Judge orders Quichocho’s arrest

Quichocho

Manglona set Quichocho’s bail at $1,200.

The judge said she would separately address the issue of finding the lawyer in civil contempt once he is present before the court.

If and when Quichocho does make some sort of transmission of funds, Manglona said the money would be held in a trust until the hearing on the civil contempt issue.

Last June 30, Manglona ordered Quichocho to show cause why he should not be held in civil contempt for refusing to pay sanctions for $1,200 in attorney’s fees.

In that order, Manglona said if Quichocho opts not to pay the sanctions and instead presents deficient excuses at the hearing, she will not hesitate to hold him in civil contempt and remand him to jail until he pays.

The show-cause hearing was scheduled yesterday at 10am. Quichocho failed to appear at the hearing.

Attorney Mark Scoggins appeared as counsel for Ming Yang Corp. that owns Ming Yang Market.

Scoggins stated that since the filing of Quichocho’s motion for reconsideration, the latter had claimed to be traveling.

Scoggins disclosed that he had received one email from Quichocho a week ago that he was still off-island and had not heard from him since.

Scoggins stated he was prepared to offer testimony on the lack of payment but Manglona said there’s no need as the court accepts his statements as facts.

Manglona said the order to show cause was served on the parties electronically and that Quichocho had four emails listed for receipt of notices.

The judge noted that the clerk’s office had not received any off-island notice from Quichocho.

Manglona issued the $1,200 sanction order against Quichocho on June 16 for his late submission of his opposition to Ming Yang Corp.’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit. Part of the sanction included paying Ming Yang Corp.’s legal fees in preparing for a motion.

Manglona ordered Quichocho to pay the fees no later than June 25, 2014. On June 24, however, Quichocho filed a motion to reconsider. He claimed that his opposition was due June 12, but that he left Saipan for personal and medical reasons on June 10, so he could not file an opposition.

Manglona denied the motion and gave Quichocho until June 27 to pay the sanctions.

When Quichocho again failed to pay the sanctions by June 27, Scoggins filed a petition for an order to show cause. Manglona granted the petition.

Quichocho served as counsel for William A. Tracy, who sued several businesses, including Ming Yang, for allegedly having facilities that are not accessible to persons with disabilities. Tracy was reportedly found dead last Feb.7. The case has since been dismissed. Last May 28, Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho issued an order suspending Quichocho’s license to practice law for three years for professional misconduct by using a legal tool to harass a former client to get payment.