s social and economic

relationships are based. It is difficult to put a price tag on justice or its significance to our

Commonwealth. The Judiciary asks only for what it needs – enough to make sure that each

person who comes before the court receives the justice promised by the Constitution and our

representative democratic system of government.


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CNMI JUDCIARY OPERAT ING EXPENDITURE WORK SHEET

Dept. JUDICIARY FY 2014

Activity Supreme Court/Superior Court/Commonwealth Judiciary Administrative Office/Law Revision Commission Bus. Units 1691/1690/1694/1692

CLASS CODE OBJECT CLASSIFICATION

SUPREME COURT

SUPERIOR COURT

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE

LAW REVISION

COMMISSION GRAND TOTAL

61090 Wages/Salaries - CSC 0 250,701 77,900 0 328,601

61100 Wages/Salaries - Ung 758,922 1,868,806 659,302 214,585 3,501,615

61180 Life Insurance (1.6%) 12,143 34,002 11,795 3,433 61,373

61190 Retirement Contribution (37.3909%) 0 0 0 0 0

61195 401K D.C. Retirement Contribution (4%) 12,840 44,033 26,466 8,583 91,922

61196 FICA (6.2%) 47,053 131,409 45,707 13,304 237,473

61200 Subsistence/Housing Allowance 0 0 0 0 0

61210 Health Insurance Premium (Actual) 47,694 207,067 111,887 18,113 384,760

61220 Medicare Contribution (1.45%) 11,004 30,733 10,689 3,111 55,538

Total Personnel Costs 889,656 2,566,751 943,745 261,131 4,661,283

Number of Positions: 11 53 25 5 94

62050 Official Representation 0 0 2,760 0 2,760

62060 Professional Services 0 0 128,000 8,000 136,000

62070 Public Auditor's Fee 8,986 25,927 24,788 2,900 62,601

62080 Advertising 0 0 5,000 200 5,200

62090 Recruitment & Repatriation 0 0 12,500 0 12,500

62100 Boards & Other Comp. 0 0 0 0 0

Total Professional Services 8,986 25,927 173,048 11,100 219,061

62240 Bank Charges 0 0 420 0 420

62250 Communications 0 0 43,500 6,000 49,500

62260 Dues & Subscriptions 0 0 9,000 500 9,500

62280 Insurance 0 0 0 0 0

62290 Licenses & Fees 0 0 150 300 450

62300 Printing & Photocopying 0 0 9,200 0 9,200

Total Office Expenses 0 0 62,270 6,800 69,070

62500 Travel 0 0 81,280 0 81,280

62660 Repair & Maintenance 0 0 324,845 2,000 326,845

62680 Freight & Handling 0 0 1,700 300 2,000

62690 Personnel Training Cost 0 0 1,500 3,500 5,000

62710 Utilities (Rota, Saipan, Tinian)* 0 0 680,000 0 680,000

62750 Cleaning Services (Rota, Saipan, Tinian) 0 0 25,000 0 25,000

Total Others 0 0 1,033,045 5,800 1,038,845

63010 Books & Library Materials 0 0 5,000 500 5,500

63020 Food Items 0 0 4,300 200 4,500

63030 Fuel & Lubrication (POL) 0 0 14,100 500 14,600

63040 Supplies - Office 0 0 20,850 2,000 22,850

63050 Supplies - Operations 0 0 12,360 0 12,360

Total Supplies 0 0 56,610 3,200 59,810


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64550 Computer Systems & Equipment 0 0 103,000 2,000 105,000

64560 Office Equipment 0 0 15,000 0 15,000

64570 Office Furniture & Fixtures 0 0 10,900 0 10,900

Total Capitalized Fixed Assets 0 0 128,900 2,000 130,900

Total Operations 8,986 25,927 1,535,153 28,900 1,598,966

Total Personnel and Operations 898,642 2,592,678 2,478,898 290,031 6,260,249

*Utilities expenses were not included in the two previous fiscal year requests.


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SUPREME COURT OPERATING EXPENDITUR E WORKSHEET

Dept. JUDICIARY

Activity Supreme Court FY 2014 Budget Request

Bus. Units 1691

FY2013 FY 2014

CLASS Object PL 17-85 Budget

CODE Classification Actual Request

61090 Wages/Salaries -CSC

0

61100 Wages/Salaries - UNG

758,922

61180 Life Insurance (1.6%)

12,143

61190 Retirement Contribution DB (37.3909%)

0

61195 401K DC Ret. Employer Contribution (4%)

12,840

61196 FICA (6.2%)

47,053

61200 Subsistence Allowance

0

61210 Health Insurance Premium (Actual enrollment)

47,694

61220 Medicare Contribution (1.45%)

11,004

Total Personnel Costs 805,000 889,656

Number of Positions: 10 11

62050 Official Representation

0

62060 Professional Services

0

62070 Public Auditor's Fee 1%

8,986

62080 Advertising

0

62090 Recruitment & Repatriation

0

62100 Boards & Other Comp.

0

Total Professional Services 8,986

62250 Communications

0

62260 Dues & Subscriptions

0

62280 Insurance

0

62290 Licenses & Fees

0

62300 Printing & Photocopying

0

Total Office Expenses 0

62500 Travel 0

62660 Repair & Maintenance

0

62680 Freight & Handling

0

62690 Personnel Training Cost

0

62700 Storage & Handling

0

62710 Utilities

0

62750 Cleaning Services

0

Total Others 0

63010 Books & Library Materials

0

63020 Food Items

0

63030 Fuel & Lubrication (POL)

0

63040 Supplies - Office

0

63050 Supplies - Operations

0

Total Supplies 0

64550 Computer Systems & Equipment

0

64560 Office Equipment

0

64570 Office Furniture & Fixtures

0

Total Capitalized Fixed Assets 0

Total Operations 8,050 8,986

Total Personnel & Operations 813,050 898,642


Page 16

SUPREME COURT BUDGET JUSTIFICATION

61100 WAGES/SALARIES UNGRADED $758,922

This amount is requested to maintain the wages and salaries of Commonwealth Supreme Court

current ten Full Time Employees (FTEs) and one new FTE. This amount reflects a work schedule

for all staff of 80 hours biweekly.

The ten current FTEs consist of the Chief Justice and two Associate Justices, three law clerks,

Clerk of the Supreme Court, and three Judicial Assistants. The salaries of the Chief Justice and

two Associate Justices, which are constitutionally protected, are $130,000 and $126,000

respectively.

The Judiciary seeks to add one FTE for the Supreme Court in FY 2014: Deputy Clerk of the

Supreme Court. The Supreme Court Clerk’s Office is currently staffed only with the Clerk of

Court. The Clerk’s Office has always been staffed with a clerk and a deputy clerk of court until

the position was left vacant in early 2012. This request is to re-establish the deputy clerk of court

position that was restructured as a human resources manager/administrative officer position in the

previous fiscal year (FY 2013).

The Supreme Court Clerk’s Office performs a critically important function in ensuring judicial

and administrative efficiency. The Clerk’s Office receives, processes, and maintains permanent

records of appeals and CNMI Bar Disciplinary cases. The Office is also responsible for filing

cases, briefs, motions, petitions, and other documents that are presented to the Court for decisions.

Once a decision has been made, the Clerk’s Office disseminates the opinions and orders to the

press, attorneys, trial court judges, and public. Aside from managing the Court’s docket, the Clerk

of Court conducts legal research and drafts orders for various cases. As the responsibilities of the

Clerk of Court have become more demanding, a deputy clerk of court is needed to assist the Clerk

in carrying out the functions of the Office.

In addition, the Judiciary requests a pay raise for its lowest paid staff of 10% consistent with the

Judicial Council’s decision to increase the salaries of the Judiciary’s lowest paid staff as of

January 24, 2013.

Position Title FY 2013 Salary and

Benefits FY 2014 Salary and

Benefits Incremental

Increase

1 Judicial Assistant (A.J.) 38,456 42,302 3,846 TOTAL 38,456 42,302 3,846

61180 PERSONNEL INSURANCE $12,143

This amount is requested to cover the employer’s mandatory contribution to the select life

insurance carrier for the group plan administered by the CNMI Retirement Fund. This cost is

calculated at 1.6% of all salaries.


Page 17

61195 RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTIONS (401K DC PLAN) $12,840

This amount is requested to cover the employer’s contribution to the retirement program Defined

Contribution (DC) Plan currently based on 4% of the total base salaries of the five court

employees.

61196 FICA $ 47,053

This is a new budget item for FY 2014 pursuant to PL 17-82 (1 CMC 8481-8489), requiring all

Commonwealth officials or employees to become mandatory members of the United States

Social Security system. The Judiciary requests this amount for Social Security employer

contributions based on 6.2% of salaries for all Supreme Court justices and staff for FY 2014.

61210 HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUM $ 47,694

Effective January 1, 2013, the CNMI Retirement Fund increased employer and employee

contributions on the premiums paid to the insurance carrier (Aetna). For FY 2014, the judiciary

has calculated its cost on actual enrollment (for single, couple or family) by staff.

61220 MEDICARE CONTRIBUTION $11,004

This amount is budgeted to cover the employer’s mandatory contribution to the Medicare program

currently based at 1.45% of total base salaries of $758,922. This budget category is included by

the court to ensure that sufficient funds are appropriated to cover Medicare costs for the nine

Supreme Court employees as required by law.

No. of

FTEs

Total

Personnel

Percentage Total

11 $758,922 1.6% $12,143

No. of

FTEs

Total

Personnel

Percentage Total

5 $321,000 4% $12,840

No. of

FTEs

Total

Personnel

Percentage Total

11 $758,922 6.2% $47,053

No. of

FTEs

Total

Personnel

Percentage Total

11 $758,922 1.45% $11,004


Page 18

62070 PUBLIC AUDITOR’S FEE $8,986

This amount is requested to cover the required Public Auditor’s Fee at 1%.


Page 19

CNMI SUPERIOR C OURT OPERATING EXPENDITUR ES WORKSHEET

Dept. CNMI Judiciary

Activity CNMI Superior Court FY 2014 Budget Request

Bus. Unit 1690

FY 2013 FY 2014

Class Object PL 17-85 Budget

Code Classification Actual Request

61090 Wages/Salaries - CSC

250,701

61100 Wages/Salaries - Ung

1,868,806


34,002

61190 Retirement Contribution (DB Plan 37.3909%) 0

61195 401K D.C. Retirement Contribution (4%)

44,033

61196 FICA (6.2%)

131,409

61200 Subsistence

0

61210 Health Insurance Premium (Actual Enrollment) 207,067

61220 Medicare Contribution 30,733

Total Personnel Costs 1,857,933 2,566,751

Number of Positions 39 53


0


0

62070 Public Auditor's Fee

25,927

62080 Advertising

0

62090 Recruitment/Repatriation 0


62240 Bank Charges

0


0

62260 Dues and Subscriptions

0

62280 Insurance

0

62290 Licenses and Fees

0

62300 Printing and Photocopying 0

Total Office Expenses 0

62500 Travel 0


0


0


0

62700 Storage and Handling

0


0

Total Others 0

63010 Books and Library Materials

0

63020 Food Items

0

63030 Fuel and Lubricate

0

63040 Supplies Office

0

63050 Supplies Operations 0

Total Supplies 0

64550 Computer Systems & Equip.

0


0

64570 Office Furniture & Fixtures 0

Total Capitalized Fixed Asset 0


Total Personnel & Operations 1,876,513 2,592,678


Page 22

SUPERIOR COURT BUDGET JUSTIFICATION

61090 WAGES/SALARIES - CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM $250,701

The Superior Court requests for funding for eight personnel/full-time Civil Service employees in

order to meet its statutory duties and responsibilities. This amount reflects a work schedule for

all staff of 80 hours biweekly. Funds requested will help retain the necessary personnel for all

trial court services on Tinian, Saipan, and Rota, as the Court maintains offices and holds regular

sessions on these islands. The total amount requested is to cover wages and salaries for the

personnel classified under this budget category.

After careful examination of relevant statutory and regulatory considerations, in January 2013,

the Judicial Council unanimously voted to increase the salaries of the lowest paid Judiciary staff.

As such, Civil Service employees making less than $35,000 received a 10% increase in salaries.

In FY 2014, the Judiciary seeks again to increase staff salaries of the lowest paid Civil Service

employees in the Superior Court by an additional 10% for a total cost of $21,074.This budget

request includes a two-year within-grade increase adjustment for Civil Service staff.

Position Title FY 2013 Salary and Benefits FY 2014 Salary and Benefits Incremental Increase

1 Accountant II 40,072 44,080 4,007

2 Deputy Clerk I 27,132 29,845 2,713

3 Deputy Clerk I 24,618 27,080 2,462

4 Deputy Clerk I 24,618 27,080 2,462

5 Commonwealth Recorder 38,165 41,982 3,817

6 Administrative Specialist - Rota 23,161 25,477 2,316

7 Probation Officer II 32,974 36,271 3,297

TOTAL 210,740 231,814 21,074

61100 WAGES/SALARIES - UNGRADED $1,868,806

The Superior Court requests for funding in this category for 45 personnel/full-time employees in

order to meet its statutory duties and responsibilities. Funds requested will help retain the

necessary personnel for all trial court services on Tinian, Saipan, and Rota, as the Court

maintains offices and holds regular sessions on these islands.

Notably, the Judiciary is seeking to convert five (5) existing positions in the Superior Court

currently funded by various formula grants from the U.S. Department of Justice to local

funding.c In light of dwindling federal grant funding over recent years, the Criminal Justice

Planning Agency Supervisory Council, the administering agency for these grants, has advised the

Judiciary that it will no longer continue to fund these FTEs in the future. Short of any other

available grant funding, the Judiciary seeks to fund these crucial FTEs in the Family Court

c The NMI Judiciary receives the following grants from the U.S. Department of Justice: the Justice Assistance Grant

(JAG), the Victims of Crime Assistance Grant (VOCA), and the Violence Against Women Act Grant (VAWA).


Page 23

Division and the Office of Adult Probation in the Superior Court under local appropriation for

FY 2014.

Conversion of FTEs from Grant to Local Funding


1 Family Court Coordinator 1690 $ 46,496.94

2 Probation Clerk III 1690 $ 27,906.30

3 Assistant Probation Officer 1690 $ 30,058.25

4 Probation Officer III 1690 $ 46,511.18

5 Probation Officer II 1690 $ 39,483.95

Total $ 190,456.61

The Judiciary also requests four additional FTEs for the Office of Adult Probation for FY 2014.

Currently, the Office of Adult Probation has a total of five Probation Officers assigned to

supervise 3,554 adult offenders. This translates to a caseload ratio of 710 offenders to one

Probation Officer. According to the American Probation and Parole Association, the ideal

caseload size is 30:1 for high priority offenders and 120:1 for low priority offenders.d Clearly,

failing to fund this request will result in continued increases in caseload size, reductions in both

frequency and quality of offender supervision, and heightened threats to public safety. Such a

situation is untenable for the Judiciary and the public and must be rectified with the addition of

these FTEs.

New Law Enforcement FTEs






Total $ 140,189.46

Also in FY 2014, the Judiciary seeks to reinstate five positions previously authorized to the

Superior Court but subsequently eliminated over time because of budget reductions. The

Superior Court has gone from a peak authorized number of FTEs in FY 2003 of 89 to 39 in FY

2013, a reduction of over half of its authorized FTEs.

Restoration of Previously Eliminated FTEs


1 Deputy Clerk III 1690 $ 57,821.94

2 Records Assistant 1690 $ 23,846.94

3 Computer Operator 1690 $ 23,846.94

d American Probation and Parole Association (1991) “Issue Paper on Caseload Standards” Available at:

http://www.appa-net.org/eweb/Dynamicpage.aspx?webcode=IB_IssuePaper&wps_key=12d49e5c-e1ab-45f2-8621-

cdc13a2d54a2 (last visited February 19, 2013).




Page 24

4 Administrative Specialist - Recorder's Office Saipan 1690 $ 28,686.11

5 Administrative Specialist - Recorder's Office Tinian 1690 $ 28,775.98

Total $ 162,977.92

In FY 2014, the Judiciary seeks again to increase staff salaries of the lowest paid Ungraded

employees in the Superior Court by an additional 10% for a total cost of $46,394.

Position Title FY 2013 Salary

and Benefits

FY 2014 Salary

and Benefit

s

Incremental Increase

1 Judicial Assistant to Presiding Judge

39,778 43,756 3,978

2 Judicial Assistant to Associate Judge

41,234 45,358 4,123


31,144 34,258 3,114


24,915 27,407 2,492


24,035 26,439 2,404

6 Accountant I 21,278 23,406 2,128 7 Deputy Clerk II 30,044 33,048 3,004 8 Deputy Clerk II 31,144 34,258 3,114 9 Deputy Clerk I 24,618 27,080 2,462

10 Deputy Clerk I - Rota 24,618 27,080 2,462 11 Deputy Clerk I - Tinian 25,519 28,071 2,552 12 Deputy Clerk I 24,618 27,080 2,462 13 Deputy Clerk I 24,585 27,044 2,459 14 Assistant Deputy Clerk 20,760 22,836 2,076 15 Assistant Deputy Clerk 20,027 22,030 2,003 16 Probation Officer I 31,007 34,107 3,101 17 Probation Officer I 24,618 27,080 2,462 463,942 510,336 46,394

The Judiciary also requests to restructure the following existing FTE:

From Special Assistant to the Presiding Judge to Court Services

Administrator. The restructuring of this position would continue to

strengthen the Judiciary’s objective of administrative unification. In addition

to the job duties currently performed by the Special Assistant to the Presiding

Judge for the Superior Court, the Court Services Administrator will focus on

strengthening services in the Judiciary particularly the jury trial process and

the appeal process, including transcripts, and ensuring access to court services

for individuals with limited English proficiency. We, therefore, seek to

restructure the Special Assistant to the Presiding Judge position to Court

Services Manager, with an increase in annual salary from $50,000 to $60,000.


Page 25


This amount is requested to cover the employer’s mandatory contribution to the selected life



61190 RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTION-DB PLAN $0

This amount is requested to cover the employer’s mandatory contribution to the CNMI

Retirement Fund’s Defined Benefit (DB) plan. CNMI law mandates this requirement. For FY

2014, the judiciary assumes a 37.39% employer contribution rate consistent with that being used

by the administration for FY 2014. The Judiciary’s request for employer contributions for the

DB plan in FY 2014 is $0.

61195 RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTION-DC PLAN $44,033

This amount is requested to cover the employer’s contribution to the retirement program Defined

Contribution (DC) Plan currently based on 4% of the total base salaries of the 28 Superior Court

employees who remain enrolled in the DC plan.

61196 FICA $ 131,409




contributions based on 6.2% of salaries for all Superior Court judges and staff for FY 2014.

61210 HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUM $207,067

No. of

FTEs

Total

Personnel

Percentage Total

53 $2,119,507 1.6% $34,002

No. of

FTEs

Total

Personnel

Percentage Total

29 $1,100,825 1.6% $44,033

No. of

FTEs

Total

Personnel

Percentage Total

53 $2,119,507 6.2% $131,409


Page 26

For FY 2014, the Judiciary has calculated its cost on actual enrollment (for single, couple or

family) by staff. The Superior Court requests $207,067 for the employer’s share of health

insurance based on actual enrollment.


This amount is budgeted to cover the employer’s contribution to the Medicare program currently

based at 1.45% to total base salaries. This requirement is mandated by CNMI law.


This amount covers the mandated 1% allocation from the total budget amount for the public

auditor’s fee. This requirement is mandated by CNMI law.

No. of

FTEs

Total

Personnel

Percentage Total

53 $2,119,507 1.45% $30,733


Page 27

JUDICIARY ADMINISTRA TIVE OFFICE OPERATING EXPENDITUR E WORKSHEET

Dept. JUDICIARY

Activity Commonwealth Judiciary Administrative Office FY 2014

Bus. Unit 1694

FY 2013 FY 2014

CLASS Object PL 17-85 Dept.

CODE Classification Actual Request


77,900

61100 Wages/Salaries - UNG

659,302


11,795

61190 Retirement Contribution (39.3909%)

0


26,466

61196 FICA (6.2%)

45,707

61200 Subsistence Allowance

0

61210 Health Insurance Premium (Actual Enrollment)

111,887

61220 Medicare Contribution (1.45%)

10,689


Number of Positions: 15 25


2,760


128,000

62070 Public Auditor 1%

24,788

62080 Advertising

5,000


12,500


0


62240 Bank Charges

420


43,500


9,000

62280 Insurance

0


150


9,200

Total Office Expenses 62,270

62500 Travel 81,280

62660 Repair & Maintenance (Saipan, Tinian and Rota)

324,845


1,700


1,500

62710 Utilities 0 680,000

62750 Cleaning Services (Saipan, Tinian, and Rota)

25,000

Total Others 1,033,045


5,000

63020 Food Items

4,300


14,100


20,850


12,360

Total Supplies 56,610


103,000


15,000


10,900

Total Capitalized Fixed Assets 128,900

Total Operations 344,974 1,535,153

Total Personnel & Operations 825,690 2,478,898


Page 30

JUDICIARY ADMINISTRA TIVE OFFICE BUDGET JUSTIFICATION

The Commonwealth Judiciary Administrative Office (CJAO) oversees the operations and

maintenance of the Guma Hustisia/Imwal Aweewe/House of Justice. Accordingly, this office

must be staffed to assist the Chief Justice and the Presiding Judge in their administrative

responsibilities. The budget includes the wages and salaries of the Director of Courts,

Administrative Officer, Building Superintendent, Administrative Assistant, Building and

Grounds Maintenance personnel, Marshals, Systems Administrator and Computer Specialists.

Also in line with the judiciary’s administrative unification efforts, the Judicial Council

transferred select operating expenses from the Supreme Court and Superior Court to the CJAO to

achieve greater administrative efficiencies. These accounts include all non-personnel expenses,

with the exception of recruitment and repatriation expenses associated with hiring qualified law

clerks and the mandatory Public Auditor’s Fee for each account respectively. Importantly, these

administrative expenses are transferred to the CJAO to be administered centrally for the benefit

of the entire judiciary

61090 WAGES/SALARIES – CIVIL SERVICE $77,900

The amount of $77,900 is budgeted to cover the wages and salaries of three full-time civil

service employees (FTEs) previously assigned to the CJAO. This amount reflects a work

schedule for all staff of 80 hours biweekly.

After careful examination of relevant statutory and regulatory considerations, in January 2013,

the Judicial Council unanimously voted to increase the salaries of the lowest paid Judiciary staff.

As such, Civil Service employees making less than $35,000 received a 10% increase in salaries.

In FY 2014, the Judiciary seeks again to increase staff salaries of the lowest paid Civil Service

employees in the JAO by an additional 10% for a total cost of $7,819.This budget request

represents a two-year within-grade increase adjustment for Civil Service staff

Position Title FY 2013 Salary and

Benefits FY 2014 Salary and

Benefits Incremental

Increase

1 Administrative Assistant 22,061 24,267 2,206 2 Deputy Marshal III 32,974 36,271 3,297 3 Deputy Marshall II 23,152 25,467 2,315 TOTAL 78,186 86,005 7,819

61100 WAGES/SALARIES – UNGRADED $659,302

The amount of $659,302 is requested to pay for 22 ungraded FTEs. This amount reflects a work

schedule for all staff of 80 hours biweekly.


Page 31

Notably, the Judiciary is seeking to convert two (2) existing positions in the Marshal Service

Division currently funded by various formula grants from the U.S. Department of Justice to local

funding.e In light of dwindling federal grant funding over recent years, the Criminal Justice

Planning Agency Supervisory Council, the administering agency for these grants, has advised the

Judiciary that it will no longer continue to fund these FTEs in the future. Short of any other

available grant funding, the Judiciary seeks to fund these crucial FTEs in the Marshal Service

Division under local appropriation for FY 2014.

Conversion of FTEs from Grant to Local Funding


1 Deputy Chief Marshal 1694 $ 46,510.74

2 Deputy Marshal I - Rota 1694 $ 30,055.31

Total $ 76,566.04

In FY 2014, the Judiciary continues to focus on the important task of building enforcement

capacity in the Marshal Service Division by including a new FTE for the Chief of Security and

Enforcement as well as new Deputy Marshals. In May 2011, the Judiciary succeeded in working

with the Legislature and Executive Branch to enact 1 CMC §§ 3901-3902, which establishes the

Marshals Service Division (MSD) of the Judiciary as a law enforcement unit and sets forth its

powers and duties. The law effectively relieved the burden of delivering jury summonses and

other court processes on the Department of Public Safety. Importantly, the MSD is tasked with

protecting justices, judges, court staff and patrons and ensuring the safe conduct of judicial

proceedings. The current shortages of MSD positions have strained existing resources and

resulted in non-secure areas in the courthouses. Not funding this request will result in periods

where court security is inadequate and understaffed. It is clear that security concerns, including

threats of violence against patrons and employees of the Judiciary, will continue for the

foreseeable future. Therefore, this crucial division to the safety of the judiciary and the public

must be adequately staffed and funded.

New Law Enforcement FTEs


1 Chief of Security and Enforcement 1694 $ 74,809.44

2 Deputy Marshal I - Saipan 1694 $ 25,717.83

3 Deputy Marshal I - Saipan 1694 $ 25,717.83

Total $ 126,245.10

Also in FY 2014, the Judiciary seeks to reinstate one position previously authorized but

subsequently eliminated over time because of budget reductions. This position is much needed to

strengthen the financial management capacity of the Judiciary. The Judiciary also seeks to

strengthen administrative services in the courts by hiring an additional four FTEs in FY 2014. An

increase in administrative staff is necessary to handle all court filings, documents and other

e The NMI Judiciary receives the following grants from the U.S. Department of Justice: the Justice Assistance Grant

(JAG), the Victims of Crime Assistance Grant (VOCA), and the Violence Against Women Act Grant (VAWA).


Page 32

paperwork and ensure more efficient record keeping. With the decrease in the total number of

FTEs over the years by almost half, many of our current employees are required to take on

additional responsibilities and tasks above and beyond the scope of their original job

descriptions. As a result, current employees are often unable to finish their work and managers

often have to extend deadlines for their employees. The overall efficiency and quality of judicial

administration is slipping. Increased administrative support is necessary to address the backlogs

in document filing and recordkeeping. Without efficient administrative support in the Judiciary,

justice is delayed for our community members. In addition, with the current focus of the CNMI

Judiciary towards upgrading and improving technology within the courthouse an additional FTE

is highly necessary for the Information Systems Unit to cope with the additional tasks as well as

continue to maintain the daily processes within the Judiciary.

Restoration of Previously Eliminated FTEs


1 Accountant I 1694 $ 26,912.62

Total $ 26,912.62

New Administrative FTEs


1 Computer Specialist I 1694 $ 29,509.44

2 Executive Assistant 1694 $ 50,123.21

3 Human Resource Assistant 1694 $ 34,039.44

4 Accountant IV 1694 $ 54,990.69

Total $ 168,662.78

In FY 2014, the Judiciary seeks again to increase staff salaries of the lowest paid Ungraded

employees in the JAO by an additional 10%.

Position Title FY 2013 Salary

and Benefits FY 2014 Salary and Benefits

Incremental Increase

1 Bldg. Maintenance Worker 18,686 20,555 1,869 2 Deputy Marshal I 20,744 22,819 2,074 3 Deputy Marshal I 20,012 22,819 2,001 4 Deputy Marshal I 20,744 22,819 2,074 5 Deputy Marshal I 20,744 22,819 2,074 6 Computer Specialist I 24,915 27,407 2,492 7 Deputy Marshal - Tinian 20,012 22,013 2,001 TOTAL 145,857 161,249 14,586


This amount is requested to cover the employer’s mandatory contribution to the selected life




Page 33

61190 RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTION – DB PLAN $0

This amount is requested to cover the employer’s mandatory contribution to the CNMI

Retirement Fund’s Defined Benefit (DB) plan. CNMI law mandates this requirement. The

judiciary assumes a 37.39% DB employer contribution rate, consistent with that used by the

administration. The Judiciary’s request for employer contributions for the DB plan in FY 2014 is

$0.

61195 RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTION (401K PLAN) $26,466

This amount is budgeted to cover the employer’s contribution to the retirement program Defined

Contribution (DC) Plan currently based on 4% of the total base salaries of 22 employees who

have elected to participate in this plan. CNMI law mandates this requirement.

22 FTEs with DC plan and employer contribution rate of 4% = $26,466

61196 FICA $ 45,707




contributions based on 6.2% of salaries for all JAO and staff for FY 2014.


Effective January 1, 2013, the CNMI Retirement Fund increased employer and employee

contributions on the premiums paid to the insurance carrier (Aetna). For FY 2014, the Judiciary

has calculated its cost on actual enrollment (for single, couple or family) by staff.


This amount is budgeted to cover employer’s mandatory contribution to the Medicare program

currently based on 1.45% of total base salaries of $737,202. This budget category is included by

the court to assure that sufficient funds are appropriated to cover Medicare costs for the 25

employees as required by law.

62050 OFFICIAL REPRESENTATION $2,760

No. of

FTEs

Total

Personnel

Percentage Total

25 $737,202 6.2% $45,707


Page 34

The Judiciary requests this budget to cover expenses associated with the constitutional and

statutory duties of the Offices of the Chief Justice and the Presiding Judge. The amount is to

cover reasonable expenses to promote public interest and goodwill regarding topics central to the

CNMI justice system. Goodwill events will include off-island visitors/guest programs, inter-

island judicial exchanges, inter-agency functions, and other judiciary-hosted projects.

62060 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES $128,000

This budget category is considered one of the most important budget line items for the

Commonwealth Judiciary. This budget category is requested to cover the charges for the

continuing cost of court-ordered services associated with trial and appellate court activities. It

will cover payment for Pro Tem Judges and Justices (fees for Pro Tem Judges are paid at the rate

of a sitting judge on a per hour basis), special prosecutors appointed to sit in judicial discipline

cases, expenses incurred for paternity testing and other pre-trial proceedings in Family Court

cases, and fees for the services of jury panels in cases disposed through trial by jury. This

budgeted amount will also encompass professional services for support of the Judiciary’s court

case management system and online legal research contract.

Indigent Defense: In addition, this amount includes indigent defense fees and associated costs,

which has historically been the biggest operational cost for the trial court. The requested amount

is to cover the continuing costs of court-ordered services associated with the legal defense of

indigent clients. The following lists items paid for in prior fiscal years, and will continue to be

paid in FY 2014: court-appointed counsel, court-appointed translators, expert/psychiatrist fees,

investigative fees, and jury costs for court-appointed defense cases. In the past, the Judiciary

typically spent $100,000 per year on professional services for indigent defense representation. To

cut down this cost, in FY 2012, the Judiciary partnered with the NMI Bar Association to create a

Conflicts Counsel program. The program saves overall costs and administrative time as well as

increases efficiency because the majority of criminal cases are assigned, and payment made, to

one entity. This replaces the former practice of assigning cases to various attorneys and

processing payments on a per hour basis, which resulted in higher indigent appointment costs for

the Judiciary. It is vital that the Legislature maintain the Judiciary’s funding for these services so

that we may continue to provide this basic constitutional right to representation for all residents

of the Commonwealth regardless of income level. Access to justice is not a luxury afforded only

to the wealthy; our courts are needed in hard times, such as these, more than ever. Due to the

permanent demand for payment of these costs, the CJAO requests from the Secretary of Finance

and/or Special Assistant for Management and Budget for consideration of a separate account

classification to cover this particular category to differentiate it from the other professional

services paid by the judiciary.

Transcription: Because of the economic downturn, more and more residents are unable to afford

private attorneys and increasingly rely on services for indigents provided by the Judiciary at

taxpayer expense. These services include Court Appointed Counsel and the preparation of a

transcript of trial court proceedings for criminal appeals. For FY 2014, we plan to outsource


Page 35

transcription needs for indigent appeals in order to most efficiently address the ongoing backlog

of audio recording needing to be transcribed. As mentioned earlier, Judiciary employees are

already overworked and simply cannot timely complete additional transcription responsibilities.

As an example, a Judicial employee recently required ten (10) months time to complete a

transcript in a criminal appeal while an outside transcriptionist required only four (4) months to

complete a transcript in a different appeal.

Court Appointed Translators 2,000.00$

Expert/Psychiatrist Fees 5,000.00$

Jury Fees (Saipan/Tinian/Rota) 19,950.00$

Transcription Services 25,000.00$

Court Appointed Counsel 25,000.00$

Justices and Judges Pro Tem Fees 16,050.00$

Conflicts Counsel 35,000.00$

128,000.00$


This amount is requested to cover the Public Auditor’s Fee at 1%.

62080 ADVERTISING $5,000

This budget category is requested to cover advertising costs necessary to comply with existing

laws on mandatory public announcements for bids, requests for proposals, and judicial public

notices.

62090 RECRUITMENT & REPATRIATION $12,500

This amount is budgeted to cover the costs of recruitment and repatriation of Law Clerks

assigned to the Supreme and Superior Courts. This category is used for airfare and related

expenses included in the employees’ employment contracts. The courts have law clerks on

annual contracts which will require repatriation expenses upon completion of their employment

contracts in FY2014 and recruitment of their replacements.

62240 BANK CHARGES $420

This budget category is used to purchase checks for our accounts payable imprest fund,

fiduciary, and other revolving accounts.

62250 COMMUNICATIONS $43,500


Page 36

This amount is requested to cover communications costs associated with the procurement of

postage stamps and other mailing costs and for the payment of monthly telephone, facsimile,

internet services for our e-filings and information management, and online research. High speed

internet access for the judicial facilities in Saipan, Tinian and Rota is absolutely necessary to

facilitate online legal research via databases such as Lexis Nexis and Westlaw and electronic

case filing systems. It is anticipated that this category will increase due to greater

communications needs of the Commonwealth Judiciary; as court technology advances,

telecommunications play an ever-increasing role in the administration of justice in the

Commonwealth.

62260 DUES & SUBSCRIPTIONS $9,000

This budget category is requested to cover annual membership dues to various court

management and other judicial organizations and for annual subscriptions to professional

journals, newsletters, and other legal publications. The Commonwealth Judiciary is a member of

several organizations including the Pacific Judicial Council, Conference of Chief Justices,

Conference of Court Administrators, American Bar Association, National Conference of

Appellate Court Clerks, National Association of Court Management, National Conference of Bar

Examiners, and other related professional organization. Membership to these organizations are

extremely beneficial to the Commonwealth Judiciary as they provide forums for exchange of

vital information on judicial administration, court technology, alternative dispute resolution,

domestic violence, drug and other specialized courts, and other related court management

practices. As noted, this category also includes costs for annual subscriptions to legal

publications necessary to keep judges, justices, law clerks, and other court personnel informed on

current issues affecting the administration of the courts, the judicial decision-making processes,

and other related matters. For the past several years, these membership fees have remained

unpaid due to the implementation of austerity measures. We are again seeking to reinstate our

active memberships in these organizations.

62280 INSURANCE $0

No amount is requested at this time for insurance under this account.

62290 LICENSES & FEES $150

This amount is budgeted for payment of the annual license fees of software programs, court

vehicles, and other matters that need special licenses and fees.

62300 PRINTING & PHOTOCOPYING $9,200

This amount is budgeted to cover costs for printing and reproduction of forms, letterhead,

business cards, program brochures for docket procedures, reports, and envelopes. The forms

include legal documents used by the court staff, parties in litigation, and other agencies. They

include, but are not limited to, Judgment and Commitment Orders for Criminal and Traffic cases,


Page 37

forms for Pro Se litigants including Financial Affidavit, Divorce, Paternity, Probation Services,

Civil Complaints, etc. A steady increase in the number of Bar members require additional

reprints of Appellate Rules, bar examination materials, and related information.

62500 TRAVEL $81,280

The amount is requested to cover travel expenses for judges, courtroom clerks, and probation

officers to Tinian and Rota to conduct the business of the Judiciary in FY 2014. Civil, criminal,

and family courts matter are scheduled on both islands twice monthly. In addition to the

regularly set schedule, jury trials are calendared for both islands. The travel cost of judges and

support staff attending all sessions will be charged to this category. Inter-island visits done by

probation officers are to monitor and supervise defendants that are on probation and/or to do

investigations to provide pre-sentence reports for Judges. National and regional travel is also

funded from this category to meet continuing legal education enhancements for our courts. This

amount is requested to pay for the cost of sending justices, judges, and court staff to attend

national and regional conferences and seminars sponsored by various professional associations

throughout the year conducted by the National Center for State Courts, the Institute for Court

Management, the National Conference of Bar Examiners, the National Association of Court

Management, the National Judicial College, and the Conference of Chief Justices, and the

Conference of State Court Administrators. It also will be used to send maintenance staff to the

Tinian and Rota courthouses periodically for inspection, repairs, and maintenance. In addition,

these travel funds will be used to continue the Judiciary’s outreach programs such as the Summer

Pre-Law Program, which is designed to encourage young residents of the Marianas to attend law

school.

62660 REPAIR & MAINTENANCE (SAIPAN, TINIAN AND ROTA) $324,845

This amount is budgeted to cover repairs and maintenance of specialized equipment, machines,

and air conditioning systems of the Saipan, Rota, and Tinian judicial centers. Equipment includes

but is not limited to water pumps, fan motors, a reverse osmosis system and air conditioning

systems, copier machines, fax machines, computers, printers, and other office equipment. This

amount also includes the cost of outsourcing maintenance to the six elevators located in the

Guma Hustisia, required to maintain compliance with ADA requirements.

Roof repairs for the Guma Hustisia are estimated at $150,000, while the Rota Judicial Center

A/C retrofit is estimated at $135,000. Preventative maintenance includes our standby generator,

air conditioning units for the Guma Hustisia, Rota Judicial Center and Tinian Courthouse and for

vehicles, fire extinguishers, and lawn mower and power tools.

Schedule of Repair and Maintenance Amount

Guma Hustisia Roof Repair $ 150,000.00

Rota Judicial Center A/C Retrofit $ 135,000.00

Subtotal One-time Capital Outlays $ 285,000.00

Interior Paint $ 500.00


Page 38

Subtotal Other Annual Recurring Costs $ 500.00

Otis Elevator Annual Preventative Maintenance $ 19,170.00

Generator Annual Preventative Maintenance $ 3,800.00

A/C Saipan Preventative Maintenance $ 6,000.00

A/C Tinian Preventative Maintenance $ 3,000.00

A/C Rota Preventative Maintenance $ 5,000.00

Vehicle Maintenance $175.00 per $ 875.00

Fire Extinguisher Preventative Maintenance $ 1,260.00

Riding Lawn Mower Preventative Maintenance (Rota) $ 240.00

Subtotal Annual Preventative Maintenance $ 39,345.00

TOTAL $ 324,845.00

62680 FREIGHT & HANDLING $1,700

This amount is allocated to cover freight, handling, and other shipping costs of court documents

and/or items to Rota and Tinian and to off-island Pro Tem Judges assigned to cases in the

Superior Court. This amount is allocated to cover freight, handling, and other shipping costs of

court documents and/or items to Rota and Tinian and to off-island Pro Tem Judges assigned to

cases in the Superior Court.

62690 PERSONNEL TRAINING COST $1,500

This amount is allocated to cover training costs of trial court judges and staff. Professional

development and other continuing legal education requirements may be routinely met through

webinars, local hosting, or national chapter sessions. This budget category is requested to cover

tuition for judicial education for justices at the National Judicial College and the Institute of Court

Management and tuition/conference fee for staff.

This amount is allocated to cover training costs of trial court judges and staff. Professional

development and other continuing legal education requirements may be routinely met through

webinars, local hosting, or national chapter sessions.

62710 UTILITIES (SAIPAN, ROTA, & TINIAN) $680,000

For FY 2014, the Judiciary requests $680,000 to cover the cost of utilities for its facilities in all

three islands: the Rota Judicial Center, Guma Hustisia, and the Tinian Courthouse. This amount

is based on historical average costs. The Judiciary’s appropriation for FY 2012 and 2013 did not

contain an amount for utilities, as this was appropriated under a separate line item for the

payment of utilities for the branches, agencies, departments, and municipalities of the

Commonwealth government.

62750 CLEANING SERVICES $25,000


Page 39

In addition, the Judiciary requests to once again procure professional janitorial services for the

Saipan Judicial Complex (Guma Hustisia/Imwal Aweewe/House of Justice), Rota, and Tinian

Courthouses in FY 2014. In the last few fiscal years, janitorial services were terminated due to

budget constraints. The lack of consistent janitorial services not only creates appearance

problems for the Judiciary but may affect the health and safety of employees and court patrons.

These services are essential to maintain the dignity of the Judiciary and the health and welfare of

staff and court patrons.

63010 BOOKS & LIBRARY MATERIALS $5,000

This budget category is requested to pay for books, journals, periodicals, and other publications

and instructional materials for staff development.

63020 FOOD ITEMS $4,300

This budget category is for the purchase of drinkable water for staff as well as for food items

incurred during jury trials held on Rota, Saipan, and Tinian and Judiciary programs.

63030 FUEL & LUBRICATION $14,100

Another consolidated budget line item from Supreme and Superior Courts into CJAO, this

budget category is requested to cover fuel and lubrication costs for all vehicles used. The costs

will include gasoline, oil, and other lubrications used by the court. Additional funds for fuel and

lubricants are budgeted for lawn mowers, bush cutters, and other related equipment used by the

grounds maintenance staff. Additionally, portions of this budget will be used to pay for the fuel

and oil expenses of the reserve fuel tank that has been installed to provide fuel for the emergency

generator of the court.

63040 SUPPLIES – OFFICE $20,850

This budget category is requested to cover office supplies to enable the courts to function

effectively and efficiently and will include reasonable expenses for stationery supplies such as

paper, folders, pencils, pens, paper clips, fasteners, erasers, logbooks, computer diskettes and

discs, printer ink, labels, stickers, binders, folders, staplers, staples, toner, dry ink, re-writable

CDs, and other expendable office supplies.

63050 SUPPLIES – OPERATIONS $12,360

This budget category is requested to enable the courts to purchase parts for the Guma Hustisia’s

air conditioning systems, electrical, plumbing supplies, batteries, and ground maintenance

supplies. This category will also purchase batons, marshal uniforms, and other related supplies

for the operation of the Marshal Service Unit. This request is to cover expenses for anticipated

equipment and/or industry-standard tools for use by the staff of the Office of Adult Probation,

Clerk of Court, and the Family Court Division. Judiciary law enforcement officers must be


Page 40

properly equipped as they go out to enforce post-trial sentences imposed by the Court. Certain

enforcement methods and precautions that need to take place require each officer to be equipped

with proper tools.

64550 COMPUTER SYSTEMS & EQUIPMENT $103,000

The Judiciary continues to distinguish technological modernization as a key investment to

improving the efficient delivery of court services. The Judiciary seeks $105,000 in FY 2014 to

fund new desktop computers for 26 new FTEs and critical upgrades to its case management

(Justware) and document management systems (Laserfiche). One of the main focuses for the

upcoming year is to build on the case management and document management systems to

improve data accuracy and reliability in preparation to link to the NMI’s Criminal Justice

Information System network. This network will increase efficiency and information sharing

capabilities which will create a safer community. We have discovered many discrepancies in the

current system that goes back 3-4 years and in order to fix this problem many man hours are

needed to log on to the system and cross check all filed documents. A more efficient system is

necessary. Finally, efforts must be directed to prepare for a case file inventory to begin

disposing cases that have remained idle over the years. Improving on these issues will allow us

to process criminal cases more speedily, saving NMI taxpayer money by reducing the time that

defendants spend in jail awaiting trial as well as providing basic constitutional protections.

The Judiciary’s Information Infrastructure is the backbone of the CNMI Judicial Branch. It is

composed of a complex LAN system comprised of pc systems, scanners, printers, hubs,

switches, routers, cabling, and servers. Court employees access and retrieve justice information

through this secure infrastructure in order to perform their duties. Because of this important role,

the LAN system is kept on 24/7, 365 days a year. The decade-old LAN system has accumulated

considerable wear and tear and needs to be upgraded due to the high volume of traffic and

constant use. If this system were to fail, users will be cut off from access to essential court

documents, not to mention the JustWare Case Management application for managing the court’s

docket.

64560 OFFICE EQUIPMENT $15,000

This amounted is requested for office equipment replacement parts such as copier machines and

digital recording equipment used in the courtrooms.

64570 OFFICE FURNITURE & FIXTURES $10,900

This amount is budgeted to replace office furniture and fixtures such as desks and chairs.


Page 41

LAW REVISION COMMISSION OPERATING EXPENDITURE

WORKSHEET

Department JUDICIARY Activity Law Revision Commission FY 2014 Budget Request Bus. Unit 1692 FY 2013 FY 2014

Class Object PL 17-85 Department's

Code Classification Actual Request


0

61100 Wages/Salaries - Ung

214,585


3,433

61190 Retirement Contribution DB (39.3909%)

0


8,583

61196 FICA (6.2%)

13,304

61200 Subsistence

0

61210 Health Insurance Premium (Actual Enrollment) 18,113

61220 Medicare Contribution

3,111


Number of Positions 4 5

62070 Public Auditor's 1% Fee

2,900


0


8,000

62080 Advertising

200

62090 Repatriation

0

62100 Boards and Other Comp.

0


62240 Bank Charges

0


6,000

62260 Dues and Subscriptions

500

62280 Insurance

0

62290 Licenses and Fees

300

62300 Printing and Photocopying

0

Total Office Expenses 6,800

62500 Travel 0


2,000


300


3,500

62700 Storage and Handling

0


0

Total Others 5,800

63010 Books and Library Materials

500

63020 Food Items

200

63030 Fuel and Lubricate

500

63040 Supplies Office

2,000

63050 Supplies Operations

0

Total Supplies 3,200

64550 Computer Systems & Equip.

2,000


0


0

Total Capitalized Fixed Asset 2,000


Total Personnel & Operations 224,285 290,031


Page 43

LAW REVISION COMMISSION BUDGET JUSTIFICATION

61100 WAGES/SALARIES $214,585

This amount is budgeted to cover the wages cost of 5 personnel (FTE). The 5 FTEs consist of

the Executive Director (codifies the Commonwealth Code), two Staff Attorneys (one codifies the

Administrative Code and one prepares the Judicial Reporters) one Website/Office Manager and

one Publications Clerk. The Commission has fallen behind in publishing the statutorily mandated

publication of the Judicial Reporters (court decisions) because it has been unable to receive

funding for a second staff attorney position for the past several budget years. The Commission

needs this position to fulfill its statutory mandate.


This amount is budgeted to cover the employer’s mandatory contribution to health (calculated

using actual rates contributed on behalf of personnel) and life insurance (based on 1.6% of salary

calculation).

61190 RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTIONS $0

Currently, no employee of the Law Revision Commission is a member of the Defined Benefit

plan.

61195 401A RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTIONS $8,583

This amount is budgeted to cover the employer’s mandatory contribution to the retirement

program currently based on contribution of 4%.

61196 FICA CONTRIBUTION $13,304

This amount is budgeted to cover the employer’s contribution to the social security program

currently based on contributions of 6.2%.


This amount is budgeted to cover the employer’s mandatory contribution to health (calculated

using actual rates contributed on behalf of personnel). For FY 2014, the judiciary has calculated

its cost on actual enrollment (for single, couple or family) by staff.



Page 44

This amount is budgeted to cover the employer’s mandatory contribution to the Medicare

program currently based at 1.45%.

62060 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES $8,000

For necessary professional services to allow the Commission to update its website to ensure

CNMI legal materials are easily available to the public and to proofread and format publications.


This amount is requested to cover the Public Auditor’s Fee at 1%.

62080 ADVERTISING $200

For meeting, publication and procurement announcements in local newspapers; and for

advertising in national legal publications for personnel vacancies.

62250 COMMUNICATIONS $6,000

For the following expenses: (1) local, long distance, and Fax telephone services; (2) Internet

connections necessary for updating and upkeeping the Commission’s Internet site, and for doing

legal research; and (3) packaging and mailing of Commission publications. This amount is

necessary for the Commission to serve the public through its website and to make

publications available.

62260 DUES AND SUBSCRIPTION $500

Funds requested are for the following expenses: (1) dues for membership in the Association of

Reporters of Judicial Decisions; (2) dues for membership in the CNMI bar association dues for

membership; and (3) subscriptions to publications of related professional organizations.

62290 LICENSES & FEES $300

For user licenses of various professional software applications needed to create and maintain

publications, and for vehicle registration.

62660 REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE $2,000

For repairing and servicing photocopier, computers, and other electronic office equipment. The

maintenance and repair of LRC’s photocopier/printer is critical to the production of statutory and

administrative code updates (supplements).


Page 45

62680 FREIGHT & HANDLING $300

For delivery of publications from stateside publishers to the Commission.

62690 PERSONNEL TRAINING COST $3,500

For conference, training, workshop fees needed to keep abreast on the latest technological

aspects/advances to improve jurisprudential accessibility and efficiency and for attorneys to meet

continuing legal education requirements.

63010 BOOKS & LIBRARY MATERIALS $500

For update supplements and update reference volumes such as Sutherlands on Statutory

Construction, legislative manuals, legal dictionaries, blue book, and other reference materials

required by the Commission in carrying out its daily duties.

63020 FOOD ITEMS $200

For daily drinking water and also for food related to the activities and operation of the

Commission such as light refreshments at Commission meetings.

63030 FUEL & LUBRICATION $500

Requested to cover fuel costs of employees on official business using the Commission vehicle,

and for routine lubrication of the Commission vehicle.

63040 SUPPLIES – OFFICE $2,000

For consumption of paper, ink cartridges, and toner used in photocopying and printing

Commission publications and drafts of publication prior to final publication, and for several

other items commonly used in office work. This amount is necessary for the Commission to

codify and publish the Commonwealth and Administrative Code Supplements.

64550 COMPUTER SYSTEMS & EQUIPMENT $2,000

For routine and required upgrades of computer systems (example, necessary upgrade of

Windows and scanning software) and components which are essential in creating and

maintaining legal publications created by the Commission and for the continued productivity and

efficiency of the Commission, especially considering the small number of staff. This amount is

necessary for the Commission to compile and publish the Commonwealth and

Administrative Code Supplements and to prepare NMI Digest Volume 7.


Page 46

JUDICIARY FEDERAL GRANTS 2012

Dept. JUDICIARY

Activity Supreme Court/Superior Court/Commonwealth Judiciary Administrative Office/Law Revision Commission

Dept.

Superior Court Law Revision Commission Judiciary Administrative Office

Division

Office of the

Presiding Judge Office of Adult Probation Family Court Division

Information Systems

Unit

Marshal Service Division

TOTAL

Title

Training and

Technical Assistance

Program

Probation Homefront

Security

Probation Fieldwork

Vehicle

Victims First in

Probation

Training and

Support Program

Client Services

Juvenile Pre-Trial

Outreach Coordinator

Rota Client

Services Criminal

Code

Digital Recording

Project Chief

Marshal Rota

Marshal

CLASS CODE

JAG 2012-DJ-BX-2190

2012-DJ-BX-0366

JAG J2738 B

JAG 2011-DJ-BX-2190

J1738P

2012-WF-AX-0024 VAWA J2588J

VAWA 2012-WF-AX-0026 J1588C

JAG 2012-DJ-BX-2190 J1738G

2010-JB-FX-0033

J1523F JAG 2011-DJ-

BX-2190

JAG 2011-DJ-BX-2190

J1738F

JAG 2011-DJ-BX-2190

J1738J

JAG 2011-DJ-BX-2190

J1738I


0

61100 Wages/Salaries - Ung 39,070

57,684 19,800

35,000 16,652 168,206

61180 Life Insurance (1.6%) 609

900

7,753 7,402 16,664

61190 Retirement Contribution (37.39%) 0

10,500 4,995 15,495

61195 401K D.C. Retirement Contribution (4%) 1,563

2,307 792

4,662

61196 FICA Contribution 2,422

3,576

5,998

61200 Subsistence/Housing Allowance

0

61210 Health Insurance Premium 0

0

61220 Medicare Contribution (1.45%) 567

836 287

508 241 2,439

Total Personnel Costs 0 44,231 0 65,303 20,879 0 0 20,727 0 0 53,761 29,290 213,464

Number of Positions: 1

1

1 1 4


0


4,800

4,800

62070 Public Auditor's Fee

0

62080 Advertising

0


0


0

Total Professional Services 0 0 0 0 4,800 0 0 0 0 0 0 4,800

62240 Bank Charges

0

0

0


0

0

0


0

0

0

62280 Insurance

0

0

0


0

0

0


0

0

0


Page 47

Total Office Expenses 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

62500 Travel 0 0 0 6,000 0 4,500 0 0 0 0 0 10,500

62660 Repair & Maintenance 4,981

0

1,300

6,281


0

0

0

62690 Personnel Training Cost 8,620

2,940

3,819

6,000 0

21,379

62710 Utilities (Rota, Saipan, Tinian)

0

0

0

62750 Cleaning Services (Rota, Saipan, Tinian) 0

0

0

Total Others 8,620 0 4,981 2,940 0 3,819 0 6,000 1,300 0 0 0 27,660


0

0

0

63020 Food Items

0

0

0


0

0

0


400 0 0 3,700

4,100


383 0 500 1,037 0

1,920

Total Supplies 0 0 0 0 783 0 500 1,037 3,700 0 0 0 6,020


0

2,000 0 9,600

11,600


0

0 0

0


0

1,000 0 0

1,000

Total Capitalized Fixed Assets 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3,000 0 9,600 0 0 12,600

Total All Others 8,620 0 4,981 2,940 6,783 8,619 5,000 10,037 5,000 9,600 0 0 61,580

Total Personnel and All Others 8,620 44,231 4,981 68,243 27,662 8,619 5,000 30,764 5,000 9,600 53,761 29,290 275,044

Documents

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands · 2020-01-16 · CNMI Judicial Branch FY 2014 Budget Justification Page 1 CNMI JUDICIAL BRANCH FISCAL YEAR 2014 BUDGET REQUEST EXECUTIVE