Opinion ID: 551580
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: analysis

Text: 13 7 CMC Sec. 3101(a) states, in relevant part: 14 Any person accused by information of committing a felony punishable by more than five years imprisonment or by more than $2,000 fine, or both, shall be entitled to a trial by jury of six persons. 15 The appellate division found the statute to be ambiguous, since the statute says neither that when trial by jury is required on one count, it shall be on that count only, nor that when trial by jury is required on one count the right shall extend to all counts in the information. Finding no help in the legislative history, the appellate division surveyed the history of the right to jury trial in the NMI, concluding that the right is a limited one. Citing the CNMI Constitution, the Covenant, and this court's decision in CNMI v. Atalig, 723 F.2d 682 (9th Cir.1984) the appellate division noted that whether and under what circumstances (the jury trial) right will be extended shall be the exclusive province of the legislature. In light of this history, the appellate division concluded that the interpretation more restrictive of the right to jury trial was the correct interpretation. 16 We agree with the appellate division that the statute is unclear. It says neither that when trial by jury is required on one count, it shall be on that count only, nor that when trial by jury is required on one count the right shall extend to all counts in the information. Because the language is unclear, our task is to interpret the statute with the goal of carrying out the general policy of the legislation. See generally Sutherland, Statutory Construction Sec. 45.09 (4th Ed.). Since there is no legislative history of section 3101 itself, we turn to the history in the NMI of the right to jury trial generally. 2 17 The right to jury trial in the NMI is manifestly a limited one. Before 1965, there was no right to trial by jury in the Trust Territory. In August of 1965, the First Congress of Micronesia enacted PL 1-7 which established the right to jury trial, conditioned on local adoption by district legislatures. In 1966, the NMI District Legislature adopted the jury trial provisions of the Trust Territory Code. See 7 CMC Sec. 3101 Commission Comment. Section 501(1) of the Trust Territory Code contained the same language as 7 CMC section 3101. 18 When the United States and the NMI entered into the covenant to establish a commonwealth (the Covenant) in 1975, the question of the right to jury trial was expressly the subject of negotiations. These negotiations culminated in section 501(a) of the Covenant, which provides, in pertinent part: (N)either trial by jury nor indictment by grand jury shall be required in any civil action or criminal prosecution based on local law, except where required by local law. 19 The CNMI Constitution, which took effect on the same day as the Covenant, states: The legislature may provide for trial by jury in criminal or civil cases. CNMI Constitution, Art. I, Sec. 8. 20 In 1976, the legislature considered adopting a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to trial by jury in the NMI. The committee debate which considered and rejected the amendment contains the most explicit statement of the policy concerns surrounding jury trials: 21 The Committee does not want to guarantee the right to trial by jury in all cases in the Northern Mariana Islands because of the expenses associated with juries, the difficulty of finding jurors unacquainted with the facts of a case, and the fear that the small, closely-knit population in the Northern Mariana Islands might lead to acquittals of guilty persons in criminal cases. Nonetheless, the Committee believes that in some cases, especially in those where defendants face serious criminal charges and long terms of imprisonment, the right to jury trial should be guaranteed. 22 Report No. 4 of the Committee on Personal Rights and Natural Resources (Oct. 29, 1976), reprinted in Vol. II, Journal of the Northern Mariana Islands Constitutional Convention 506 (1976). 23 In the absence of a clear directive from the legislature, two factors militate against expanding the jury trial right in cases such as ours. The first factor is the legislature's expressed concern about jury trials leading to unjust acquittals, given the character of Mariana Islands society. The second factor is the provision on jury trials contained in section 501(a) of the covenant. 24 Magofna contends that the policies behind section 3101 limiting jury trials are simply not implicated by sending lesser charges to the jury once it has already been impaneled to try more serious charges. We disagree. Appellees' argument would be persuasive if the sole concern reflected in section 3101 were the problem of impaneling a jury in a small island community. 25 In addition, the restriction on the right to jury trial in the NMI reflects broader concerns. In such a small community where so many languages are spoken, ensuring juror comprehension in all stages of the proceedings may be a significant problem. Simultaneous adjudication has the virtue of simplifying the process by reducing the number of counts and issues presented to the jury. Reducing the number of counts and accordingly the amount of evidence involved is a practical way to reduce the burden on the court and the parties in ensuring juror comprehension. 26 This court's decision in Atalig recognized that the imposition of Anglo-American jury trial procedures may be inappropriate in territories having cultures, traditions, and institutions different from our own. Atalig, 723 F.2d at 690. Accordingly, Atalig suggests a policy of deference in reviewing NMI jury trial procedures in order to allow (a)ccommodation of the particular social and cultural conditions of the NMI. Id. On the basis of the foregoing evidence of the CNMI legislature's policy on this issue, and until the legislature expressly states otherwise, we hold that 7 CMC section 3101 means that when trial by jury is required on one count, it shall be on that count only. The judgment of the appellate division is therefore AFFIRMED.