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Ayuyu’s sentencing moved anew
The federal court has granted Guam lawyer David J. Lujan’s request to postpone once more the sentencing of former senator Juan M. Ayuyu.
In an order on Monday, U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona found good cause to continue the sentencing, but not the three weeks Lujan asked for.
Manglona instead set the new sentencing date on Monday, Feb. 10, 2014, at 1pm.
Lujan had asked to postpone the sentencing from Feb. 7, 2014, to at least three weeks later, saying he is in trial in Guam on the week of Feb. 3 and has another trial set to start Feb. 19.
The U.S. government and Lujan’s co-defense counsel, Bruce Berline, did not object to Lujan’s request.
The court earlier granted Lujan’s request to move the Jan. 3, 2014, sentencing to Feb. 7, 2014. At the time, Lujan stated that Ayuyu just received the final sentencing recommendations filed by the U.S. Probation Office on Dec. 27, 2013. Lujan himself at the time was waiting for the verdict of a jury trial in Guam in a criminal case.
Lujan is counsel for Ayuyu in the obstruction of justice and cell phone possession cases, while Berline is counsel for the former senator in the fruit bat case.
Last August, the court granted Ayuyu’s request for temporary release from custody while he awaits sentencing, which was at the time set for Nov. 8, 2013.
Ayuyu pleaded guilty in July last year to two charges relating to the smuggling of endangered fruit bats from Rota to Saipan. Subject to the court’s approval, he will receive a prison term between 33 months and 41 months.
He resigned from the 18th Senate on Sept. 30, 2013.
