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Smith’s appointment may be bypassed
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Posted on Jul 12 2000
The appointment of lawyer Eric Smith as associate judge of the Superior Court expires today and there is no word whether the Senate will conduct an eleventh-hour deliberation to tackle his nomination.
But some senators yesterday expressed hope of courting support from other members to at least review his appointment by today, although senators from Rota and Tinian have sent words that they could not attend a leadership meeting on Saipan.
Mr. Smith was appointed by Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio last April 13 to the post left vacant by new Supreme Court Associate Justice John A. Manglona who was swiftly confirmed by the Senate in less than two weeks.
Under the Constitution, his appointment is effective for 90 days within which the Senate considers giving its advice and consent.
While Executive Appointment and Governmental Investigations Committee chair Sen. Joaquin G. Adriano previously pledged to conduct hearings on the judicial nomination after he had expressed opposition against the governor’s choice, he had not done so.
This prompted speculations that a rejection of Mr. Smith, who worked at the Attorney General’s Office during the term of Mr. Tenorio in the 80’s, was looming.
Mr. Reyes, who has openly supported Mr. Smith, said that even if he is rejected by the Senate, he wants to see a vote on the floor instead of ignoring the governor’s nomination.
He also expressed dismay that the Tenorio administration has not exerted pressure to ensure that Mr. Smith at least gets his due in the EAGI committee.
“There is no indication that there has been involvement by the administration to push the nomination,” he told in an interview. “But I’m still hoping that there will still be time to move and try to talk to anyone in the leadership who is willing to listen to me, if not to confirm, but to at least place it in the calendar.”
The Senate’s bypassing of Mr. Smith followed months since the controversy surrounding the appointment of former acting Attorney General Maya B. Kara who was forced out of office by the court last January after nearly two years of holding the post without official confirmation.
