Wiseman named Superior Court judge

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio has nominated prominent lawyer David A. Wiseman to the Superior Court to fill a vacancy following the appointment last year of Justice John A. Manglona to the Supreme Court.

The governor submitted his name last Thursday to the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments and Governmental Investigations for his confirmation.

Mr. Wiseman, 58, expressed elation for the appointment, saying being a judge has long been a goal and aspiration after spending most of his professional life in the CNMI.

“It’s a splendid way to begin the new year,” he said in an interview Friday. “I am thrilled and honored.”

He has been serving the Commonwealth Judiciary for the past five years when he is designated by the Supreme Court chief justice to sit as special judge when the need arises.

A long-time contender for the Superior Court judge, Mr. Wiseman missed out the first time in April 2000 when his colleague, lawyer Eric S. Smith, was picked by the governor to replace then-Judge Manglona.

But Mr. Smith, who worked at the Attorney General’s Office during Mr. Tenorio’s first two terms in the 1980s, failed to get the Senate’s advice and consent as required in the Constitution, leaving the seat vacant since July last year.

Mr. Wiseman said he is confident that senators will act “favorably” on his nomination, citing his experience, qualifications and achievements to help him get confirmed.

“My optimism comes from the positive lifestyle and outlook that I live,” he added.

He considered the job of a judge as very challenging. “I will fulfill that goal to become a humble public servant with distinction and integrity,” said Mr. Wiseman.

In his resume submitted to the EAGI committee, he noted that his 23 years of being in the CNMI as well as his professional background have provided him with a growing awareness of the “sensitivities, customs and traditions” on the islands.

“I believe that such attributes, along with my ability to express, in a professional manner, good judgment, an even temperament, and a practical approach to solving problems, provide an excellent basis for being a good judge,” he wrote.

“I would endeavor to uphold and improve the objectives and standards of the Judiciary. I further submit that I am capable of bringing to the Judiciary a sense of fairness, humility and sensitivity, qualities which are so inherently important in the administration of justice,” added Mr. Wiseman.

A graduate of the Suffolk University Law School in Boston, Massachusetts in 1968, Mr. Wiseman has touted in the resume his legal experience and career highlights — such as a distinction of obtaining the first acquittal in a first degree murder case in the CNMI.

He has been designated a special judge at both the CNMI Superior Court and Supreme Court since 1995 where he said he has written some major decisions that have been published.

Mr. Wiseman came to the Northern Marianas in 1977 as a Peace Corps volunteer during which he assisted local legislators before the islands became a U.S. commonwealth.

He has served as legal counsel for various government entities, aside from being a private attorney for more than two decades. He is also very active in the business community, having been a co-chair of the Government Relations Committee of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce.