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Munson grants Villagomez motion to extend deadline
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Posted on Sep 04 2008
U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Alex R. Munson has granted Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Villagomez’s request to grant him another extension in the deadline to file pre-trial motions.
Munson ordered Villagomez to file the pre-trial motions no later than 3:30pm on Sept. 22, 2008.
It was the second time the judge granted the lieutenant governor’s request for deadline extension. The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not object to both requests.
Villagomez, through lawyer Joey P. San Nicolas, made the latest request due to additional documents to be provided him by the U.S. government.
San Nicolas, in Villagomez’s second motion, underscored the need for another deadline considering that the U.S. government will provide additional discovery to them after the Sept. 8 deadline.
San Nicolas said assistant U.S. attorney Eric O’Malley had informed him that additional discovery would be provided in a week and a half and that a written response will be provided at that later date.
The original deadline was Aug. 25, 2008. On Aug. 21, Munson extended the deadline to Sept. 8 after Villagomez’s counsel and O’Malley entered a stipulation to extend the deadline.
In Villagomez’s first request for extension, San Nicolas stated that the discovery received thus far is voluminous and requires adequate time to review to prepare pre-trial motions in this case.
Villagomez, James Santos, his wife Joaquina Villagomez Santos, and former Commonwealth Utilities Corp. executive director Anthony Guerrero were indicted on charges of conspiring to bilk CUC out of thousands of dollars through deals involving needless chemical purchases for CUC.
Villagomez and the Santos couple pleaded not guilty. Guerrero signed a plea agreement and entered a guilty plea.
Despite mounting calls either for his resignation or leave of absence, its “business as usual” for Villagomez.
James Santos had already resigned his post.
