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Attorney General of the Northern Mariana Islands
| Northern Mariana Islands Attorney General | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Nonpartisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | CNMI Constitution Article III, Section 11 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
Attorney General of the Northern Mariana Islands
Edward Manibusan | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | 2026 |
| Last election: | 2022 |
| Other Northern Mariana Islands Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Education Board | |
The Attorney General of the Northern Mariana Islands is an elected state officer who serves as the attorney and chief legal officer for the territory of the Northern Mariana Islands.[1]
The attorney general represents the government of the Northern Mariana Islands in legal matters, provides legal advice to the governor and executive departments, and prosecutes violations of the law.[1]
Current officeholder
The current Attorney General of the Northern Mariana Islands is Edward Manibusan (nonpartisan). Manibusan assumed office in 2015.
Authority
The office of attorney general is established in Article III, Section 11 of the Commonwealth Constitution.
Article III, Section 11
|
There is in the Commonwealth government an Office of the Attorney General to be headed by an attorney general. The Office of the Attorney General is established as an independent agency within the executive branch of the Commonwealth government. The attorney general shall be elected at large within the Commonwealth for a term of office of four years. The Attorney General shall be the Chief Legal Officer of the Commonwealth government and shall be responsible for providing legal advice to the governor and executive departments (including public corporations and autonomous agencies), representing the Commonwealth in all legal matters, and prosecuting violations of Commonwealth law. |
Qualifications
Per Article III Section 11 of the Commonwealth Constitution, the attorney general must be:
- at least 35 years old;
- a U.S. citizen and a resident and domiciliary of the Northern Mariana Islands for at least five years preceding the date when the attorney general assumes office; and
- admitted to the practice of law in the Northern Mariana Islands for at least the five years preceding the date when the attorney general takes office.[1]
The attorney general must not have been:
- a convicted felon;
- suspended from practicing law for ethics violations.[1]
Elections
The Northern Mariana Islands elects its attorney general in federal midterm election years, (e.g., 2018, 2022, 2026, 2030, etc.). Prior to 2014, the governor appointed the attorney general.[2]
2022
General election
General election for Attorney General of the Northern Mariana Islands
Incumbent Edward Manibusan defeated Juan Lizama in the general election for Attorney General of the Northern Mariana Islands on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Edward Manibusan (Nonpartisan) | 55.2 | 7,524 |
| Juan Lizama (Nonpartisan) | 44.8 | 6,113 | ||
| Total votes: 13,637 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Vacancies
When the office of attorney general becomes vacant, the governor appoints the unsuccessful candidate from the previous election who received the greatest number of votes. If he or she is not willing to serve, the governor appoints a qualified individual, subject to the consent of the Senate. Any appointee serves until the next general election.[1]
Divisions
As of 2022, the Office of the Attorney General of the Northern Mariana Islands had the following divisions:[3]
- Administrative Services
- Child Support Enforcement
- Civil Division
- Consumer Protection
- Criminal Division
- Investigative Division
- Solicitor's Division
Compensation
The CNMI Constitution sets the annual salary of the attorney general at one hundred thirty thousand dollars per year. It also authorizes the legislature to change this salary.[1]
Contact information
CNMI Office of the Attorney General
Pagan Loop, Capitol Hill
Saipan 96950, Northern Mariana Islands
Phone: 670-237-7500
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Commonwealth Law Revision Commission, "CNMI Constitution Article III Section 11," accessed January 20, 2022
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedabout - ↑ Office of the Attorney General, "Divisions," accessed January 20, 2022
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