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Ex-teacher gets court fee waiver
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Posted on Sep 14 2004
A jailed former elementary school teacher has been granted a court fee waiver following his plea of being indigent.
U.S. District Court judge Alex Munson, in a Sept. 9, 2004 order, granted the motion filed by Michael J. Dodds to proceed with his case against the director of the Division of Correction without prepayment of fees.
Dodds, who previously faced child molestation charges at the Superior Court, said in his Aug. 31, 2004 statement to the federal court that he could not afford to pay the fee.
In the statement, Dodds also complained that his previous lawyer, Robert Dunlop, allegedly withheld important information from him.
He said his lawyer did not show “a forged statement” waiving his rights “until after my sentencing” last July. He alleged that Dunlop who has reportedly left the island, never seemed to be interested in his case, possibly because of him being indigent.
He said he had asked Dunlop squarely during a meeting: “It must have been difficult to represent a low-life scum like me.” He quoted Dunlop as replying, “Well, I have my own children to worry about.”
Further, Dodds claimed that the lawyer never showed him police reports or discussed other evidence that the prosecution held against him. He said the lawyer also failed to fully instruct him on consequences of his plea bargain agreement.
He claimed that Dunlop had also refused to present to the court any case precedents that would have been beneficial in defending his case.
Dodds is a former teacher who was charged a few years back of child molestation. He was taken into custody by the Honolulu police in 2001 and turned over to the CNMI to face trial over allegations that he molested 19 Oleai Elementary School students.
