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ON COURT STRIKING DOWN WEAPONS ACT
‘Torres’ use of another lawyer to argue appeal probably inappropriate’
Attorney General Edward Manibusan indicated yesterday that he is willing to sit down with the Gov. Ralph DLG Torres to discuss an appeal of a federal court ruling that struck down parts of the NMI’s gun law, effectively allowing the permit of hand guns in the NMI.
Manibusan, though, has publicly shot down the chances of the success of an appeal, pointing a previous Supreme Court ruling. The Torres administration, on the other hand, is willing to test the possibility of having another counsel argue the appeal, Saipan Tribune learned.
Manibusan said yesterday they are going to have to sit down with the governor and “really look at the options, and whether “the options are available” in terms of appeal.
“But as far as the Attorney General’s Office is concerned,” he said, “I think an appeal is not in our radar.
“And if so the governor wants to take a look at that option of appealing, certainly [we can] just sit down with him and see what we can do.”
Asked if Torres could use another lawyer if the AG’s office did not want to appeal, Manibusan said, “He could.”
“But there’s a real serious issue,” he added, “as to whether or not any other [lawyer] can do that because the attorney general is the chief legal officer” of the Commonwealth.
“That would probably not be appropriate,” Manibusan said. But options can be discussed, he added.
Torres earlier said that the NMI needs to appeal, contest, or have a stay on the ruling.
Rep. Vinnie Sablan (Ind-Saipan) has also pushed a resolution to urge Torres and Manibusan to appeal the case, saying earlier that the NMI government has not deprived its citizens of the rights under the Second Amendment, or the right to bear arms, because they have the right to bear .22 caliber or a .410 shotgun are allowed.
“[The] framers of our constitution just said no to handguns. If you look at this in general, are we depriving ourselves of that Second Amendment? We are not. I hope we get the decision of the Ninth Circuit,” Sablan said.
