James Manglona: ‘I did it to keep my job’ • Ex-senator’s aide gets 6 months jail term for corrupting a juror

Thirty-three-year-old James King Manglona, also known as Jose Hofschneider, merely wanted to keep his job so that he can feed his family. A high school dropout without any special skill, he was lucky to land a job in the Legislature earning $35,000 a year as aide of former Sen. Herman M. Manglona.

Unfortunately, his desire to give his four children — three boys and a girl — a comfortable life and a better future now remains uncertain. U.S. District Court Judge Alex R. Munson yesterday sentenced him to six months imprisonment for attempting to corrupt or influence a grand juror into voting against the indictment of Mr. Manglona.

According to U.S. Attorney Kevin Seely, James approached a grand juror last Aug. 25 and asked her to disclose information in connection with any investigation on Mr. Manglona, who was then facing bribery charges committed when he was mayor of Tinian. James also tried to convince the grand juror to vote “no” to the indictment as well as persuade other grand jurors to do the same. He promised to pay the grand juror in exchange for the favor.

Immediately, the Federal Bureau of Investigation stepped in and kept a close watch on James. On Aug. 25, 1999, James met with the grand juror and talked to her in Chamorro, not knowing that she was already wired.

FBI agents confronted James who then admitted that it was his voice on the tape. Two days after, James was arrested in his house and handcuffed in front of his children.

The court held a special session even on Saturday for the hearing on James’ arrest. A flight was even chartered to take him to Guam where he was imprisoned for a week.

During the sentencing yesterday, lawyer Steve Nutting, counsel for James, asked the court to put his client on probation since he has cooperated with the government which has led in the successful prosecution of Mr. Manglona. The Federal Court has sentenced Mr. Manglona Monday two years in jail after he was found guilty of accepting bribery and attempting to influence the grand jury.

Should the court so decide to incarcerate him, he will be placed under home detention and not put him in Guam since it is not suited for rehabilitation.

In seeking mercy for his client, Mr. Nutting said James committed the crime “due to the unreasonable demand” of his employer. “He could not afford to lose his job. It is easy for us to say ”no” because we have the skills, we have jobs. But for James, his prospect outside of the government looks bleak,” said Mr. Nutting.

James also asked for forgiveness for what he has done. “I was faced with a choice. A choice between my job and my career, and doing what was right. I felt hopelessly trapped and I made the wrong choice,” he said.

While his friends had tried to make him feel better by saying that it was the senator that made him commit the crime, James was man enough to admit that it was his fault.

“It was me who made the wrong choice. I have not put my family in a very bad position, and that was what I was trying to avoid. Because I was stupid, I have ruined my family’s security. I cannot forgive myself for that,” he added.

At one point, the defense and the prosecution argued on the issue whether or not the criminal act resulted in substantial interference of justice. The fact that James failed to convince the jury to a “no” vote only proved that there was no obstruction in the administration of justice, according to Mr. Nutting. “It is not the criminal act, but how did it subvert the administration of justice. In this case, how did it affect the prosecution of the case,? he asked.

But Judge Munson ruled that the crime committed by James “goes to the heart of the judicial system.” In rejecting the plea of the defense to put James on probation, Judge Munson said, “We won’t have a civilized society” if this crime goes unpunished.