Attorney General Edward Manibusan is pleased to announce the pending addition of Special Prosecutor James Robert Kingman as an assistant attorney general/special prosecutor to head up the task force established by the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Public Auditor, and the Department of Public Safety.
In a joint press release issued on May 17, 2023, Attorney General Manibusan, the temporary Public Auditor, and Commissioner Bermudes announced the formation of the task force with a joint statement that “the collaboration and partnership among the law enforcement agencies are vital to holding those accountable for waste and abuse of public funds and other criminal conduct.”
The task force was created to investigate and prosecute white-collar crime, government corruption and financial crimes. As the managing prosecutor for the task force, Mr. Kingman will supervise the task force members in the investigation and prosecution of public corruption cases. He will also be reviewing allegations of abuse relating to ARPA funds and will continue to represent the Commonwealth in the prosecution of former Governor Ralph Torres.
Mr. Kingman holds a law degree from Harvard Law School and a bachelor’s degree from Rhodes College. He has served as an assistant district attorney in Texas handling felony cases including white collar crime, fraud, money laundering, and child sexual abuse cases.
“Mr. Kingman’s hiring is in the interest of the Commonwealth and fulfills the goal under the constitution for a clean and transparent government,” said Attorney General Manibusan. “As Attorney General, I am empowered under the constitution to hire employees and to prosecute cases. AAG positions, including Mr. Kingman’s position as assistant attorney general/special prosecutor, is exempt from the civil service system. His hiring follows the process for the employment of exempt employees.”
The information above came from a news release from the CNMI Office of the Attorney General
5 Comments
Dame Edith Shitwell
06/28/2023 at 11:33 PM
If the law is on your side, argue the law. If the facts are on your side, argue the facts. If neither is on your side, question the prosecutor’s employment contract. And based on the photo, there’s nothing I want more than to give this king man full privileges!
elkapitan
07/03/2023 at 8:46 AM
Here in lays a very immenent problem in regards to this new “Task Force”. This task force is only as good as the “investigators” involved. As the past has shown, such a process by the people involved is not reliable and inconsistent at best. Only as good as the ability of the “investigator”.
There are very few at DPS, if any, that are capable. Then there is as the past has shown the inconstancies within the AG office in prosecution. This also falls along the lines of family name with those involved which also covers over with the individual investigator(s) involved.
Then there is the other areas on just who is responsible for investigating and then the referral to the Feds on much of these cases that involve Fed funds.
It would seem that the Feds have gone political and have covered up much in the NMI as they have been shown to have done in the US Mainland.
Problems may also involve this “New” DPS director and the “old school” DPS so far in the usual cover ups of certain suspects, as shown by only one case in point that involved the 7 year old that was shot in the face by suspectedly a loaded cop’s gun laying around the house unsecured, along with reportedly other hand guns of the same caliber. the DPS has stated it has been unable to determine which one of the two boys actually fired the gun and from which gun was fired.
A simple Gunshot Residue Wipe test (GSR) performed at the time and also on the boy before or after he was transported to Guam Hospital. A preliminary determination on which gun was fired at the time is a no brainer and to be confirmed by an Integrated Ballistic Identification System Testing (IBIS) on Guam.
How many weeks now and no updates which can be assumed as only another cover up to add to others. Most likely by attempts at the scene by other DPS.
Seems like no changes at DPS, only more of the same from the past..
AS noted elsewhere, such a “Task Force” was formed in the early 2000 and it did not go any where.
WHY, was it due to many of the possible problems that I mentioned here? What will the fate of this new “Task Force” be?
While wishing Mr. King man the best. BTW, No where has there been any mention of this person wife and family, (if he is married) If so I would undoubtedly assume that his wife like the NMI as to the reason that Mr. Kingman agreed to a salary and employment at the AG office. (So that the AG can use this guy to prosecute Ralphy)
I would suspect that after that trial is over, and any others that will arise during this process that Mr. Kingman will be on his way back to Texas.
Papalatung
07/03/2023 at 3:32 PM
Buenas Elkapitan,
How are you doing in Texas? I hope the hot weather will let up, because many are suffering in your state.
On a different note, we hope that Mr. Kingman will go after the former DPS Commissioner for kickbacks from his Chinese connection auto repair shop for the entire DPS vehicles, motorcycles and four wheelers in Saipan USA. His supervisors used to show up and pick up his ill-gotten gains.
And again, it is not important to put a stop to corruptions within the CNMI government.
elkapitan
07/03/2023 at 6:05 PM
I agree with your comment about the former Ralphy minion, the former DPS commissioner..
BTW, I am not from Texas, never even been to that state and only been to two specific U.S. mainland states, many decades ago on specific projects, one state on each coast.
Have a nice day!
elkapitan
07/03/2023 at 8:59 AM
Another area that is/has been shown to be a problem, is these Judges, involving local NMI court cases and as has also been shown in certain high profile cases.
As is the norm these Judges usually release career criminals and including the ones that repeatedly violate parole and other release conditions. The add the Parole Board repeatedly releasing these people due to family name only for the same people to commit more crimes within weeks and month of release.
As also has been shown, high profile cases, when on occasion, a conviction by a jury, these Judge do not assess any meaningful sentence.
In the cases of Govt employees they are usually back into Govt employ in short order with a better position and pay.
Even the local Feds court in many case, the sentencing is questionable.