$50K: price tag for special prosecutor against Torres

The special prosecutor the Office of the Attorney General had hired to prosecute former governor Ralph DLG Torres in June comes with a price tag of $50,000. In addition, the contract for the services of James Robert Kingman from Texas includes a nearly $2,000 plane ticket.

These details were learned after Victorino Torres, who is one of the lawyers of Ralph Torres, filed an Open Government Act request with the Office of the Attorney General to see a copy of the contract between the OAG and Kingman.

Kingman was hired last month to assist in the prosecution of the criminal case against Ralph Torres, whose defense team also includes Matthew Holley, Viola Alepuyo, and Anthony Aguon.

In his OGA request, Victorino Torres asked Attorney General Edward Manibusan to authorize the inspection of documents or to provide him copies of documents related to hiring the special prosecutor. In his response, Manibusan stated that the contract is available for inspection at his office from 8am to 3pm.

Ralph DLG Torres

According to the agreement between the OAG and Kingsman, which was made available to the defense, the OAG has agreed to pay a $50,000 retainer’s fee for Kingman’s services, plus a nearly $2,000 plane ticket.

Victorino Torres had also sought “any and all” communication relating to compensation, expenses, and costs relating to the retention of Kingman, but Manibusan stated that, according to CNMI law, the communications requested is exempt from public record because it contains legal material related to the pending trial.

Chief Justice Alexandro Castro of the local Supreme Court granted last month the application for Kingman to act as a special prosecutor in Ralph DLG Torres’ criminal case in Superior Court. Kingman will work with assistant chief solicitor Robert Glass Jr., and his temporary admission to practice in the CNMI will expire after a year.

According to his application to be allowed to practice law in the CNMI temporarily (called a pro hac vice application), Kingman said he has a long history of prosecutorial experience, including public corruption and white-collar crime. He is admitted to practice and is a member of the bar in good standing in Texas.

Torres has been charged by the OAG with 12 counts of misconduct in public office and one count of theft relating to the issuance of airline tickets for business class, first class, or other premium class travel for himself and/or first lady Diann T. Torres.

The complaint also included theft charges related to the former governor’s travel expenses amounting to $20,000 between April 2018 and May 30, 2019, using public funds.

The case also alleged one count of contempt for failure to appear in compliance with a legislative subpoena.

Torres has denied the charges. The jury trial of the ex-governor is scheduled in June.