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CAPAC on Confirmation of First Northern Marianas Judge to sit on Federal District Court

July 26, 2011

CAPAC on Confirmation of First Northern Marianas Judge to sit on Federal District Court

Washington, DC — The U.S. Senate today confirmed Judge Ramona Villagomez Manglona to be the Judge for the U.S. District Court of the Northern Mariana Islands. Manglona will be the first person from the Northern Mariana Islands to be appointed to any federal court. She is also the first woman to be named as the permanent judge for the federal District Court in the Northern Marianas.

Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) released the following statements:

Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA), CAPAC Chairwoman

“I congratulate Judge Manglona on being confirmed to the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands and becoming the first judge from the Islands to serve on the federal bench.  Judge Manglona bore the burden of being separated from her family at the young age of 12 to pursue an education in the U.S. mainland, and later became the first female Attorney General of the Commonwealth.  She has and will serve as an important role model, not only for women on the Mariana Islands, but also for Pacific Islanders everywhere.  Her groundbreaking past work shows that she will serve the CNMI as a dedicated public servant who interprets the law fairly and justly.

“As Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I am further heartened to see Judge Manglona appointed as the 14th Asian American and Pacific Islander district court judge and the 8th AAPI federal judge to be confirmed under President Obama.  Much work remains to be done, but President Obama has now doubled the number of AAPI judges serving in the federal judiciary. I wish Judge Manglona and her family well on this very special day, a great achievement for the AAPI community as a whole.”

Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-CNMI), CAPAC Executive Board Member

Congressman Sablan, who recommended Judge Manglona for the position to President Barack Obama in 2009, said that he was certain she would be a fine jurist.

“Ramona Villagomez Manglona is a person of impeccable character who will be as fair and impartial as a U.S. District Court Judge, as she has proven herself to be as an Associate Judge of the Commonwealth Superior Court. Judge Manglona’s confirmation is also a milestone in the political development of the Northern Mariana Islands. She exemplifies the degree to which the people of the Northern Marianas have risen to be self-governing and self-sufficient over the years since we chose to become part of the United States. No longer is it necessary to send jurists from elsewhere to dispense justice in our islands. Now we are capable of producing individuals of the caliber of Judge Manglona in whom President Obama and the United States Senate can have full confidence to interpret the laws of our nation.

“I congratulate Judge Manglona and all the Villagomez and Manglona family. It is just sad that of all the parents only Mr. Prudencio Manglona is still with us. His late wife and Judge Manglona’s parents, the late Manuel Seman and Luise Pangelinan Villagomez, would have been so pleased to see Judge Manglona’s elevation to the federal bench. The Villagomez’s made the decision early on to invest in the education of their daughter. Their understanding of the importance of learning – irrespective of gender – resulted in this proud day for their family and for all the people of the Northern Mariana Islands. The value the Villagomez’s placed on education should be an example to us all.

“I am very appreciative of Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley for their recommendation of Judge Manglona, and of Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for moving the nomination forward in a bipartisan fashion.”

Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU), CAPAC Vice Chair

“I join Congressman Kilili Sablan, the people of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the people of Guam in congratulating our neighbor Ramona Villagomez Manglona on her confirmation as District Judge for the U.S. District Court of the Northern Mariana Islands. Judge Manglona is a highly respected jurist who has been effective in her positions in the judiciary of the CNMI.  I am confident that she will serve our nation with distinction and that she will continue to inspire young people through her public service.”

Background

Judge Manglona has held her current position as Associate Judge with the Superior Court for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands since 2003. At the same time she has also served as a Justice pro tempore and Judge pro tempore with the Guam Supreme Court and the Guam Superior Court. From 1998 to 2002, Judge Manglona was an Assistant Attorney General in the Commonwealth’s Office of the Attorney General.  In 2002, Judge Manglona served as the Deputy Attorney General for the Commonwealth, and was promoted later that year to Attorney General, a position she held until she became a judge.  Judge Manglona received her J.D. in 1996 from the University of New Mexico School of Law, and her B.A. in 1990 from the University of California at Berkeley.

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The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) is comprised of Members of Congress of Asian and Pacific Islander descent and members who have a strong dedication to promoting the well-being of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Currently Chaired by Congresswoman Judy Chu, CAPAC has been addressing the needs of the AAPI community in all areas of American life since it was founded in 1994.