Fighting for the people of the CNMI

When I accepted a two-year contract on an island called Saipan—an island I didn’t even know about thanks to my high school education focusing on the European aspect of World War II—I never knew that it would change my life. I’ve always been one for adventure, and accepted a position as an Assistant Attorney General thinking that it was only two years, and heck, I could manage anything for two years. What I immediately found in the Office of the Attorney General’s Criminal Division Office was family, and friends that I will never leave behind, even though I have chosen to return stateside to be closer to my immediate family. I found administrative staff that were (and are) so incredibly dedicated to their jobs that they work on the weekends without pay, and lawyers who hold themselves to the utmost of professional standards, and take their oath of office with the utmost of sincerity, all of whom are life-long prosecutors dedicated to public service for far less pay than they could get in other mainland jobs. During the past two years, I have come to admire and deeply respect everyone in that office, and want to extend my thanks and gratitude to everyone in the OAG’s Criminal Division for accepting me so warmly and helping me grow into a better, more focused attorney. I will miss you all, my family.

I encourage the public to acknowledge what an experienced and dedicated office they have in the Criminal Division, under the leadership of (while I was there) both Jeffrey Warfield Sr. and Kevin Lynch as Chief Prosecutor, as well as Deputy Attorney General Gregory Baka and Attorney General Matthew T. Gregory. All of the attorneys in the Criminal Division are people I know well, and are seeking justice on a daily basis, and they deserve all the accolades bestowed on them. I have worked with attorneys all over the globe and have not found a more dedicated or intelligent group. As a career prosecutor, I know that it is more often than not a thankless job, with the mistakes and missteps more often highlighted in the public eye than the triumphs. I stress, however, that it is easiest to tear down rather than to build up. So, in this time of seemingly uncertain times, I encourage all citizens of the CNMI to recognize that the attorneys of the OAG’s Criminal Division are the citizen’s attorneys, seeking justice on a daily basis and fighting the good fight that needs to be fought for all people of the CNMI.

Many thanks and best wishes to all.
[B] Melissa Simms[/B] [I]Former Assistant Attorney General
Criminal Division[/I]