Prosecutor Canto resigns, says Guam deserves better than current leadership


Another prosecutor is resigning from the Office of the Attorney General of Guam. When the jury returns a verdict in the rape case of Frank “Ko” San Nicolas, prosecutor Richelle Canto’s resignation will take effect, leaving the OAG with only nine prosecutors.

“On my first day at this office in 2012, there were 21 prosecutors and the Chief Prosecutor. Today there are 10,” Ms. Canto wrote in an open letter to the people of Guam about her resignation. “Yet, there are more trials today than there were 10 years ago. The strain has become unbearable. To say that this number causes an inability to prosecute crimes properly is an understatement. You deserve better. We all deserve better.”

The assistant attorney general, who has prosecuted some of the highest profile cases over the years, said she released the letter and addressed it to the people of Guam, “because I have not lost sight of the fact that the People of Guam are my true employers. I do not serve or represent anyone else but this community, and this was a principle that has kept me going when times became rough.”

Ms. Canto will be the first among current and former prosecutors under the administration of Attorney General Leevin Camacho to confirm on the record the problems happening under Mr. Camacho’s watch. Following the departure of former sex crimes prosecutor Christine Tenorio earlier this year, an exodus of prosecutors began, calling into question the ability of the OAG to fight crime.

Problems in court began surfacing, with Presiding Judge Alberto Lamorena III lambasting Mr. Camacho’s office for an array of problems in the administration of criminal justice.

“When your prosecutors lack support and morale, it is the People of Guam who suffer the most,” Ms. Canto wrote in her letter. “We are the only Government of Guam attorneys who work every Saturday and on holiday weekends; we are the only ones obligated to pick up the phone at 3 a.m. to assist GPD with legal advice on arrests.”

While his office’s prosecution division has deteriorated and violent crime has plagued the island, Mr. Camacho has instead padded his office with resources for its other divisions, including his administration division. Meanwhile, the attorney general has not prosecuted one corruption case, he has allowed more violent criminals to plea out at reduced sentences, and of the more than 300 violent crimes magistrated this year alone, he has only been able to bring closure to a handful. All via plea agreement.

You may read Ms. Canto’s full statement below:

To the People of Guam:

The first words I ever spoke as an attorney in a court of law were, “Richelle Yu, for the People of Guam.” The gravity of those words were not lost on me then, and remains until today. Only the prosecutor can seek justice. The police can arrest, but only the prosecutor may seek conviction at trial, and request punishment from the court. Guam can only be as safe as its prosecutors can attempt to make it.

It has been my greatest privilege, honor, and pride to represent the People of Guam as a prosecutor, and to serve my island this way for the last decade.

With great sadness and regret, I must announce my resignation, for reasons that the workload and the psychological demands of this position have become detrimental to my health. This decision has not come without considerable deliberation. My heart is burdened with heaviness because it has always called me to a life of public service. However, this job, at this moment, takes an intolerable toll on a mother of young toddlers.

This letter is addressed to you, because I have not lost sight of the fact that the People of Guam are my true employers. I do not serve or represent anyone else but this community, and this was a principle that has kept me going when times became rough.

When your prosecutors lack support and morale, it is the People of Guam who suffer the most. We are the only Government of Guam attorneys who work every Saturday and on holiday weekends; we are the only ones obligated to pick up the phone at 3 a.m. to assist GPD with legal advice on arrests. On my first day at this office in 2012, there were 21 prosecutors and the Chief Prosecutor. Today there are 10. Yet, there are more trials today than there were 10 years ago. The strain has become unbearable. To say that this number causes an inability to prosecute crimes properly is an understatement. You deserve better. We all deserve better.

I am deeply thankful for the humbling opportunity I have had to serve my island by helping to keep it safe. The work is tough, and though I am no longer able to continue at this time, my passion for fighting for justice has not waned. I remain hopeful that there will be a day where my path leads me back to serve you. Until then, un dangkulu na si yu’us ma’ase, at maraming salamat po sa inyong pagtiwala.

Respectfully,

Richelle Yu Canto Asst. Atty. General Prosecution Division


1 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement