Supreme Court of Guam | |
---|---|
Established | 1996 (28 years ago) |
Jurisdiction | Guam , United States |
Location | Hagatna, Guam |
Authorized by | Organic Act of Guam |
Appeals to | Supreme Court of the United States |
Number of positions | 3 |
Website | Supreme Court of Guam |
Chief Justice | |
Currently | Robert Torres |
Since | January 17, 2023 |
The Supreme Court of Guam is the highest judicial body of the United States territory of Guam. The Court hears all appeals from the Superior Court of Guam and exercises original jurisdiction only in cases where a certified question is submitted to it by a U.S. federal court, the Governor of Guam, or the Guam Legislature. The Supreme Court of Guam is the ultimate judicial authority on local matters. In the past, appeals of questions involving the U.S. Constitution or federal laws or treaties were heard by a three-judge appellate panel of the U.S. District Court of Guam, from which appeals could be further taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, [1] but this is no longer the case. Since 2006, the court's decisions have only been appealable to the Supreme Court of the United States, in line with the practice regarding the highest courts of the 50 states. [2] The Court sits in the Monessa G. Lujan Memorial Courtroom, which is on the third floor of the Guam Judicial Center in Hagatna, Guam.
The Court is composed of three justices who are appointed by the Governor of Guam and confirmed by the Guam Legislature. Justices serve for terms of good behavior, subject to a retention election every ten years after his/her appointment. The three justices issue judgment on all cases brought before them. They all sit on the Judicial Council of Guam, which is ultimately in charge of the administration of the Guam Judiciary.
The current justices of the Supreme Court of Guam are:
The justice's full biographies can be found at the Supreme Court's website
Name | Sworn in | Appointer | Term start | Term end |
---|---|---|---|---|
Peter Siguenza | April 21, 1996 | Carl Gutierrez | April 21, 1996 | April 21, 1999 |
September 1, 2001 | January 23, 2003 | |||
Benjamin Cruz | October 13, 1997 | Carl Gutierrez | April 21, 1999 | August 31, 2001 |
Philip Carbullido | October 27, 2000 | Carl Gutierrez | January 23, 2003 | January 15, 2008 |
January 18, 2011 | January 21, 2014 | |||
January 21, 2020 | January 17, 2023 | |||
Robert Torres | January 16, 2004 | Felix P. Camacho | January 15, 2008 | January 18, 2011 |
January 21, 2014 | January 17, 2017 | |||
January 17, 2023 | present | |||
Katherine Maraman | February 21, 2008 | Felix P. Camacho | January 17, 2017 | January 21, 2020 |
Name | Sworn in | Appointed by | Retired | Judicial positions | Currently |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Peter Siguenza | April 21, 1996 | Carl Gutierrez | August 31, 2001 | Chief Justice of Guam (1996–1999; 2001–2003); Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Guam (1999–2001); Judge of the Superior Court of Guam (1984–1996) | Retired |
Janet Healy Weeks | April 21, 1996 | Carl Gutierrez | April 30, 1999 | Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Guam (1996–1999); Judge of the Superior Court of Guam (1975–1996) | Retired |
Monessa Lujan | April 21, 1996 | Carl Gutierrez | March 15, 1997 | Associate Justice (1996–1997) | Deceased |
Benjamin Cruz | October 13, 1997 | Carl Gutierrez | August 31, 2001 | Chief Justice of Guam (1999–2001); Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Guam (1997–1999); Judge of the Superior Court of Guam (1984–1997) | Vice Speaker, I Mina' Trentai Dos Na Lihislaturan Guahan |
Frances Tydingco-Gatewood | February 8, 2002 | Carl Gutierrez | October 29, 2006 | Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Guam (2002–2006); Judge of the Superior Court of Guam (1994–2001) | Chief Judge, United States District Court of Guam |
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The current Judges of the Superior Court of Guam are:
Former Judges include:
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Court decisions freely available to the public online, in a consistent format, digitized from the collection of the Harvard Law Library