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Jury selection in Roberto’s trial now on its 3rd day
Defense submits Roberto’s travel documents
The jury selection in the federal jury trial of former acting CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife director Raymond Borja Roberto enters its third day today, Wednesday.
U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona released prospective jurors yesterday at 4:30pm and ordered them to return for the resumption of jury selection at 9:30am today, Wednesday.
As this developed, Roberto’s defense team submitted in court yesterday additional exhibit list consisting of documents such as travel authorization from Saipan to American Samoa from March 7, 2013, to March 15, 2013, Roberto’s boarding passes, his United Mileage Plus statement, agenda of the 48th meeting of the Western Pacific Fisheries Information Network in American Samoa, copies of taxi fare receipt dated April 21 and 25, 2013, and others.
The defense is expected to show the documents as evidence that Roberto was off island when the alleged incidents happened.
The indictment alleged that Roberto persuaded three underage girls to have sex with him from March 1, 2013, to July 18, 2013. In the witness tampering case, it was alleged that while Roberto was detained pending trial, he attempted to influence the testimony of an individual on April 24, 2014.
Guam attorney David J. Lujan and Saipan attorney Joaquin Torres are representing Roberto as privately retained counsel. Also seated at the defendant’s table were two private investigators and Rep. Christopher Leon Guerrero, who used to operate a private investigation company.
U.S. Attorney for the Districts of Guam and NMI Alicia A.G. Limtiaco and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rami S. Badawy are prosecuting the case. Also seated at prosecution’s table were Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent Haejun Park and legal assistants Marylynn Yamada-Sablan and Nicole Sablan.
