Overview:
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’ Attorney General is seeking to overturn a court-approved settlement that dismissed all charges against former Governor Ralph Torres, arguing the agreement was unauthorized and improperly granted sweeping immunity. Torres’ legal team is fighting back, calling the move politically motivated as he campaigns for a return to the governor’s office in the 2026 election.
SAIPAN, 03 JUNE 2026 (PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES)—The Office of the Attorney General is asking the CNMI Superior Court to throw out the settlement that cleared former governor Ralph Torres, arguing the deal was unauthorised and illegally granted him broad immunity.
Torres’ legal team immediately pushed back, saying the government is attempting to “revisit the same allegations” years after a conflict‑free prosecutor resolved the case and the court approved the outcome.
In a statement issued 01 June, the defence said Torres “asked for a fair and conflict‑free prosecutor from the very beginning,” noting that Attorney General Edward Manibusan, Assistant Attorney General J. Robert Glass Jr., and Special Prosecutor James Kingman were each disqualified due to conflicts of interest.
The defence also noted the political context surrounding the Office of the Attorney General, which is an elected position in the CNMI. Manibusan ran unopposed in the most recent election, and as of now, no challenger has announced for the upcoming general election.
The defence said the renewed effort to revive the case “speaks for itself,” pointing to the timing months before the 2026 gubernatorial race.
Torres announced his candidacy for governor in March, shortly after the criminal case was dismissed. He is running with Kagman High School principal Benjamin Jones Jr.
A Boise State University graduate with a degree in political science, Torres has been a central figure in CNMI politics for nearly two decades.
He served as the commonwealth’s ninth governor from 2015 to 2023, first assuming office after the death of Governor Eloy Inos and later winning a full term in 2018. Before becoming governor, he served in the House, Senate, and as Senate president, and was elected lieutenant governor in 2014.
In a motion filed 29 May, Assistant Attorney General Olga Kelley asked the court to invalidate the 23 March global civil settlement that led to the dismissal of all charges against Torres.
Kelley argued that Assistant Attorney General David Karch, who signed the agreement on behalf of the commonwealth, did not have the legal authority to negotiate immunity or dismiss the case in exchange for a US$23,745 payment representing the difference between premium and economy airfare.
Kelley said Karch acted outside the scope of his powers, noting that he was hired in 2023, had handled mostly traffic cases, had never conducted a bench or jury trial, and was not authorized to resolve a high‑profile prosecution involving allegations of misuse of public funds.
The settlement was the basis for Superior Court Judge Pro Tempore Arthur Barcinas’ order dismissing with prejudice 12 counts of misconduct in public office, one count of theft tied to premium‑class travel for Torres and his wife, and one count of contempt of the legislature for failing to comply with a subpoena.
The agreement stated that it resolved all allegations and “shall not be construed as an admission of liability, fault, or wrongdoing by any party.”
It also included a promise not to pursue any future criminal, civil, or administrative action against Torres for conduct through January 2023—language Kelley argues no line prosecutor had the authority to offer.
Kelley’s motion reopens a case shaped by years of litigation over prosecutorial conflicts. In 2025, the NMI Supreme Court ruled that while individual prosecutors James Kingman and J. Robert Glass Jr. were properly disqualified, the entire Office of the Attorney General could not be removed from the case.
The justices reaffirmed the attorney general’s constitutional authority to oversee prosecutions or appoint a special prosecutor.
Barcinas’ dismissal order vacated all hearings and deadlines in both cases. The Superior Court has not yet set a hearing on Kelley’s motion….PACNEWS
