Guam Superior Court
| Guam Superior Court |
|---|
| Court Information |
| Judges: 7 |
| Founded: 1974 |
| Judicial Selection |
| Method: Gubernatorial appointment |
| Term: 8 years |
The Guam Superior Court is a trial court that has original jurisdiction over matters of Commonwealth law. The court consists of a presiding judge and at least four associate justices.[1] The current presiding judge is Roberto C. Naraja.
Jurisdiction
The Superior Court of the Guam is a "court of general jurisdiction in Guam, having original jurisdiction as prescribed by this Title and in other laws of Guam which are not within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Guam or the District Court of Guam."[2]
The following text from Subchapter 4 of the Organic Act of Guam covers the jurisdiction of the Superior Court:[3]
| “ | Superior Court Jurisdiction
Except as granted to the Supreme Court of Guam or otherwise provided by this Act or any other Act of Congress, the Superior Court of Guam and all other local courts established by the laws of Guam shall have such original and appellate jurisdiction over all causes in Guam as the laws of Guam provide, except that such jurisdiction shall be subject to the exclusive or concurrent jurisdiction conferred on the District Court of Guam under section 22 of this Act.[4] |
” |
| —Organic Act of Guam, Subchapter 4 | ||
Justices
The table below lists the current justices of the Guam Superior Court.
| Office | Name | Party | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guam Superior Court | Arthur R. Barcinas | Nonpartisan | 2005 |
| Guam Superior Court | Maria Teresa Bonifacio Cenzon | Nonpartisan | 2012 |
| Guam Superior Court | Dana Gutierrez | Nonpartisan | July 24, 2020 |
| Guam Superior Court | Elyze M. Iriarte | Nonpartisan | 2016 |
| Guam Superior Court | Alberto C. Lamorena III | Nonpartisan | 1988 |
| Guam Superior Court | Vernon P. Perez | Nonpartisan | 2008 |
| Guam Superior Court | Alberto Tolentino | Nonpartisan | September 10, 2021 |
Salary
In 2025, the associate judges of the court received a salary of $172,927, according to the National Center for State Courts.[5]
Judicial selection
Qualifications
Title 7, Chapter 3 of the Guam Code Annotated gives the qualifications for Supreme Court justices.[6]
| “ | Nomination, Appointment, Eligibility and Tenure of Justices and Judges.
(a) I Maga’lahen Guåhan [The Governor of Guam], with the advice and consent of I Liheslaturan Guåhan [the Legislature], shall appoint a qualified person to each of the positions of Justice created by this Title; and subject to the advice and consent of I Liheslaturan Guåhan, appoint a qualified person to any vacancy occurring in either the Supreme Court or the Superior Court of Guam, and to any newly created position of Justice or Judge authorized by statute. The Judicial Council and the Guam Bar Association may each submit a list of qualified nominees for I Maga’lahen Guåhan’s [the Governor's] consideration. No sitting Judge of the Superior Court of Guam shall be excluded from the pool of nominees for the Supreme Court of Guam.[4] |
” |
| —Guam Code Annotated: Title 7, Chapter 3 Supreme Court of Guam | ||
Elections
Judges of the Superior Court are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the legislature. Justices must stand for retention in the general election seven years after they were first appointed or last elected.[7][8]
2024
- See also: Guam Superior Court elections, 2024
The terms of two Guam Superior Court judges expired on January 31, 2025. The two seats were up for retention election on November 5, 2024. The filing deadline was September 6, 2024.
Candidates and results
Iriarte's seat
Guam Superior Court, Elyze M. Iriarte's seat
Elyze M. Iriarte was retained to the Guam Superior Court on November 5, 2024 with 85.7% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
85.7
|
20,195 | ||
No |
14.3
|
3,371 | |||
Total Votes |
23,566 | ||||
|
|
Perez's seat
Guam Superior Court, Vernon P. Perez's seat
Vernon P. Perez was retained to the Guam Superior Court on November 5, 2024 with 90.4% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
90.4
|
22,852 | ||
No |
9.6
|
2,413 | |||
Total Votes |
25,265 | ||||
|
|
2020
- See also: Guam Superior Court elections, 2020
Barcinas' seat
Guam Superior Court
Arthur R. Barcinas was retained to the Guam Superior Court on November 3, 2020 with 87.4% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
87.4
|
21,521 | ||
No |
12.6
|
3,091 | |||
Total Votes |
24,612 | ||||
|
|
Cenzon's seat
Guam Superior Court
Maria Teresa Bonifacio Cenzon was retained to the Guam Superior Court on November 3, 2020 with 86.0% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
86.0
|
20,720 | ||
No |
14.0
|
3,366 | |||
Total Votes |
24,086 | ||||
|
|
Lamorena's seat
Guam Superior Court
Alberto C. Lamorena III was retained to the Guam Superior Court on November 3, 2020 with 87.6% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
87.6
|
22,055 | ||
No |
12.4
|
3,117 | |||
Total Votes |
25,172 | ||||
|
|
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Commonwealth of the Guam, "Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Guam," accessed September 24, 2020(Article IV, Section 2)
- ↑ Judiciary of Guam Web Search, "Guam Code Annotated: Title 7, Chapter 4 Superior Court" accessed December 3, 2020
- ↑ Judiciary of Guam Web Search, "Organic Act of Guam" accessed December 3, 2020
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "2025 Salaries and Rankings," accessed October 8, 2025
- ↑ Judiciary of Guam Web Search, "Guam Code Annotated: Title 7, Chapter 3 Supreme Court of Guam" accessed November 25, 2020
- ↑ Judiciary of Guam Web Search, "Guam Code Annotated: Title 7, Chapter 3 Supreme Court of Guam" accessed November 25, 2020
- ↑ Judiciary of Guam Web Search, "Guam Code Annotated: Title 7, Chapter 6 Judicial Officers, Justices and Judges" accessed November 25, 2020
