SAIPAN — Governor David M. Apatang has moved to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the retirement of Associate Justice Perry Borja Inos by nominating Superior Court Presiding Judge Roberto Camacho Naraja to serve as an associate justice of the CNMI Supreme Court, a move that also triggers a leadership reshuffle in the trial court.
In separate nomination letters dated February 6, Apatang also nominated Judge Joseph James Norita Camacho to serve as presiding judge of the CNMI Superior Court and nominated Joey Patrick San Nicolas to serve as an associate judge of the Superior Court.
All three nominations are subject to the advice and consent of the Senate, and the letters state the terms attached to the roles: an associate justice appointment carries an eight-year term, while Superior Court appointments carry six-year terms, including for the presiding judge designation.
The nomination sequence matches what many court-watchers expected after Inos’ retirement: a sitting Superior Court judge moving up to the Supreme Court, followed by appointments to cover the resulting vacancy and the presiding judge role at the Superior Court.
