United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands
The District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands is a federal court whose jurisdiction is the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. It was established by Act of Congress in 1977. The court began hearing cases in January 1978.
The court has the same jurisdiction as the United States district courts, including diversity jurisdiction and bankruptcy jurisdiction. However, the District Court for the Northern Marianas is technically not an Article III judge, as are the judges of the other district courts, because its judges are appointed for a 10-year term instead of for a lifetime term.
Appeals are taken to the Ninth Circuit.
Judges in this court are appointed by the President, subject to Senate confirmation. Judges may serve more than one term, subject to the standard nominating process.
Judges in this district
The first District Judge appointed was Alfred Laureta, who served from 1978 until 1988. His successor, the Alex R. Munson, was nominated by President Ronald Reagan, and confirmed by the Senate in 1988. Judge Munson was nominated for a second ten-year term by President William J. Clinton and was confirmed by the Senate in 1998. Munson's term ended in 2008 when Barack Obama appointed Ramona V. Manglona who was confirmed on July 26, 2011 and is the presiding judge on the court. [1]
