Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court
| Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court |
|---|
| Court Information |
| Judges: 5 |
| Founded: 1978 |
| Judicial Selection |
| Method: Gubernatorial appointment |
| Term: 6 years |
The Northern Mariana Islands 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 Northern Mariana Islands is a trial court that has "original jurisdiction over civil, criminal, and other specialized matters like probate, juvenile cases, administrative appeals, and traffic violations."[2]
The following text from Article IV, Section 2 of the Commonwealth Constitution covers the jurisdiction of the Superior Court:
| “ | Supreme Court Jurisdiction
The Commonwealth superior court shall have original jurisdiction in all cases in equity and at law. The court shall also have original jurisdiction in all criminal actions. The superior court shall have all inherent powers, including the power to issue all writs necessary to the complete exercise of its duties and jurisdiction under this constitution and the laws of the Commonwealth.[3] |
” |
| —Commonwealth Constitution, Article IV, Section 2 | ||
Justices
The table below lists the current justices of the Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court.
| Office | Name | Party | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court | Joseph N. Camacho | Nonpartisan | November 10, 2011 |
| Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court | Kenneth L. Govendo | Nonpartisan | June 20, 2003 |
| Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court | Teresa Kim-Tenorio | Nonpartisan | December 22, 2013 |
| Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court | Roberto C. Naraja | Nonpartisan | March 28, 2003 |
| Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court | Lillian Tenorio | Nonpartisan | February 20, 2024 |
Salary
In 2025, the associate judges of the court received a salary of $120,000, according to the National Center for State Courts.[4]
Judicial selection
Qualifications
Article IV, Section 4 of the Commonwealth Constitution gives the qualifications for Superior Court judges.
| “ | Superior Court Qualifications
A justice or judge shall be at least thirty-five (35) years of age, a citizen or national of the United States, have resided in the Commonwealth for at least five (5) years before appointment, never have been convicted of a felony or any crime involving moral turpitude, and been a member of the Commonwealth bar for five (5) years.[3] |
” |
| —Commonwealth Constitution, Article IV, Section 4 | ||
Elections
Judges of the Superior Court are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The term of office is six years. Judges must stand for retention in the general election immediately preceding the end of their term.[5]
See also: Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court elections, 2030
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
See also: Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court elections, 2028
Joseph Camacho's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
Wesley Bogdan's seat
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
See also: Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court elections, 2024
Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court
Teresa Kim-Tenorio was retained to the Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court on November 5, 2024 with 84.2% of the vote.
Retention Vote | % | Votes | |
| ✔ | Yes | 84.2 | 9,909 |
| No | 15.8 | 1,858 | |
| Total Votes | 11,767 |
 | The results have been certified. Source |
See also: Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court elections, 2022
Wesley Bogdan's seat
Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court
Wesley M. Bogdan was retained to the Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court on November 8, 2022 with 71.8% of the vote.
Retention Vote | % | Votes | |
| ✔ | Yes | 71.8 | 9,033 |
| No | 28.2 | 3,540 | |
| Total Votes | 12,573 |
| The results have been certified. Source |
Joseph Camacho's seat
Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court
Joseph N. Camacho was retained to the Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court on November 8, 2022 with 74.9% of the vote.
Retention Vote | % | Votes | |
| ✔ | Yes | 74.9 | 10,180 |
| No | 25.1 | 3,412 | |
| Total Votes | 13,592 |
| The results have been certified. Source |
See also: Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court elections, 2020
Naraja's seat
Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court
Roberto C. Naraja was retained to the Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court on November 3, 2020 with 84.5% of the vote.
Retention Vote | % | Votes | |
| ✔ | Yes | 84.5 | 10,236 |
| No | 15.5 | 1,881 | |
| Total Votes | 12,117 |
| The results have been certified. Source |
Govendo's seat
Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court
Kenneth L. Govendo was retained to the Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court on November 3, 2020 with 80.0% of the vote.
Retention Vote | % | Votes | |
| ✔ | Yes | 80.0 | 9,592 |
| No | 20.0 | 2,404 | |
| Total Votes | 11,996 |
| The results have been certified. Source |
See also
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Northern Mariana Islands Superior Court elections, 2020
- Northern Mariana Islands Supreme Court
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, "Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands," accessed September 24, 2020(Article IV, Section 2)
- ↑ Judiciary Northern Mariana Islands, "Superior Court," accessed September 24, 2020
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 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
- ↑ Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, "Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands," accessed September 24, 2020(Article IV, Section 5)
