Superior Court Judge Pro Tempore Arthur Barcinas has scheduled a status hearing and scheduling conference for Nov. 17 in the criminal case against former Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, who faces charges of misconduct in public office, theft of government funds through premium-class travel, and contempt of the legislature.
The hearing follows the disqualification of prior prosecutors. Assistant Attorney General David Karch has entered his appearance to represent the government.
In August, the NMI Supreme Court remanded the case to the trial court, affirming the disqualification of Assistant Attorney General James R. Kingman and Chief Solicitor J. Robert Glass Jr., but reversing the removal of the entire Office of the Attorney General.
The justices emphasized the OAG’s constitutional role and ruled that only the attorney general may appoint a special prosecutor.
Torres, a Republican, was charged in April 2022 with 12 counts of misconduct, one count of theft, and one count of contempt for failing to comply with a legislative subpoena. He denies the charges.
