9th Circuit session, NMI District Conference takes place

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has scheduled a special session in the U.S. District Court of Guam in Hagåtña today, Aug. 27, 2014. The proceedings will begin at 10am.

The District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands located in the Horiguchi building in Garapan, Saipan, will broadcast the proceedings live in the Jury Assembly Room on the second floor. The public is welcome to attend. A photo ID will be required for access to the broadcast of the proceedings.

A three-judge panel consisting of Ninth Circuit Chief Judge Alex Kozinski of Pasadena, California; Senior Circuit Judge Mary M. Schroeder of Phoenix, Arizona; and Circuit Judge N. Randy Smith of Pocatello, Idaho, will hear oral argument and consider appeals of decisions by the U.S. district courts for the districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Cases on the docket are:

• United States v. Diaz, a case from the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, involves Melvin Diaz’s appeal of his jury conviction and sentence for travelling with intent to engage in sexual activity with a minor. Case 12-10579.

• Davis v. Guam, in which Arnold Davis, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, appeals the Guam district court’s dismissal of his action alleging discrimination in the voting process by Guam and by Guam officials in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Case 13-15199.

• Guam Industrial Services v. Zurich American Insurance Co., in which Guam Industrial Services, Inc., appeals the Guam district court’s judgment in favor of Zurich American Insurance Co. and Starr Indemnity and Liability Co. in Guam’s insurance coverage action arising from the sinking of a drydock it owned. Case 13-17005.

While in the region, the panel members will join members of the bar and the local and federal judiciaries in the CNMI for the 2014 Northern Mariana Islands District Conference on Aug. 30 at the Seaside Hall of the Kanoa Resort in Susupe, Saipan, from 8am to 5:15pm.

Each of the panel members will speak during the conference. There will be a conversation with Kozinkski, moderated by NMI District Court Chief Judge Ramona Manglona and attorney Deborah Fisher.

Smith will join NMI Supreme Court Associate Justice John A. Manglona to discuss standards of review. Conference attendees will also have a chance to hear what Schroeder has learned about the Pacific that Washington should.

The central topic of the conference is Big Data, Privacy and Information Security. Attorney Daniel B. Garrie, executive managing partner, Law & Forensics, LLC, will address Big Data and Big Challenges for the Practice of Law; Emerging Hot Button Legal Privacy Topics; Information Security as Applied to Law Firms, Litigation, Courts and Clients; and Emerging Legal Issues Regarding Intellectual Property and Software.

As the final session for the day, local attorneys Maya B. Kara, Bruce Mailman, and Jane Mack will present “Into the CW Minefield: Ethical and Practical Considerations.” (PR)